with the Mammon of Unrighteousness and ventured all his Hope in this Vessel And now he findeth the Wisdom of that Choice in a rich Return God made him so wise a Merchant as to sell all for this Pearl of greatest Price and therefore now he shall find the Gain As there is no other true Happiness but God in Glory so is there nothing more sutable and welcome to the true Believer O how welcome will the Face of that God be whom he loved sought longed and waited for How welcome will that Kingdom be which he lived in hope of which he parted with all for and suffered for in the Flesh How glad will he be to see the blessed Face of his Redeemer who by his manifold Grace hath brought him unto this I leave the believing Soul to think of it and to make it the daily matter of his delightful Meditation what an unconceivable Joy in one Moment will this Sentence of Christ will fill his Soul with Undoubtedly it is now quite past our Comprehension though our imperfect Forethoughts of it may well make our Lives a continual Feast Were it but our Justification from the Accusations of Satan who would have us condemned either as Sinners in general or as impenitent unbelieving Rebels against him that redeemed us in special it would lift up the Heads of the Saints in that Day After all the Fears of our own Hearts and the slanderous Accusations of Satan and the World That we were either impenitent Infidels or Hypocrites Christ will then justify us and pronounce us righteous So much for the Condition to which they are judged 2. The Reason or Cause of this Justification of the Saints is given us both 1. In a general Denomination and 2. In a particular Description 1. In general it is because they were righteous as is evident Mat. 25. 6. The Righteous shall go into Life everlasting And indeed it is the Business of every just Judg to justify the Righteous and condemn the Unrighteous And shall not the Judg of all the Earth judg righteously Gen. 18. 25. God makes Men righteous before he judges them so and judgeth them righteous because they are so He that abominateth that Man who saith to the Righteous Thou art wicked or to the Wicked Thou art righteous who justifieth the Wicked and condemneth the Righteous will certainly never do so himself Indeed he will justify them that are Sinners but not against the Accusation that they are Sinners but against the Accusation that they are guilty of Punishment for Sin but that is because he first made them just and so justifiable by pardoning their Sin through the Blood of Christ And it 's true also that he will justify those that were wicked but not those that are wicked but Judgment findeth them as Death leaveth them and he will not take them for wicked that are sanctified and cleansed of their former Wickedness So that Christ will first pardon them before he justify them against the Charge of being Sinners in general and he will first give Men Faith Repentance and new Obedience before he will justify them against the Charge of being Impenitent Infidels or Hypocrites and consequently â—mpardoned and doubly guilty of Damnation This twofold Righteousness he will first give Men and so constiture them just before he will declare it and sentence them just 2. The Reason of the Sentence particularly described is from their Faith and Love to Christ expressed in their Obedience Self-denial and forsaking all for him For I was hungry and ye fed me I was thirsty and ye gave me daink 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 to me Verily I say unto you inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my Brethren ye have done it unto me Mat. 25. 35 to 41. Here is 1. The causal Conjuction for 2. And the Cause or Reason it self Concerning both which observe 1. How it is that Man's Obedience and Self-denial is the Reason and Cause of his Justification 2. Why it is that God will have the Reason or Cause thus declared in the Sentence For the first observe that it 's one thing to give a Reason of the Sentence and another thing to express the Cause of the Benefit given us by the Promise and judged to us by the Sentence Man's Obedience was no proper Cause why God did in this Life give Pardon of Sin to us or a Right to Glory much less of his giving Christ to die for us And therefore as to our constitutive Justification at our Conversion we must not say or think that God doth justify us for or because of any Works of our Obedience legal or evangelical But when God hath so justified us when he comes to give a Reason of his Sentence in Judgment he may and will fetch that Reason partly from our Obedience or our Performance of the Conditions of the new Covenant For as in this Life we had a Righteousness consisting in free Pardon of all Sin through the Blood of Christ and a Righteousness consisting in our personal Performance of the Conditions of the Promise which giveth that Pardon and continueth it to us so at Judgment we shall accordingly be justified And as our evangelical personal Righteousness commonly called inherent was at first only in our Faith and Repentance and Disposition to obey but afterward in our actual sincere Obedience in which Sense we are constitutively justified or made righteous here by our Works in James his sense James 2. 24. so accordingly a double Reason will be assigned of our sentential Justification one from our Pardon by Christ's Blood and Merits which will prove our Right to Impunity and to Glory the other from our own Faith and holy Obedience which will prove our Right to that Pardon through Christ and to the free Gift of a Right to Glory and To this last is to be pleaded in Subordination to the former For Christ is become the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5. 9. He therefore that will be saved must have a Christ to save him as the Author and an Obedience to that Christ as the Condition of that Salvation and consequently both must be declared in the Judgment The Reason why the Judg doth mention our good Works rather than our believing may be because those holy self-denying Expressions of Faith and Love to Christ do contain or certainly imply Faith in them as the Life of the Tree is in the Fruit but Faith doth contain our Works of Obedience but only as their Cause The Works also are a Part of the personal Righteousness which is to be enquired after that is we shall not be judged righteous meerly because we have believed but also because we have added to our Faith Vertue and have improved our Talents and have loved Christ to the hazard of all for his
to him that died for them and rose again Rom. 14. 9. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Mat. 28. 18 19 20. 1 Pet. 1. 17 18. You will then understand that you were not your own but were bought with a Price and therefore should have glorified him that bought you with your Bodies and Spirits because they were his 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. This one Aggravation of your Sin will make you doubly and remedilesly miserable that you trod under foot the Son of God and counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith you were sanctified an unholy thing Heb. 10. 26 27 28 29. and crucified to your selves the Son of God afresh and put him to open Shame Heb. 6. 5 6. 3. Moreover all the personal Mercies which they received will be so many Evidences for the Condemnation of the Ungodly The very Earth that bore them and yielded them its Fruits while they themselves are unfruitful to God The Air which they breathed in the Food which nourish'd them the Clothes which cover'd them the Houses which they dwelt in the Beasts that laboured for them and all the Creatures that died for their Use All these may rise up against them to their Condemnation And the Judg may thus expostulate with them Did all these Mercies deserve no more Thanks Should you not have served him that so liberally maintained you God thought not all these too good for you and did you think your Hearts and Services too good for him He served yours with the weary Labours of your fellow-Creatures and should you have grudged to bear his easy Yoak They were your Slaves and Drudges and you refused to be his free Servants and his Sons They suffered Death to feed your Bodies and you would not suffer the short Forbearance of a little forbidden fleshly Pleasure for the sake of him that made you and redeemed you O how many thousand Mercies of God will then be reviewed by those that neglected them to the Horror of their Souls when they shall be upbraided by the Judg with their base Requital All the Deliverances from Sickness and from Danger all the Honours and Privileges and other Commodities which so much contented them will then be God's Evidences to shame them and confound them On this Supposition doth the Apostle reprove such Rom. 2. 4 5 6. Despisest thou the Riches of his Goodness and Forbearance and Long-suffering not knowing that the Goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance But after thy hardness and impenitent Heart treasurest up unto thy self Wrath against the Day of Wrath and Revelation of the righteous Judgment of God who will render to every Man according to his Deeds 4. Moreover all the Means which God used for the Recovery of Sinners in the Day of their Visitation will rise up against impenitent Souls in Judgment to their Condemnation You can hear Sermons carelesly and sleepily now but O that you would consider how the Review of them will then awake you You now make light of the Warnings of God and Man and of all the wholesom Advice that is given you but God will not then make light of your Contempt O what cutting Questions will they be to the Hearts of the Ungodly when all the means that were used for their Good are brought to their Remembrance on one side and the Temprations that drew them to Sin on the other Side and the Lord shall plead his Cause with their Consciences and say Was I so hard a Master or was my Work so unreasonable or was my Wages so contemptible that no Perswasions could draw you into my Service Was Satan so good a Master or was his Work so honest and profitable or was his Wages so desirable that you would be so easily perswaded to do as he would have you Was there more perswading Reason in his Allurements and Deceits than in all my holy Words and all the powerful Sermons that you heard or all the faithful Admonitions you received or all the good Examples of the Righteous or in all the Works of God which you beheld Was not a Reason fetch'd from the Love of God from the Evil of Sin the Blood of Christ the Judgment to come the Glory promised the Torments threatned as forcible with you and as good in your Eyes to draw you to Holiness as a Reason from a little fleshly Delight or worldly Gain to draw you to be unholy In the Name of God Sinners I intreat you to bethink your selves in time how you will sufficiently answer such Questions as these You should have seen God in every Creature that you beheld and have read your Duty in all his Works what can you look upon above you or below you or round about you which might not have shewed you so much of the Wisdom and Goodness and Greatness of your Maker as should have convinced you that it was your Duty to be devoted to his Will and yet you have his written Word that speaks plainer than all these and will you despise them all will you not see so great a Light will you not hear so loud and constant Calls shall God and his Ministers speak in vain And can you think that you shall not hear of this again and pay for it one Day you have the Bible and other good Books by you why do you not read them You have Ministers at hand why do you not go to them and earnestly ask them Sirs What must I do to be saved and intreat them to teach you the Way to Life You have some Neighbours that fear God why do you not go to them and take their good Advice and imitate them in the Fear of God and in a holy Diligence for your Souls Now is the time for you to bestir your selves Life and Death are before you You have Gales of Grace to further your Voyage There are more for you than against you God will help you his Spirit will help you his Ministers will help you every good Christian will help you the Angels themselves will help you if you will resolvedly set your selves to the Work and yet will you not stir Patience is waiting on you Mercies are enticing you Scourges are driving you Judgment stayeth for you The Lights of God stand burning by you to direct you And yet will you not stir but lie in â—â—arkness And do you think you shall not hear of this Do you think this will not one Day cost you dear IX The ninth part of our Work is to shew you â—hat are those frivolous Excuses by which the Vnrighteous may then indeavour their Defence Having already shewed you what the Defence must be that must be sufficient to our Justification If any first demand Whether the Evidence of their Sin will not so overwhelm the Sinner that he will be speechless and past excuse I answer Before God hath done with him he will be so but it seems at first his clark Understanding and partial corrupted Conscience will set him upon a vain Defence
must willing or unwilling there is no avoiding it appear stand forth or make your appearance and there have your Hearts and Ways laid open and appear as well as we Before the Judgment-seat of Christ i. e. before the Redeemer of the World to be judged by him as our Rightful Lord. That every one even of all Mankind which are were or shall be without Exception may receive that is may receive his Sentence adjudging him to his due and then may receive the Execution of the Sentence and may go from the Bar with that Reward or Punishment that is his due according to the Law by which he is judged The things done in his Body that is the due Reward of the Works done in his Body or as some Copies read it The things proper to the Body i. e. due to the Man even Body as well as Soul according to what he hath done whether it be Good or Bad i. e. this is the Cause to be tried and judged whether Men have done well or ill whilst they were in the Flesh and what is due to them according to their Deeds Knowing therefore c. i. e. being certain therefore that these Things are so and that such a terrible Judgment of Christ will come we perswade Men to become Christians and live as such that they may then speed well when others shall be destroyed or as others Knowing the Fear of the Lord that is the true Religion we perswade Men. Doct. 1. There will be a Judgment Doct. 2. Christ will be the Judg. Doct. 3. All Men shall there appear Doct. 4. Men shall be then judged according to the Works that they did in the Flesh whether Good or Evil. Doct. 5. The End of Judgment is that Men may receive their final Due by Sentence and Execution Doct. 6. The Knowledg and Consideration of the terrible Judgment of God should move us to perswade and Men to be perswaded to careful Preparation The ordinary Method for the handling of this Subject of Judgment should be this 1 st To shew you what Judgment is in the General and what it doth contain and that is 1. The Persons 2. The Cause 3. The Actions 1. The Parties are 1. The Accuser 2. The Defendant 3. Sometime Assistants 4. The Judg. 2. The Cause contains 1. The Accusation 2. The Defence 3. With the Evidence of both 4. And the Merit The Merit of the Cause is as it agreeth with the Law and Equity 3. The judicial Actions are I. Introductory 1. Citation 2. Compulsion if need be 3. Appearance of the Accused II. Of the Essence of Judgment 1. Debate by 1. The Accuser 2. Defendant called the Disceptation of the Cause 2. By the Judg. 1. Exploration 2. Sentence 3. To see to the Execution But because this Method is less sutable to your Capacities and hath something humane I will reduce all to these following Heads 1. I will shew what Judgment is 2. Who is the Judg and why 3. Who must be judg'd 4. Who is the Accuser 5. How the Citation Constraint and Appearance will be 6. What is the Law by which Men shall be judged 7. What will be the Cause of the Day what the Accusation and what must be the just Defence 8. What will be the Evidence 9. What are thosâ— frivolous insufficient Excuses by which the Unrighteous may think to escape 10. What will be the Sentence who shall die and who shall live and what the Reward and Punishment â—s 11. What are the Properties of the Sentence 12. What and by whom the Execution will be In â—hese particular Heads we contain the whole Doctrine of â—his Judgment and in this more familiar Method shall â—andle it I. For the first Judgment as taken largely comprehendeth all the sorementioned Particulars as taken more strictly for the Act of the Judg it is the Trial of a controverted Case In our Case note these things following 1. God's Judgment is not intended for any Discovery to himself of what he knows not already he knows already that all Men are and what they have done and what is their Due But it is to discover to others and to Men themselves the ground of his Sentence that so his Judgment may attain its End for the glorifying â—his Grace on the Righteous and for the convincing the Wicked of their Sin and Desert and to shew to all the World the Righteousness of the Judg and of his Sentence and Execution Rom. 3. 4 26. and Rom. 2. 2. 2. It is not a Controversy therefore undecided â—in the Mind of God that is there to be decided but only one that is undecided as to the Knowledg and Mind of Creatures 3. Yet iâ— not this Judgment a bare Declaration but a Decision and so a Declaration thereupon the Cause will be then put out of Controversy and all farther Expectation of Decision be at an End and with the Justified there will be no more Accusation and with the Condemned no more Hope for ever II. For the second Thing who shall be the Judg I answer The Judg is God himself by Jesus Christ 1. Principally God as Creator 2. As also God as Redeemer the humane Nature of Jesus Christ having a derived subordinate Power God lost not his Right to his Creature either by Man's Fall or the Redemption by Christ but by the latter hath a new farther Right but it is in and by Christ that God judgeth For as meer Creator of innocent Man God judgeth none but hath committed all Judgment to the Son who hath procured this Right by the redeeming of fallen Man Joh. 5. 22. But as the Son only doth it in the nearest Sense so the Father as Creator doth it remotely and principally 1. In that the Power of the Son is derived from the Father and so standeth in Subordination to him as Fountain or Efficient 2. In that the Judgment of the Son as also his whole Mediatorship is to bring Men to God their Maker as their ultimate End and recover them to him from whom they are faln and so as a Means to that End the Judgment of the Son is subordinate to the Father From hence you may see these following Truths worthy your Consideration 1. That all Men are God's Creatures and none are the Workmanship of themselves or any other or else the Creator should not judg them on that Right 2. That Christ died for All and is the Redeemer of the World and a Sacrifice for All or else he should not judg them on that Right For he will not judg Wicked Men as he will do the Devils as the meer Enemies of his Redeemed Ones but as being themselves his Subjects in the World and being bought by him and therefore become his own who ought to have glorified him that bought them 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. 2 Pet. 2. 1. 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. 1 John 2. 2. Heb. 2. 9. 1 Tim. 2. 6 7. 3. Hence it appeareth that all Men were under some Law of
Grace and did partake of some of the Redeemer's Mercy Tho the Gospel came not to all yet all â—ad that Mercy which could come from no other Founâ—in but his Blood and which should have brought them â—â—arer to Christ than they were though it were not â—fficient to bring them to Belief and which should â—ave led them to Repentance Romans 2. 4. For â—e neglecting of which they justsy perish and not â—eerly for sinning against the Law that was given Man in â—nnocency Were that so Christ would not judg them 〈◊〉 Redeemer and that for the Abuse or not Improvement of his Talents as he tells us he will do Mat. â—5 per toâ—um 4. If God will be the Judg then none can expect â—y any Shifts or Indirect Means to escape at that Day For how should it be 1. It is not possible that any should keep out of Sight or hide their Sin and the Evil of their Actions and so delude the Judg God will not be mocked now nor deceived then Gal. 6. 7. they grosly deceive themselves that imagine any such thing God must be Omniâ—cient and All-seeing or he cannot be God Should you â—ide your Cause from Men and from Devils and be ignorant of it your selves yet cannot you hide it from God Never did there a Thought pass thy Heart or a Word pass thy Mouth which God was not acquainted with and as he knows them so doth he observe them He â—s not as impersect Man taken up with other Business so that he cannot mind All. As easy is it with him tâ— observe every Thought or Word or Action of thine as if he had but that one in the World to observe and â—s easy to observe each particular Sinner as if he had not another Creature to look after in the World He is a Fool indeed that thinks now that God takes no notice of him Ezek. 8. 12. and 9. 9. or that thinketh then to escape in the Croud He that found out one Guest that had not on a Wedding-Garment Mat. 22. 12. will then find out every unholy Soul and give him so sad a Salutation as shall make him speechless Joh. 11. 11. For he knoweth vain Man be seech Wickedness also and will be not consider it 2. It is not possible that any should escape at that Day by any Tricks of Wit and false Reasoning in their own Defence God knoweth a sound Answer from an unsound and a Truth from a Lie Righteousness may be perverted here on Earth by out-witting the Judg but so will it not be then To hope any of this is to hope that God will not be God It is in vain then for the unholy Man to say he is holy or for any Sinner to deny or excuse or extenuate his Sin to bring forth the Counterfeit of any Grace and plead with God any Shells of hypocritical Performances and to think to prove a Title to Heaven by any thing short of God's Condition all these will be vain Attempts 3. And as impossible will it prove by Fraud or Flattery by Perswasion or Bribery or by any other Means to pervert Justice by turning the Mind of God who is the Judg Fraud and Flattery Bribery and Importunity may do much with weak Men but with God they will do nothing Were he changeable and partial he were not God 4. If God be Judg you may see the Cavils of Infidels are foolish when they ask How long will God be in trying and judging so many Persons and taking an Account of so many Words and Thoughts and Deeds Sure it will be a long Time and a difficult Work As if God were as Man that knoweth not things till he seek out their Evidence by particular Signs Let these Fooâ—s understand if they have any Understanding that the infinite God can shew to every Man at once all the Thoughts and Words and Actions that ever he hath been guilty of And in the twink of an Eye even at one view can make all the World to see their Ways and their Deservings causing their Consciences and Memories to present them all before them in such a sort as shall be equivalent to a verbal Debate Psal 50. 21 22. he will set them in Order before them 5. If Jesus Christ be the Judg then what a Comfort must it needs be to his Members that he shall be Judg that loved them to the Death and whom they loved above their Lives and he who was their Rock of Hope and Strength and the Desire and Delight of their Souls 6. And if Jesus Christ must be the Judg what Confusion will it bring to the Faces of his Enemies and of all that set light by him in the Day of their Visitation to see Mercy turned against them and he that died for them now ready to condemn them and that Blood and Grace which did aggravate their Sin to be pleaded against them to the Increase of their Misery How sad will this be 7. If the God of Love and Grace and Truth be Judg then no Man need to fear any Wrong No Subtlety of the Accuser nor Darkness of Evidence no Prejudice or Partiality or whatsoever else may be imagined can there appear to the Wrong of your Cause Get a good Cause and fear nothing and if your Cause be bad nothing can deliver you III. For the third Point Who are they that must be judged Answ All the rational Creatures in this lower World And it seems Angels also either all or some But because their Case is more darkly made known to us and less concerns us we will pass it by Every Man that hath been made or born on Earth except Christ who is God and Man and is the Judg must be judged If any foolish Infidels shall say Where shall so great a Number stand I answer him That he knoweth not the things Invisible either the Nature of Spirits and spiritual Bodies nor what Place containeth them or how but easily he may know that he that gave them all a Being can sustain them all and have room for them all and can at once disclose the Thoughts of all as I said before The first in Order to be judged are the Saints Mat. 25. and then with Christ they shall judg the rest of the World 1 Cor. 6. 2 3. not in an equal Authority and Commission with Christ but as the present Approvers of his righteous Judgment The Princes of the Earth shall stand then before Christ even as the Peasants and the Honourable as the Base the Rich and the Poor shall meet together and the Lord shall judg them all Prov. 22. 2. No Men shall be excused from standing at that Bar and giving up their Account and receiving their Doom Learned and unlearned young and old godly and ungodly all must stand there I know some have vainly imagined that the Righteous shall not have any of their Sins mentioned but their Graces and Duties only but they consider not that things will not then
of the Wicked that the Devil and his Angels must be their Companions Though some think as is said before that the Reason why wicked Men are not mentioned tere is because they are part of the Angels of the Devil and so included And some think it is purposely to manifest God's general Love to Mankind that prepared not Hell for them but they cast themselves into the Hell prepared for the Devils But the first seems to be the true sense And how apparently Righteous are the Judgments of the Lord that those Men who would here entertain the Devil into their Hearts and daily Familiarity should be then entertained by him into his Place of Torments and there remain for ever in his Society Though few entertained him into visible Familiarity with their Bodies as Witches do who so make him their Familiar yet all wicked Men do entertain him into more full and constant Familiarity with their Souls than these Witches do with their Bodies how familiar is he in Thoughts to fill them with Vanity Lust or Revenge How familiar is he in their Hearts to fill them with Covertousness Malice Pride or the like Evils and to banish all Thoughts of returning to God and to quench every Motion that tendeth to their Recovery How familiar is he with them even when they seem to be worshipping God in the publick Assemblies stealing the Word out of their Hearts filling them with vain and wandring Thoughts blinding their Minds that they cannot understand the plainest words that we are able to speak to them and filling them with a proud Rebellion against the Direction of their Teachers and an obstinate Refusal to be ruled by them be the Matter never so necessary to their own Salvation How familiar are these evil Spirits in their Houses filling them with Ignorance Worldliness and Ungodliness and turning out God's Service so that they do not pray together once in a Day or perhaps at all How familiarly doth Satan use their Tongues in Cursing Swearing Lying Ribaldry Backbiting or Slandring And is it not just with God to make these Fiends their Familiars in Torment with whom they entertained such Familiarity in Sin As Christ with all the blessed Angels and Saints will make but one Kingdom or Family and shall live altogether in perpetual Delights so the Devil and all his hellish Angels and wicked Men shall make but one Houshold and shall live altogether in perpetual Misery O poor Sinners you are not troubled now at his Presence and Power in your Hearts but will you not then be troubled at his Presence and tormenting Power As long as you do not see him let him do what he will with you it grieves you little or nothing at all but what will you say when you must see him and abide with him for ever O Sirs his Name is easily heard but his Company will be terrible to the stoutest Heart alive He sheweth you a smiling Face when he tempteth you but he hath a grimmer Face to shew you when Temptations have conquered you and Torments must succeed As those that write of Witches say he appeareth at first to them in some comely tempting Shape till he have them fast tied to him and then he beats them and affrights them and seldom appears to them but in some ugly Hew Believe it poor Sinners you do not hear or see the worst of him when you are merry about your sinful Pleasures and rejoicing in your Hopes of the Commodities or Preferments of the World he hath another kind of Voice which you must hear and another Face to shew you that will make you know a little better whom you had to do with You would be afraid now to meet him in the Dark what will you be to live with him in everlasting Darkness Then you will know who it was that you entertained and obeyed and plaid with in your Sins 3. And as the Text tells us that it is a Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels So it telleth us that it is an everlasting Fire It had a Beginning but it shall have no End If these Wretches would have chosen the Service of God they would have met with no Difficulty or Trouble but what would have had a speedy End Poverty and Injuries would have had an End Scorns and Abuses would have had an End Fasting Humiliation Sorrow for Sin watching and fighting against our spiritual Enemies would all have had an End But to avoid these they chose that Ease that Pleasure which hath brought them to that Torment which never will have end I have said so much of these things already in my Book called the Saints Rest that I will now say but this much It is one of the Wonders of the World how Men that do believe or think they do believe this Word of Christ to be true that the Wicked shall go into everlasting Fire can yet venture on Sin so boldly and live in it so fearlesly or sleep quietly till they are out of this unspeakable Danger Only the commonness of it and the known Wickedness of Man's Heart doth make this less wonderful And were there nothing else to convince us that Sinners are mad and dead as to spiritual Things this were enough that ever the greatest Pleasures or Profits of the World or the most enticing Baits that the Devil can offer them should once prevail with them to forget these endless things and draw them to reject an everlasting Glory and cast themselves desperately into everlasting Fire Yea and all this under daily Warnings and Instructions and when it 's told them beforehand by the God of Truth himself For the Lord's sake Sirs and for your Souls sakes if you care not what Ministers say or what such as I say yet will you soberly read now and then this 25 th Chapter of Matthew and regard what is told you by him that must be your Judg and now and then bethink yourselves soberly whether these are Matters for wise Men to make light of and what it is to be everlastingly in Heaven or in Hell-fire 2. We have seen what is the Penalty contained in the Sentence against the Ungodly The next thing that the Text directs us to is the Cause or Reason of the Sentence ver 42. For I was hungry and ye gave me no Meat c. The Reason is not given expresly either for their Sin against the Law of Works that is because they were Sinners and not perfectly innocent nor yet from their Unbelief which is the great Sin against the Law of Grace But it is given from their not expressing their Faith and Love to Christ in Works of Mercy and Self-denial And why is this so 1. We must not suppose that these Words of Christ do express the whole judicial Process in every Point but the chief Parts It is supposed that all Men are convicted of being Sinners against the perfect Law of the Creator and that they are guilty of Death for that
must die wiâ—â— you not believe us because you have lived so long and seen no Death coming Three or Four things there be that should bring any Matter to the Heart 1. If it be a Matter or exceeding Weight 2. If it concern not others only but our selves 3. If it be certain 4. If near All these things are here to be sound and therefore how should your Hearts be moved at the Consideration of this great Day 1. What Matter can be mentioned with the Tongue of Man of greater moment For the poor Creture to stand before his Maker and Redeemer to be judged to everlasting Joy or Torment Alas all the Matters of this World are Plays and Toys and Dreams to this Matters of Profit or Disprofit are nothing to it Matterâ— of Credit or Discredit are unworthy to be named with it Matters of temporal Life or Death are nothing to it We may see the poor brute Beasts go every Day to the Slaughter and we make no great matter of it though their Life be as dear to them as ours to us To be judged to an everlasting Death or Torment this is the great Danger that one would think should shake the stoutest Heart to consider it and awake the dullest Sinner to prevent it 2. It 's a Matter the concerneth every one of yourâ—selves and every Man or Woman that ever lived upon the Earth or ever shall do I am not speaking to you 〈◊〉 the Affairs of some far Country that are nothing to you but only to marvel at which you never saw not ever shall do no it is thy own self Man or Woman that hearest me this Day that shalt as surely appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ as the Lord liveth and as he is true and faithful and that is as sure as thou livest on this Earth or as the Heaven is over thee That Man that heareth all this with the most careless blockish Heart shall be awakened and stand with the rest at that Day that Man that never thought of it but spent his time in worldly Matters shall leave all and there appear that Man that will not believe these things to be true but make a Jest ofthem shall see and feel that he would not believe and he also shall be there the Godly that waited in Hope for that Day as the Day of their full Deliverance and Coronation they shall be there those that have lain in the Dust these 5000 Years shall rise again and all stand there Hearer whoever thou art believe it thou maist better think to live without Meat to see without Light to escape Death and abide for ever on Earth than to keep away from that Appearance Willing or unwilling thou shalt be there And should not a Matter then that so concerneth thy self go near thy Heart and awake thee from thy Security 3. That it is a Matter of unquestionable Certainty I have partly shewed you already and more would do if I were preaching to known Infidels If the careless World had any just Reason to think it were uncertain their Carelesness were more excusable Methinks a Man should be affected withthat which he is certain shall come to pass in a manner as if it were now in doing 1 Thess 5. 2. Ye perfectly know that the Day of the Lord so cometh c. saith the Apostle 4. This day is not only certain but it is near and therefore should affect you the more I confess if it were never so far off yet seeing it will come at last it should be carefully regarded But when the Judg is at the Door James 5. 9. and we are almost at the Bar and it is so short a time to this Assize what Soul that is not dead will be secure Alas Sirs what is a little time when it is gone how quickly shall you and I be all in another World and our Souls receive their particular Judgment and so wait till the Body be raised and judged to the same Condition It is not 100 Years in all likelihood till every Soul of us shall be in Heaven or Hell and it 's like not half or a quarter of that time but it will be so with the greater part of us and what is a Year or two or 100 how speedily is it come how many a Soul that is now in Heaven or Hell within 100 Years dwelt in the Places that you now dwell in and sat in the Seats you now sit in And now their time is past what is it Alas how quickly will it be so with us You know not when you go to Bed but you may be judged by the next Morning or when you rise but you may be judged before Night but certainly you know that shortly it will be and should not this then be laid to Heart Yea the general Judgment will not be long For certainly we live in the End of the World Qu. 4. My next Question is Whether are you ready for his dreadful Judgment when it comes or not Seeing it your selves then must be tried I think it concerns you to see that you be prepared How often hath Christ warned us in the Gospel that we be always ready because we know not the day or Hour of his coming Matth. 24. 44 42. and 25. 13 1 Thess 5. 6. and told us hos sad a time it will be to those that are unready Mat. 25. 11 12. Did Men but well know what a Meeting and Greeting there will be between Christ and an unready Soul it would sure startle them and make them look about them What say you beloved Hearers are you ready for Judgment or are you not Methinks a Man that knoweth he shall be judged should ask himself the question every day of his Life am I ready to give up my Account to God Do not you use to ask this of your own Hearts unless you be careless whether you be saved or damned methinks you should and ask it seriously Qu. But who be they that are ready how shall I know whether I be ready or not Answ There is a twofold Readiness 1. When you are in a safe Cafe 2. When you are in a comfortable Cafe in regard of that Day The latter is very desiraeble but the frist is of absolute Necessity this therefore is it that you must principally enquire after In general all those and only those are ready for Judgment who shall be justified and saved and not condemned when Judgment corâ—es they that have a good Cause in a Gospel-sense It may be known before hand who these are for Christ judgeth as I told you by his Law And therefore find out whom it is that the Law of Grace doth justify or condemn and you may certainly know whom the Judg will justify or conemn for he judgeth righteously If you further ask me who these are remember that I told you before that every Man that is personally righteous by fulfilling the Conditions of Salvation in the Gospel shall be saved
hath purchased this is a making light of him When Men â—ccount the Doctrine of Christ to be but a Matter of Words and Names as Gallio Acts 18. 4. or as Festus Acts 25. 19. a superstitious Matter about one Jesus who was dead and Paul saith is alive or ask the Preachers of the Gospel as the Athenians Acts 17. 18. What will â—â—is Babler say This is a Contempt of Christ 4. When Men are informed of the Truths of the Gospel and on what Terms Christ and his Benefits may be had and how it is the Will of God that they should â—iâ—ve and accept the Offer and that he commandeth them â—o do it upon Pain of Damnation and yet Men will â—ot consent unless they could have Christ on Terms of their own they will not part with their worldly Conâ—ents nor lay down their Pleasures and Profits and Hoâ—our at his Feet as being content to take so much of â—hem only as he will give them back and as is consistent with his Will and Interest but think it is a hard â—aying that they must forsake all in Resolution for Christ this is a making light of him and their Salvation When Men might have part in him and all his Benefits 〈◊〉 they would and they will not unless they may keep â—he World too and are resolved to please their Flesh whatever comes of it this is a high Contempt of Christ and everlasting Life Mat. 13. 21 22. Luke 18. 23. you may find Examples of such as I here describe 5. When Men will promise fair and profess their Willingness to have Christ on his Terms and to forsake all for him but yet do stick to the World and their sinful Courses and when it comes to Practice will not be removed by all that Christ hath done and said this is making light of Christ and Salvation Jer. 4â— 5. compared with 43. 2. III. The Causes of this Sin are the next thing to be enquired after It may seem a Wonder that ever Men that have the use of their Reason should be so sottish 〈◊〉 to make light of Matters of such Consequence But the Cause is 1. Some Men understand not the very Sense of the Words of the Gospel when they hear it and how 〈◊〉 they be taken with that which they understand not Though we speak to them in plain English and study to speak it as plain as we can yet People have so estranged themselves from God and the Matters of their own Happiness that they know not what we say as if we spoke in another Language and as if they were under that Judgment Isa 28. 11. with stammering Lips and with another Tongue will he speak to thâ— People 2. Some that do understand the Words that we speak yet because they are carnal understand not the Mattâ— for the natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. They are earthly and these things are heavenly John 3. 12. Thâ— things of the Spirit are not well known by bare hearsay but by a spiritual Taste which none have but those thâ— are taught by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 2. 12. that we maâ— know the things that are given us of God 3. A carnal Mind apprehendeth not a Sutableness in these spiritual and heavenly things to his Mind and therefore he sets light by them and hath no mind of them When you tell him of everlasting Glory he â—eareth you as if you were perswading him to go play â—ith the Sun they are Matters of another World and â—ut of his Element and therefore he hath no more Deâ—ight in them than a Fish would have to be in the fairest â—eadow or than a Swine hath in a Jewel or a Dog â—n a piece of Gold They may be good to others but â—e cannot apprehend them as sutable to him because â—e hath a Nature that is otherwise inclined he savourâ—th not the things of the Spirit Rom. 8. 5. 4. The main Cause of the slighting of Christ and â—alvation is a secret Root of Vnbelief in Mens Hearts Whatsoever they may pretend they do not soundly â—nd throughly believe the Word of God they are â—aught in general to say the Gospel is true but they neâ—er saw the Evidence of its Truth so far as throughly to â—erswade them of it nor have they got their Souls â—ttled on the Infallibility of God's Testimony nor conâ—dered of the Truth of the particular Doctrines revealâ—d in the Scripture so far as soundly to believe them 〈◊〉 did you all but soundly believe the Words of this Gospel â—f the Evil of Sin of the Need of Christ aâ—d what â—e hath done for you and what you must be and do if â—ver you will be saved by him and what will become of â—ou for ever if you do it not I dare say it would â—re the Contempt of Christ and you would not make 〈◊〉 light of the Matters of your Salvation But Men do â—t believe while they say they do and would face us â—own that they do and verily think that they do themâ—â—lves There is a Root of Bitterness and an evil Heart 〈◊〉 Unbelief that makes them depart from the living â—od Heb. 2. 12. and 4. 1 2 6. Tell any Man in this â—ngregation that he shall have a Gift of 10000 pounds â—he will but go to London for it if he believe you he â—ll go but if he believe not he will not and if he will not go you may be sure he believeth not supposing that he is able I know a slight Belief may stand with a wicked Life Such as Men have of the Truth of a Prognostication it may be true and it may be false but a true and sound Belief is not consistent with so great Neglect of the things that are believed 5. Christ and Salvation are made light of by the World because of their desperate hardness of Heaâ—â— The Heart is hard naturally and by Custom in sinning made more hard especially by long abuse of Mercy and neglect of the means of Grace and resisting the Spirit of God Hence it is that Men are turned into such Stones and till God cure them of the Stone of the Heart no wonder if they â—eel not what they know or regard not what we say but make light of all 〈◊〉 hard preaching a Stone into tears or making a Rock to tremble You may stand over a dead Body long enough and say to it O thou Carcase when thou hast 〈◊〉 rotting and mouldred to Dust till the Resurrection God will then call thee to account for thy Sin and cast thee into everlasting Fire before you can make it feel what you say or fear the Misery that is never so truly threatned When Mens Hearts are like the High-way that is troddâ—â— to hardness by long custom in Sinning or like thâ— Clay that is hardned to a Stone by the heat of thosâ— Mercies that should have melted them into