life while men are in this world conversant in the body they are upon probation for Etetnity they are laying in and making way for their account and all that they do here bears a proper respect thereunto for they are the works which are done in the body which must be called to an after reckoning 2 Cor. 5. 10. hence sinners are said in this time to be treasuring up into themselves wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2 5. It is evident that neither good men nor evil men are in this life openly distinguished in the observable Providences of God except in some special instances love and hatred cannot be known by all that is before them Eccles 9. 1. yea the wise man hath an observation as if often times the outward face of things look with a contrary aspect Eccles 8. 14. there be just men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked there be wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous What shall we say It is for the present a day of patience forbearance with which God sees meet to treat men even the worst of men withal in which he lets them alone for a while suffers them to go on till they have filled up their measure and though they give him uncountable and very grievous provocations yet he falls not upon them But yet he is brought in laughing at them all the while and we are told the reason of it Psal 37. 13. The Lord shall laugh at him for he seeth that his day is coming Since then men are not called to their reckoning here it remains that they be summoned to it afterwards inasmuch as it is certain that God will sooner or later manifest the glory of his Holiness and Righteousness and make it known that he is the great Potentate and Ruler of Angels and men III. That there is a particular Judgment to which every man shall be called immediately after Death It is true the general Judgment is reserved for the great and last day when after the whole affair of time is wound up God will call all reasonable Creatures to an account and having raised up their dead bodies to life and re united them to their Souls of which Resurrection also the word of God gives us the assurance he will cite them before his Tribunal and dispose of them in their whole persons eternally which day is peculiarly Celebrated in the Book of God which though it also follows after mans death yet it will not be till a long time after a great many have dyed and seen Corruption and that because there were other Generations to be born and live and dy until the whole Series of them according to the Divine appointment be consummated But there is besides this another more particular one which passeth upon the Soul on its departure from the body which though it be not so frequently or expresly spoken of in the Holy Scriptures yet there are also sufficient intimations of it there 〈◊〉 be found enough to confirm our faith in the belief of it This is an indubitable truth that the Soul of man doth not dy a proper natural Death nor is it capable of it The man indeed is said to die by reason of the dissolution of the bond of Union and the separation which is thereupon made between the Soul and Body whereupon the body remains a Carcase and must suffer Corruption after which there must be a powerful Resurrection bestowed on it in order to its being made capable of standing forth in Judgment But it is otherwise with the Soul that in its separate state still retains its Spiritual and Immortal nature which it is in no other way able to lose but by an Anniâ—ilation and it is accordingly disposed of presently to its unchangable state whether it be of weal or wo. When Lazarus dyeth his Soul is forth with carryed by a Convoy of Angels into Abrabams bosome and that is no other but a place and state of actual Felicity When the Wicked Rich man dyes the next news that we hear of his Soul is in Hell whether it is carried and where it is disposed of and that not only as in a Prison but as a place of Execution where it suffers the penalty which its sin had procured for it for this reason we have him pouting out his doleful complaint Luk. 16. 24. I am tormented in this flame And we have Abraham brought in declaring concerning them both Verse 25. He is comforted and thou art tormented When the penitent Thief dyes he is the same day entertained with his Saviour in Paradise for so Christ himself promised to him Luk. 23. 43. which must needs intend a state of actual blessedness enjoyed in that place And why was Paul in such a strait and so desirous to depart Phil. 1. 23. it was to be with Christ which he saith is best of all which it could not be if he did not presently enter into communion with Christ in blessedness Now certainly mens going actually to receive rewards and punishments necessarily infers a Judgment that is past upon them in order thereunto for those things are beyond all question disposed of by God in the exercise of his Government over the Creature as he is the Judge of all Besides there is such an Indefinite assertion used by the wise man which amounts to an universal and hath a respect to all sorts of men Eccl. 12. 7. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and â—he Spirit shall return to God who gave it These two returns are put together as contemporary and all Souls do not return to God as their Father to be admitted into his Kingdom and to dwell with him and enjoy his favourable presence for ever that is a priviledge proper only to the Godly and none shall enjoy it but those whom Christ hath Redeemed and Saved As for the ungodly it is said concerning them Psal 9. 17. The wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the nations that forget God It is therefore to God as a Judge to be doomed and disposed of by him according to his righteous Judgment IV. That this is an awfull consideration to men while they live and peculiarly so to such as are just ready to dy I may not tarry at these things to give a distinct and particular account of them but must only give some brief glances at them And there are two asserâ—ions in this Observation 1. It carryes awe in it to men while they live to put them on the greatest Circumspection to themselves in their whole course If there were no Judgment to come what need would there be for men to take any care how or after what manner they lead their lives The Epecurian Doctrine let us drink and drab let us revel and swagger and give every sensual lust its freest scope to satisfie it self might plead if not reason yet immunity and security
be and accordingly all men are reserved for it It is the latter of these statutes then that I am now to treat of though with that respect as it is consequent upon the former In the words then there are three things to be observed 1. A Statute for the Judgment is asserted and thereby we are assured that it shall be without fail for the appointment mentioned in the beginning of the verse hath reference to this as well as to death and this is the first and most proper signification of the word 2. The time when it shall be after that men dy And although we are not told how loon it shall be after yet we have Scripture warrant to conclude that every ones personal Judgment will follow presently upon it though the great and general Judgment is reserved until the consummation of all things as will be farther observed anon 3. The subjects of it or who they are on whom this Judgment shall pass men indefinitely expressed it intends all men this Judgment is as extensive as Death yea there have been will be some exceptions from the general Rule about Death who have been translated or shall be changed but even these also shall come to the Judgment Hence DOCTRINE A certain Death shall be followed with as certain a Judgment It is every whit as certain that men shall come unto Judgment as that they shall Dye That every one must dy sooner or later is an acknowledged truth by all and proved by universal experience though Oh how few do improve it to good purpose And a reason why this truth hath no more proper or suitable impressions on mens minds may be because either they believe not or put from them the thoughts of the ensuing account which they shall be called unto and look no further than the Grave where they think there will be an end of them which must needs make them unconcerned for that which comes after But here we are led into the contemplation of a more awful truth which is no less real though not so obvious to the senses I shall not at present enter upon any distinct or methodical discourse about this matter but only make some cursory glances on it There are therefore three or four brief Observations which I shall make on this truth to make it practicable 1. That there is a future Judgment to which all reasonable Creatures shall be called How far the Doctrine of a future Judgment hath been entertained by the light of nature in the Consciences of men acted by humane reason without the help of Scripture revelation I shall not now enquire But that it is an Article of faith commended to us by the infallible Oracles of that God who cannotly or be mistaken is written with Sun bâ—ams in his word Read for this Eccles 12. 14. God will bring every work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or evil Acts 17. 31. he hath appointed a day in which he will Judge the World in righteousness by the man whom he hath appointed 2 Cor. 5. 10. we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ that â—vâ—ry one may receive the things done in the body and we have a description of it given to us by Christ himself in Math. 25. 33 to end And it must needs be so for there is a special Government of God to be acknowledged in the managment whereof he will bring all reasonable Creatures to an everlasting state of happiness or misery according to their Obedience or Disobedience to the Law of that Government in prosecution whereof he will display the Glory of his Justice and Grace God deals with his Creatures in his Government according to the nature which he saw meet to bestow on them in their Creation Now when God Created man he made him a reasonable Creature and thereby capable of being treated in the way of a Covenant by precepts and promises and threatnings according unto which capacity he gave him a Command and required his obedience to it promised him a reward of life in case of his performing of perfect Obedience thereunto denouncing Death against him in case he should disobey He hath also upon mans Apostasy by which he fell under a Curse of Death revealed to him a new and a living way for his recovery out of that misery into which he was plunged and hath treated some of that race with a Covenant of Grace in which he hath promised them life upon their compliance with it and menaced them with damnation yea double damnation on their neglect of it All these things are abundantly testified to in the Word of God Now men are according to their behaviour with respect to this discovery which God hath made of himself to man and obligation which he hath laid him under disposed of everlastingly In order unto which they are to pass under a Trial. Where there is a Law given to reasonable Creatures established with Sanctions there must needs be a Judgment in which their relation thereto is to be examined and a retribution made to them accordingly Either they have complied with the Rule given to them and are to receive a reward of life or they have revolted therefrom have not sought and made their peace according to the tenour of the Covenant of Grace and then they must receive the wages of sin which is death as we are told Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sin is death He therefore that acknowledgeth a Government of God over rational beings must needs believe that there shall be a Judgment or a time of Trial and Recompences II. That this Judgment is after Death this is the order that it is manifestly put in Text. That there are many awful and stupendous Judgments that God brings upon men in this world is not to be denied in which he declares his Holiness and just Indignation at sin and hence we are told Psal 9. 14. The Lord is known by the Judgment that he executeth There is also a Court which God hath set up in mens Consciences at which Bar they are sometimes solemnly tried and being there convicted of breaking the Holy Law of God laying themselves open to the vengeance therein threatned they are filled with horrors But it is another Judgment whereof we are now considering in which men are to appear before God and receive from him their final doom which when it is once past shall be immediately put in Execution Now this men come not to in this life but after they are dead so that death is not as too many vainly dream the last news that shall be heard of men but there is something more fearful and amazing that comes after it and that is the Judgment There is a Judgment to come so Paul Preached to Faelix at the report whereof he trembled Acts 24. 25. and when is that but when men are past from time and have done the work which they were engaged in in this
them all suitable directions and the greatest imaginable encouragements to help them in it and these are afforded to such as are in the Covenant with him Psal 147. 19 20. he sheweth his word to Jacob his statutes and judgments to Israel he hath not dealt so with any nation Impenitence in the former of these is a note of inexcusable folly and so it is charged on their foolish minds Rom. 1. 21. how much more then may it be imputed to the latter and their folly be reputed the Paroxism of madness inasmuch as they have a price in their hands and have not an heart to make use of it and whence is that but because they are fools according to Prov. 17. 16. Wherefore is there a price in the hands of a fool to get wisdom seeing he hath no heart to it they have life and death set before them and they chuse death they have the way to escape the Wrath of God and obtain Eternal Life and regard it not they are told whither their sinful courses do lead and where they will end and yet they will take no warnings but run wilfully and violently on to their own destruction like that fool Prov. 7. 22 23. he goeth after her straitway as the ox goeth to the slaughter and as a fool to the correction of the Stocks till a dart strike through his liver as a bird hacteth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life they are invited and entreated to be reconciled unto God and to put away their sins by repentance and they mind it not but stop their ears and harden their hearts turn their backs they have a day of visitation in which the things of their peace are set before them and do not know it they see others of their fellow sinners cut off by Gods awful Judgments and it makes no impression upon them yea they themselves are brought to sorrow and shame and still they will not be reclaimed and were not madness in their heart could they do so Prop. II. That therefore such Sinners shall not stand in the sight of God Could that Philistian Prince say 1 Sam. 21. 14 15. the man is mad wherefore then have ye brought him to me have I need of mad men c. and will not God declare as much concerning these yea he hath said it Text. Here two things 1. That no such as these shall stand in Gods sight That this is so our Text fully asserts and many other parallel Scriptures confirm All that lies before us at present is to consider what is implied in this The words are a threatning and indeed a very awful one as will presently appear Here then let it be observed that the expression may reser either to the time present or that which is to come 1. With respect to the time present and then it intends that God will cut short their lives and hurry them out of the World before they should have died according to the ordinary course of nature hence we read Psal 55. 23. bloody and deeeitful men shall not live out hals their days and Eccles 7 17. be not wicked overmuch why shouldst thou dy before the time It is a common favour which God allows to men as he sees meet to spare them and let them fill up their number of dayes whereas such fools have reason to expect to be debarred of this priviledge and posted away before hand But I insist not here though this also affords matter of awful consideration 2. With respect to the time to come and then to stand in Gods sight intends to enjoy his special favour and love and we have this infelicity expounded in Isa 27. 11 and there are two seasons wherein they shall be debarred of this favour 1. In the day of Judgment In some sense all must stand before him then i. e. all shall be cited to make their personal appearance before God and receive their doom but by standing then we are to understand their being acquitted and accepted and acknowledged by him as his Redeemed these only are said to stand then whereas these fools shall fall before the Judge they shall be utterly disclaimed by him he will say to them Depart I know you not Mat. 7. 23. they shall be condemned and have a sentence of death pronounced on them Mat. 25. 41. Depart ye cursed and in this respect it is said Psal 1. 5. the uugodly shall not stand in the Judgment 2. In the Eternal Kingdom into which the righteous shall be received and partake in the Everlasting Vision of God these shall then be excluded Mat. 8. 12. The Children of 〈◊〉 Kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness We observed that the word signifies A Settled Condition Heaven is the Godly mans Inheritance and when he comes there he shall settle to remove no more but there is no settlement for these but an everlasting exclusion from the presence of God which is a punishment ordained for them 2 Thes 1. 9. they shall never have one look of pitty or compassion from God any more for ever 2. That the reason of this is because they are such fools this will appear if we consider 1. That all men are foolish in their Natural Estate it is bred in and born with them it is the Wise mans observation in Prov. 22. 15. foolishness is bound up in the heart of a Child and we have it more distinctly set forth in Psal 58. 3 4 5. The wicked are estranged from the womb they go astray as soon as they be born speaking lies Ignorance of God and alienation from him is rooted in the hearts of all the posterity of sinful Adam and the Apostle giveth us a true account how it is with every natural man before regenerating Grace hath renewed him Eph. 4. 18. having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart 2. That yet there are a great many of these that shall stand in Gods sight God hath not left this foolish and sinful race without all hope The Doctrine before us is not to drive the wretched children of men to despair There have been such as have added to their natural folly prodigious wickednesses whereby they have expressed the height of their madness who yet notwithstanding have been made partakers in this grace to be heavens favourites and taken near unto God and entituled to all the Glories of his Kingdom what saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. Neither Fornicators c. shall inherit the Kingdom of God and such were some of you but ye are washed c. and he puts himself in the number in that declaration of his Tit. 3. 3. for we our selves also were sometime foolish disobedient deceived serving of divers lusts and pleasures c. 3. That in order to this they must be made wise Though God saves such as have been foolish yet he
not have driven you to have sought unto God for grace to prevent you and for forgiveness and peace through the blood of Christ Had not your heart been desperately obdurate would you when by your most egregious wickedness you had again fallen into your former sin have run your self over such a precipice as this to expose your self by adding of Murder to Whoredoms to have your life taken away from you by the Hand of Justice but rather have sought your peace with God Had not your heart been harder than an Adamant would not the horridness of that Sin of Murder which without all reason and by an unaccountable desperateness you precipitated your self into have made you to relent whereas instead of discovering a broken heart and a contrite spirit upon a reflection on it your whole carriage both before and at your Trial and at the very pronouncing of a Sentence of Death upon you hath been such and so stupendous as hath put a grief of heart into all that fear God who have either seen it or heard of it what do you think this Impenitency will lead to at length if God do not graciously heal you of it 3. See what a little time you have left you and how soon your case will be determined for Eternity I know that there is never a bold and secure Sinner in the Congregation who can tell but that he may be Cited before Gods Tribunal sooner than you shall and had therefore need to see to his own concern But this you know that you are dead in the Law and may every day expect to have the Warrant Signed and warning given you to go to Execution Well bethink your self no more opportunity for the securing your Souls Eternal Welfare is before you When once you are dead you are fixed unchangeably if your peace be not made before then you are gone for ever And Oh what a great work have you to do in a little time and the Lord knows whether at present it be so much as begun in you yea there are fearful tokens that it is not Oh that this pungent word may by his grace give a forcible stroak unto it 4. Suitably repent of all your follies in particular Repentance and Pardon are inseparable you are told who it is that hath the dispensation of both viz. Christ Acts 5. 31. him hath God exalted with his Right-hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins and be sure to seek to him for it as you hope to obtain it let all the obstinacy and hardness of heart which you have laboured of be exceeding bitter to you call all your sins to remembrance and let every one of them be confessed bewailed apart and more peculiarly those sins that have brought you to this your pride your disobedience to your Parents your impatience of Family Government your company keeping your Whoredoms and your despising of Christ who hath offered himself to you and let all this lead you to the fountain of Iniquity to the source or original of all abominations and make you to consess with David Psal 51. 5. behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me Beware of hiding excusing extenuating falsely denying of any thing wherein the Glory of God is concerned what said he to Achan when Gods Providence had discovered him Josh 7. 19. My son give glory to the Lord God of Israel make confession to him and be sure to pour out your heart besore God with the most aggravating acknowledgments in all the circumstances with deepest self loathings and hatred of your sins utterly renouncing of them remember what is said Prov. 28. 13. he that covereth his sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh shall have mercy 5. Now humbly betake your self to the blood of sprinkling come to the fountain opened to be washed in there is enough in the blood of Christ for your pardon and healing 1 Joh. 1. 7. the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin there wants not vertue in him to save such an one as you are for we are assured Heb. 7. 25. he is able to save to the uttermost 1 Tim. 1. 15. Jesus Christ came to save sinners of whom I am chief Isa 1. 18 though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool There have as great sinners as you sought mercy and found it God can be just and yet forgive your sin he can get himself a name and exalt the glory of his grace in you he can make those â—alls of yours to be the occasions of his appearing in his grace the more eminently to you in his humbling healing and pardoning of you and so making it to appear in you how much more that can do for the saving of a Soul than a vile hardned sinner can do for her own undoing Only beware of cheating your self by any fond presumptions of mercy though you live in your Impenitence or of supposing that you can comply with the terms of peace in your own strength but carefully spend the residue of your little time in lying prostrate at the footstool of the throne of Soveraign Grace looking up to him who hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and with repeated earnestness cease not to offer up that petition to him while you have any breath left in you Psal 25. 11. For thy name sake Oh Lord pardon mine Iniquity for it is great A Citation TO Judgment after DEATH Hebr. IX 27. And after this the Judgment THIS Verse is the protasis of a comparison which the Apostle makes use of in his Discourse which needs not for the present be insisted on or laid open in as much as we have now to do but with the general Doctrine contained in the words themselves Among all those things which men are invited to the serious contemplation of there are none that carry more of solemnity in them than those of Death and Judgment because the former of these puts an end to mans life and time and opportunities and the other disposeth them to an Everlasting and Unchangeable Estate Death it felf is stiled a King of Terrours in the Holy Scriptures and the Philosopher could call it TON PHOBERON PHOBERATATON of fearful things the most fearful but that which adds to the tremendousness of it is that it is a passage to the great and last Judgment which the ignorant Gentiles had but dark notice of but is evidently manifested in the Word of God which we Christians are favoured withal The verse before us gives us an intimation of both these and of the certainty of them as things which are appointed The word appointed signifies both a designation a reservation of a thing notifying that as there is an Eternal purpose for it in the Decree of God so it is his fixt and unchangeable will that it shall so
Justice if he knew that it is for his life Would the miserable children of men dare Heaven with their impious blasphemies and all manner of bruitish abominations if they believed that there is a great and holy God who will bring them before his bar and punish them with everlasting destruction for these things No there is a root of Atheism in the bottom of all this Psal 14. 1. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God And they that entertain arguings in their minds to put them on calling in question the being and perfections of God will certainly on the same Topicks conclude that there can be no Judgment The Prophet therefore is given to understand what it was that nourished the daring abominations of those Jews Ezek. 9. 9. The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great and the city is full of blood and the land full of perverseness for they say the Lord hath forsaken the earth and the Lord seeth not And they that are arrived to entertaining of such sentiments as these are no better than Atheists 3. This truth tells us who they be that are the truly and only wise men not those that have the worlds verdict for such and are cryed up among men on this account not they who have that Character upon them Jer. 4. 22. They are wise to do evil but to do good they have no knowledge All the skill that men have attained unto by which they out-do others in being able to get and keep the world all the wit which men exercise in carrying on their courses of iniquity with greatest secrecy and security will be found one day to have been nothing better than madness whiles they have looked no farther nor laid in any provision for the time to come and every such man hath the doom already declared against him that in the end he shall be a fool He he is the only wise man who believing the reports of a future account looking upon himself to be deeply concerned in it makes it his great study business to be providing for it and what ever be the changes that go over him in this world to secure peace in his latter end to study how he may and endeavour that he may make the Judge his friend Attourney to get a sure claim to the promises of the everlasting Covenant and all the mercies that are laid up in them to get now a sealed pardon of all his sins that none of them may rise up against him in that day and a Justification unto life This is the man who shall stand in the Judgment when all others shall fall this is the man who may look death in the face without dread and entertain joyful thoughts of that great Judgment which may make all other faces to gather paleness hearts to be filled with astonishment and horrour this is he who can look with an eye of faith on his appearance before God upon every warning that is given him of the approach of it can say Amen even so come Lord Jesus Who shall pass through death to be Judged and being there accepted before God and his cause found good shall pass from thence with comfort and be settled in the eternal Kingdom and live in the fulness of those joys that are in Gods prescnce And when the last Trumpet shall sound he knows now that his Redeemer is coming to give him perfect Salvation in both Soul body whiles they that had so little consideration as to neglect the things of their peace in the day of it having laid out and lost all their thoughts endeavours upon perishing things shall howl and lament bitterly when the Judge shall shut them out of his presence Chamber and thrust them down into the bottomless pit where shall be nothing but wailing and gnashing of Teeth USE II. Let this Doctrine be a watch word for sinners I am sure that it carries just matter of terrour in it to all such as are open to the Temptations of sin ready inconsiderately to entertain them I am sure that Paul made use of this very thing as his monitor to keep him close to his work and make him faithful in the discharge of it 2 Cor. 5. 10 11. We must all appear c. knowing therefore the terrours of the Lord we perswade men Let us then be always bearing this in mind and using of it as a potent argument on our hearts to excite us to be very careful fearful lest we should fall into the neglect of duty by reason of the discouragements which encounter in the way of it or run our selves into the Commission of any sin through the allurements which may be offered to us from the men or the things of the world Whatsoever arguments flesh and blood wicked men or Satan may at any time urge upon us to intice us in to sins of Omission or Commission let us be sure to weigh them in the ballance of the Sanctuary against this great consideration I must very shortly appear before God and be called to answer for this then and what an account shall I give to him ask will it bear the tryal of that day of revelation will it then have the approbation of the Judge or if it will not will the benefit which I shall gain by it in the gratification of carnal concupiscence make reparation for the damage which I shall sustain by the sentence of Condemnation that will then pass upon me for it and the fearful miseries which I shall undergo in the execution of that sentence and if not think what an ineffable infatuation it will be to give place to it When you are urged hard and find your selves beginning to give consent and address your selves to the Commission of any sin think seriously if the hand of Gods anger should now â—all upon me and cut me off and hasten me to the Judgment how shall I appear before this dreadful God what good might such thoughts as these do if reallized USE III. Let it be for a word of Warning to us all to be very careful in making ready to dye well whiles others are only solicitous in providing that they may rub through live according to their hearts desire in this woâ—ld let us be perswaded to be peculiarly thoughtful and practically so that when we come to dy we may make a good end And I know no argument that carries more of pungency in it to stimulate us hereunto than the Truth in hand if it be entertained with a one solemnity Let us then gather up our thoughts fix them frequently here Think I am going to the Judgment think who is to be Judge that no other than the all knowing heart-fearching holy righteous and Almighty God Think what will be the matter of the Judgment even all that I have been and done to a thought the most secret abomination that ever I was guilty of Think