I must here breake off This Sermon was preacht April 21. 1641. HEBR. â— v. 27. the latter end of the Verse But after this the judgement April 29. 1641. THe scope of the Holy Ghost in this Epistle is to prove the excellency of Christ that he is the Messiah that was to come into the world and that all the types and shadowes of the law pointed at him And a special part of the Epistle is to shew the excellency of the Priesthood of Christ by preferring it above the Priesthood of Aaron and amongst other regards in this that those Priests did offer up sacrifices often but Christ offered himself but once and this once offering of himself was available for ever and needed no further offering And this the Holy Ghost doth illustrate by comparing the efficacy of Christs sufferings with the efficacy of what a man doth here in this world that as the actions of men here in this world whatever they are whether good or evil are available for ever what a man doth in this life accordingly when he dyes he comes to be stated eternally so the death of Christ it is available for ever It is appointed for men once to dye and then comes judgement By judgement here I doe not think the Holy Ghost intends especially the judgement of the great day though it be true that after death the judgement of the great day will follow and all men must come to judgement but I shall not speak one word of the judgement of that day But there is another judgement that I conceive is the intent of the Holy Ghost here and that is the particular judgement that passeth upon every soul immediately after death which is the stateing of the soul in the eternal condition of it either of happinesse or misery While men live here their condition is not stated by any act of God though in regard of his eternal purpose it is the same for ever even the Saints themselves would be here in much hazzard and danger about their everlasting estate in regard of themselves and what they have actually bestowed upon them were it not that the grace of God is above them the people of God in this life are not without many feares and doubts about their everlasting condition and what would many poor children of God give to be delivered from their feares and doubts which are a grievous burthen to them that they might never have feare or doubt more about their eternal estates Well if thou beest godly in a little time it will be so with thee this is the good that death will bring unto thee that after death judgement will come to thee that is thou shalt be so actually stated in thy everlasting condition as to be beyond all hazard about it thou shalt be beyond all feares and doubts and temptations thou shalt never feare more never doubt more never be tempted more never more lose any of the good that thou art possessed of this is the judgement that comes to the Saints after death And on the other side wicked men here in this world are not without their hopes and confidences that all shall be well with them but after death comes judgement to them that is as we have it Proverbs 11 7. when a wicked man dieth his hope perisheth he is stated in such a condition as he is never like to have hope of good more he is past all hope and possibility of ever receiving further mercy from God and this is the meaning of the Text on both hands that after death comes Judgement Whatsoever mens conditions are here in this world though the Saints have many fears doubts about their estates yet I say immediately after death they shall be so stated and actually possessed of happinesse that they shall never doubt more And howsoever wicked men in this world have many hopes and confidences and blesse themselves in their way yet immediately after death all shall vanish for then judgement shall come Job hath this expression Job 8. 14. The hope of the hypocrite is as the spiders web he spins out of his own spirit a cunning web but the besome of death at once dasheth it all away for immediately after death he comes to judgement This then is the doctrinal conclusion we are to handle out of these words thus opened unto you That the onely time that men have to provide for their eternall condition is the time of this life if it be not done here there is no help afterward for after death comes judgement I shall desire to handle this point so farre as it may be a ground to work upon your hearts and to stirre you up in the time of your lives to make all sure between God and your souls for after death comes judgement This point that I am now to treat about it is one of the most serious points that concerns the children of men and usually one of the first things that the Lord settles upon the hearts and consciences of those whom he converts to himself For a man going on in wayes of sin and death to bethink himself Lord where am I what am I doing what is like to become of me wherefore was I borne wherefore came I into the world what have I to doe here Then God answers that which thou hast to doe here and art sent into the world for is to make provision for eternity t is about this great businesse to make up all between God and thy soul and look thou beest careful in it for though thy life be short and uncertaine yet this great businesse doth depend upon this short and uncertaine time of thy life and if it be neglected in this little space of time I give unto thee thou art lost and undone for ever for presently after death comes judgement and you shall be then stated so as there can be no alteration It is the observation of the School-men that what did befal to the Angels that sinned that in death befalls unto wicked men that is as the Angels upon the first act of sin were presently stated in an irrecoverable condition so wicked men when they dye are stated in an irrecoverable condition It is true while we live in this world though we are sinful yet our condition is to be lookt upon as better then the condition of the fallen Angels there is not here such an actuall stating of us but when once death comes a wicked man is then in the same condition with the devils themselves that is his condition is then so stated and made as certaine and sure and as irrecoverable as any of the Angels that sinned While we preach to men though never so wicked and ungodly because an actual judgement such as the Text speakes of is not past upon them we are to offer grace and mercy to them in Christ but if this offer be neglected for a while if the twine thread the single thread of thy life be once
the world and takest thy fill of pleasure and bearest all before thee and wilt have thy minde and art stout and stubborn in thy way and scornest the truthes of God by his Ministers but what wilt thou doe in the day of visitation when the time shall come that puts an end unto thy dayes here O the change that wil then be in thy spirit God will then look upon thee with indignation and say O wretched creature that hast spent thy dayes in vanity thou shalt continue no longer in this world and now the wrath of the Almighty is let out upon thee Thou art upon thy sick bed in distresse and conscience now is awakened and tortures that soul of thine and tells thee that such and such wickednesse at such a time in such a company in such a chamber thou didst commit and thou beginst now to curse thy selfe for thy folly and for neglecting the day of grace and salvation and now thy time is almost gone well thy sicknesse encreaseth thy paines continue thy friends are all sent for and they come about thee bewailing of thee and thou beginnest to look gastly and drawest thy breath short and the devil waits for his prey thy mouth falls thy soul departs and there is an end of thee an end of all thy pride and an end of all thy stoutnesse and an end of all thy vanity and wickednesse and this is the man that hath not made God his portion mercy hath had her time but thou hast neglected it and now thou art gone for ever We speak much of the mercy of God and is it not rich mercy for God to give to thee a wretched sinful creature such a blessed time of repentance as thou hast in this world for God to call and cry to thee and to tender thee grace and pardon and peace he did not doe so to the Angels that sinned when they committed but one sin against God he cast them away and would not so much as treat with them about any termes of peace and therefore seeing thou hast had thy time already let all the Angels in Heaven and Saints and creatures yea and devils themselves acknowledge that God was merciful to this man to this wretched man and woman that had such a faire time though now judgement be upon them O my brethren the thoughts of death under this notion hath a great deal in it to work upon your hearts I remember I have heard of one that used to pray six times a day and being asked why he spent so much time in praying he gave no other answer but this I must dye I must dye that which was to come after would put a period to the time of his life upon which so much did depend O that we had hearts to consider it and that we knew even now in this our day the things that belong to our everlasting peace before it be too late Brethren these things are of infinite concernment to your immortal souls the Lord grant they may be prevalent upon every one of us We may apply this dreadfulnesse of death that followes upon the meditation of this point I have been upon unto divers sorts of people as first me thinkes it should be of great force and efficacy to work upon the hearts of old people your time is neer you had need be sure that your work is done for certainly you have no long time for the accomplishing of that great work of making your peace with God it is three or foure a clock as it were in your day of grace the Sun is setting with you Now if a man be to goe a journey upon his life and hath neglected the fore-noon and much of the after-noon also and sees the Sun draw low he thinkes with himself I had need make haste now for if the Sun be once set and I not at my journeyes end I am a lost man my life is gone They that goe over where the Sea is dry at one time and flowes at another but so that if they misse but half an houre they are dead men if by their watch they finde the time is almost come for the waters to returne then their hearts are daunted and they say one to another we had need make haste for the time is almost at an end O consider this you old men that have neglected the time of your youth and now your time is almost at an end know in this your day the things of your peace double now your diligence It is a most dreadful thing to see an old wicked man an old sinner an old scorner an old carnal wretch that never understood the great businesse that he came into the world for Secondly this concernes all prophane wretches who instead of doing the work of their time and preparing for their everlasting estate goe directly backwards and make the breach between God and their souls wider If a man have a journey to goe for his life and he must goe it before the Sun be set and he goes a quite contrary way when he begins to reflect upon himself he then sayes where am I If the Sun goe downe before I am at my journeyes end I am a dead man so is it with you that goe on in wayes of prophanesse God hath sent you here to live to the praise of his name and to work out your salvation with feare and trembling and you have gone directly backward and the time of your lives hath been spent in nothing else but in making your selves seaven-fold more the children of wrath then before you had need now look to your selves for if you dye in your course of prophanesse you are undone for ever Thirdly for those that have been heretofore in a good forwardnesse in the way of life and salvation that have had some stirrings of conscience in them but yet through the violence of their lusts have been turned back againe and have fallen off from their former state certainly this point might strike thee to the heart As a man that is to goe over the Sea for his life by such a time and he hath a good gale for the present but when he is come neer the haven a great gust drives him back againe O what a sad condition is this man in so is it with thee the time was when thou hadst a good gale God came graciously to thee by the work of his spirit and thou seemedst to be in a good forwardnesse in the work thou wast borne for but the gust of fin and the violence of lust hath carried thee quite back againe and now thou art further off then before how should this awaken thee to improve all thy time and opportunities to the uttermost for the good of thy soul Againe this concernes those that upon every discontent wish themselves dead as some froward people if any thing crosses them they presently wish themselves in the grave O vaine man and woman dost thou know what thou doest
cut then thou art gone for ever For after death comes judgement In the meditation of this point me thinks I cannot but look upon God as beholding all the children of men in their fallen lost sinful and miserable estate with pity and compassion saying poor creatures they have sinned against me and have made themselves liable to eternal wrath which they understand not which they are not able to beare well a little time I will grant unto them to sue out their pardon and to come in and make up their peace with me and I will give them meanes for that end but let them look to themselves for according to the improvement of the time that I now give them so shall it be with them to all eternity if they neglect it they are gone for ever mercy then shall doe them no good so that the tenour upon which we all hold our lives it is no other then as a malefactor condemned to dye who hath granted to him through the favour of the Prince a little time of reprieval and some intimation withal given of a possibility in that time to sue out his pardon and according as he spends that time so it shall be with him for life or death Thus I say we all hold our lives we are all condemned before the Lord onely God hath out of his infinite grace provided a way and meanes of salvation for the children of men and gives us a little time we know not how long whether two or three dayes but as long as we live to look about us to provide for the making of our peace with him and if that be neglected all is gone and we are undone for ever great things then doe depend upon this uncertaine small time of our lives It is reported of Alexander that when he went against any City he did use to set up a lampe burning and would make proclamation that whosoever came in while this lampe was burning should finde favour and have his life but whosoever staid till this lampe was out he was but a dead man and must expect no mercy brethren know that God hath set up a lampe and our life is this lampe and God proclames Whosoever comes in while this lampe is burning shall finde mercy but if you stay till the lampe be out there is nothing but eternal misery to be expected Now this lampe of your lives may not onely goe out upon the consumption of the oyle but it may be put out by accidental meanes and if this lampe be once out and your work not done you are lost for ever We read 1 Kings 6. 7. that when Solomon was preparing the Temple he made all things so ready before hand that there was no noise of axe or hammer heard there Whosoever God intendeth for a living stone in the glorious Temple of Heaven he squares and fits them here there is no noyse of repentance and sorrow for sin after this life what is to be done must be done here nothing will doe it hereafter Whatsoever thou hast to doe doe it with all thy might for there is no work nor device nos knowledge nor wisdome in the grave whòther thou goest Eccles 9. 10. and Chapter 11. vers 3. In the place where the tree falleth there it lyeth Which way thou fallest when thou dyest that way thou shalt lie eternally if Godward then God is thine for ever if sinward then misery and destruction is thine for ever Eccles 12 7. Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne unto God who gave it The souls of wicked men doe returne to God that gave them as well as the souls of the godly that is they doe presently returne to God to receive the sentence of their eternal doome from him and to be stated in their everlasting condition there is a mighty change in the soul immediately after it is departed from the body and is brought to stand before the glorious God to be stated in its eternal condition There are twelve houres in the day sayes Christ wherein a man may worke but the night comes when no man can work John 9. 4. The time of this life is thy working time I but the night is coming and then no man can work Revel 6. 8. And I looked and behold a pale horse and his name that sat on him was death and hell followed him Hell immediately followes death where death surprizeth any in their natural condition that have not finished the work of making their peace with God 2 Cor. 5. 10. We must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ to receive according to what we have done in the flesh whether it be good or bad It is not according to what we doe afterwards but according to what we have done here in the flesh so it must be with us for ever There can be no repenting no believing after this life body and soul being parted the whole man is not capable of a work of God upon it And besides immediately after death God takes all meanes away you shall never heare Sermon more never have admonition more never have good connsel more never have any working of Gods spirit more to draw you soules to Christ And not onely so but God then withdrawes himself so fully in regard of all the common workes of his spirit that there is a kinde of stating the soul in sin which yet cannot so properly in regard of God be said to be sin as evil so that it shall be impossible for thee to doe any thing but sin as the Saints though while they live here they have many lusts and corruptions in them yet immediately after death their souls are so fully possessed of the spirit that then they cannot sin so on the contrary though wicked men while they live here have divers common gifts of Gods spirit and many restraints upon them yet immediately after death they are so fully separated from God and God so fully withdraws himself from them that it is impossible for them to doe any thing else but sin and rebell against God and blaspheme him to his face There was in Adam in innocency a possibility not to have sinned there is in us while we live in this world an impossibility but that we should sin but in the world to come there is in the Saints an impossibility that ever they should sin and look how the impossibility is on the one hand with the Saints so is the impossibility directly contrary on the other hand with the wicked therefore the wicked must needs be stated in an everlasting evil condition There is no more possibility for the damned souls in hell ever to doe any thing but to blaspheme God then there is a possibility for the Saints in heaven ever to sin against God And yet further at the great day Christ gives up the kingdome to the Father and then there will be another manner of administration then before
things that concerne your souls and eternal condition which you have to doe and you spend your time to get estates to get a little pleasure or honour in the world but now when the conclusion of all shall come and you shall look back to see what you have done and God shall come and call you to an account and say Well now there is an end of your time what have you done in this world It may be you can say Lord I have got an estate and I have led a merry and jovial life but all this while what hast thou done for thy soul what hast thou done for eternity what hast thou done for the making up of thy peace what hast thou done about those things that are of such infinite weight and consequence thy heart now will be overwhelmed with this thought O Lord I did forget my soul I had no thoughts about my eternal estate I have spent a great deal more time in playing then in praying at least more time in playing then I have done in praying to God in private to make my peace with him however it may be you can passe away your time merrily here yet it will be a dreadful thing to you hereafter when you shall know what was the businesse of your time and what you were borne for I remember Bernard hath a notable expression speaking of some calling one to another Come let us be merry till an houre be past sayes he speaking with indignation against such folly What wilt thou doe thus and thus till an houre be past till time be past what passe away that which the mercy of thy Creator hath so farre indulged to thee as to give it thee for repentance and to get grace and to obtaine pardon What to passe away time in which thou oughtest to be breathing after that life and blessednesse which thou hast lost It becomes men that have not made up their peace with God to spend their dayes in bewailing of their sinful and miserable condition and not in merrinesse and jollity in chambering and wantonnesse how wilt thou wish one day that thy time had been spent rather in mourning and lamenting sayes Abraham to Dives Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy pleasures this life is not the life of thy sensual pleasures but to make all even between God and thy soul when God is so gracious as to give us space for such great ends as he doth in this world he expects that all the children of men should spend their dayes in seeking his face and in making up their peace with him in prizing his mercy in admiring and adoring the riches of his grace and goodnesse in his Son but where doe we finde this what a different course of life is there in most men from what God expects they are guilty of desperate folly that squander away their precious time seeing all depends upon it Thirdly If after death comes judgement certainly then when death findes any man unprepared in an estate of unregeneracy that hath not made his peace with God it must needes be exceeding dreadful because it brings judgement and states such a one in his eternal condition Job 18. 14. Death is called there the King of terrors and well may it be so for indeed it is the most dreadful thing in the world to those that understand the meaning of their own sinful state and condition there is enough in this to daunt the heart of the proudest stubbornest wretch that lives upon the earth to consider that now I am launching into the ocean of eternity but God knows I have made little provision for it it may be it is the ocean of the wrath of this infinite God that I am now launching into and must be in for ever certainly except thou hast good assurance of the work done between God and thy soul the sight of the infinite ocean thou art launching into immediately after death cannot but make thee give a dreadful shrieke when thou seest thou art now like to miscarry eternally death taking an ungodly man it is no other but the cutting asunder of the thred upon which he hung over the pit of eternal misery It is the pulling up of the flood gates of Gods eternall wrath Here when afflictions are upon men and women Gods wrath is but onely like the little droppings of water through the flood-gates as you see in flood-gates there will be some leakings forth of some drops of water onely but there is a vast difference between those drops and when the flood-gates are pulled up then the streames gush out abundantly just so is it with Gods dealings here in the world with ungodly men it may be Gods hand is upon them in many afflictions but these are but as some few drops of his wrath but when death comes and findes them unprepared then God pulls up the flood-gates and then the streames of the wrath of the almighty overflow them death to them will be no other then the Sergeant of the Lord of hosts to hale them to prison It will be a taking up of the draw-bridge It will be to them a dismal and dreadful Sun-set that brings with it a night of eternal darknesse and that will be a most dreadful Sun-set that shall never have day more why know that at death the day of grace and salvation sets to thee and an eternal night of dismal blacknesse and darknesse will be upon thee so that when thou art going out of this world and thy peace not made with God thou must then bid farewel to all comforts and to whatever thou didst enjoy Now farewel those excellent truths of God that I have had revealed to me I shall never heare such gracious truths out of the mouthes of Gods ministers more Now farewel all my loving friends that I rejoyced so much in and all the mercy meetings that ever I have had I shall never have them more Farewel now wife husband children I shall never see your faces more Yea farewel house and lands and all delights farewel Sun and Moon and Stars and all the world I shall never see you againe till I see you all of a light fire at the great and dreadful day of Christ And now I am leaving the world and all the comforts here and all the meanes of grace here and O Lord whither am I going It was a speech of Pope Adrian when he was to dye sayes he O my soul my soul whither art thou going thou shalt never be merry more as thou was wont to he It is a doleful thing for a poor creature whose time is at an end not to know whither he is going to think of former pleasures and delights and never to have them more Me thinkes when I consider the death of any ungodly man that place in Isaiah 10. 3. comes to my minde And what will you doe in the day of visitation It is true thou doest now ruffle it out in
you are a dead man it would make him call in his thoughts and compose his spirit so if thou hast a slight and wandring heart this is said to thee this day friend poor soul know what thou art doing even this dayes work concernes thy life thy eternal estate and take your selves off from all creatures til you have done so great a work so saies the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 29 30 31 32. Brethren the time is short it remaineth that both they that have Wives be as if they had none and they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoice as though they rejoiced not and they that buy as though they possessed not the time is short The word is the time is wrapt up it is folded up it is a Metaphor taken from cloth that is folded even to the very fag end the time is all folded up sayes the Apostle therefore let your hearts be taken off from the creature Truly brethren whatever you think of this point yet those that understand themselves aright would not venture to be in an unconverted estate one half houre for ten thousand worlds for they know that when death comes then judgement also comes And you that are poor people who live hardly and in great extremity in this world yet so long as you live here your condition is comfortable for you have time to doe that worke that is of such mighty consequence for the good of your souls And indeed upon the consideration of this point peoples hearts should be taken off from the creature for a man had better live here in order to that great work though as a stock or log in the fire then to be taken away before he hath done that work he was sent into the world for When men are in paine they would faine dye I but did they know what will be the state and condition of a wicked man immediately after his death they would rather live though as the miseablest creature in the world And consider all you young ones now while God gives you time of this great work of making your peace with him If a man were to goe over Sea about a businesse of great weight after he comes upon the shore what should his first thought be let him first make sure of his great work and then be merry afterwards If thou hast made sure of this great work that thy peace is made up with God and that thy everlasting estate is secure then thou mayest be merry amongst thy friends and mayest live joyfully and comfortably all thy dayes It was the complaint of one that Art is long and life short but surely the art of providing for eternity is a long and difficult art and thy life is short and uncertaine O therefore doe not put off this great work as Seneca speakes of some they are alwayes about to doe they will and they will and are about to live but never live O that you that are young ones would begin betimes and this point setled upon the hearts of young ones would cause them to apply themselves with all their might to the great work of their souls And that which you do be sure you do it with all your might which is the Argument of the Holy Ghost Eccles 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to doe doe it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor wisdome in the grave whither thou goest If ever thou hadst a work to put forth thy strength about O doe it here doe not onely have some faint wishes and desires and some sudden good moods as perhaps at the hearing of such a truth as this is you have some sudden wishes and inclinations no but work out your salvation with feare and trembling and be sure to take hold of all opportunities seeing so much depends upon the short time of your lives If a man were to goe over Sea for his life and had a faire day and winde it were desperate madnesse for him to say Well I have two or three dayes more to goe over in and therefore I will not go now and so neglects his gale and when those days are past and the last day comes he thinks to go over but cannot have a wind for a world so many think they will repent when they come to dye O but take heed when thou hast a gale that thou doest not neglect it for feare it never come again and know that if the Lord stirres any of your hearts this day or any other day by his word and you neglect it and goe to your businesse and shops and to your sensual pleasures and delights you may hereafter desire to have such a time of the working of Gods spirit againe and if you would give a thousand worlds for it were it in your power you cannot have it therefore take heed you doe not neglect this great work And upon this ground labour to make sure work for if a man had a work to doe and having done it amisse he might mend it afterwards he need not be so exact about it but if a man be set about a work and he knowes when it is gone out of his hands he can never mend it he will not be carelesse in it but will lay his work to the rule and labour to make all sure Know it is so with you about your eternal condition that which you doe in this world must be available for ever you cannot mend it afterwards If after you see your selves cast you should say O Lord give me farther time and let me come into the world againe and then I will mend this and the other fault that I was rebuked for God will say no you cannot returne into the world again therefore it neerly concernes you to make all sure while you have time And doe not rest upon blinde hopes and desperate adventures I hope it will be thus and thus with me but entertaine this thought What if it should prove otherwise what if I should miscarry this will mightily daunt the heart of a man especially if he knows that upon his miscarriage he is undone for ever Yet further which is another branch of the exhortation my brethren never baulk any way of God for feare of suffering be willing to suffer any hardship for Gods way How doth that follow thus If the time of thy life be that upon which the stating of thy eternal condition depends then it concerns thee to goe through stitch whatever comes in thy way as for instance suppose a man were going to such a place and he must be there at such a time for his life and riding apace through the streets the dogs bark at him as usually the dogs bark most at those who ride fastest how little doth he regard the barking of the dogs but did a man ride onely for his recreation then it would be a little troublesome to him And when a man rides for his life though the clouds gather