One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 20
SERMON XX. Sheweth who they are that cannot at the cloſe of their daies take comfort in this, That they have finiſhed the work God gave them to do: As alſo what things, if not avoided, will much diminiſh the comfort of the Godly ones at that day.
JOH. 17.4.
I have glorified thee on earth, &c.
THe Doctrine obſerved was, That it is a moſt bleſſed and happy thing in the cloſe of our daies to be able to ſay upon good grounds, We have finiſhed the work God gave us to do. You have heard particulars illuſtrating it, and the grounds of the point: I ſhall now amplifie this, and in the firſt place ſhew, Who they are that cannot with any comfort, or very little be able to ſay thus: For although this truth in the general be very terrible,Who they are that cannot take comfort in this, that they have finiſhed the work God gave them to do. yet in the particular it loſeth its edge, becauſe every man is a ſelf-flatterer: Every one is apt to think, I have done Gods work, and therefore it will be well with me. If therefore it be poſſible, my endeavour ſhall be that this arrow of Gods truth may enter in at the joynts of thy armour, ſeeing it cannot any where elſe. Conſider then who they are that may ſay they are dogs and not children, ſo that this bread doth not belong to them.
1. Such whoſe converſation is wicked.And firſt, All thoſe who daily and conſtantly are doing the clean contrary work to what God requireth; ſuch whoſe converſation is a perpetuall reproach and diſhonour to God, theſe do not at all glorifie God: Theſe have cauſe to tremble and quake when death approaches, and their accounts muſt be made; and is not this the condition of moſt? Look generally upon mens lives, are they not doing the devils works? are they not diſhonouring God all the day long by their ungodly converſation? If there be any that are tender and conſciencious, are they not like gleanings after a Vintage? here a man, and there a woman; otherwiſe for moſt men, you would think they thought hell and the day of judgement to be but fables, and ſuch a truth as this to be a meer bugbear: But God will not be mocked, neither can mans greatneſſe or atheiſm, or prophane ſcoffings put off theſe things. Oh then be at laſt perſwaded that that life thou liveſt will be little comfort to thee one day: Oh how ſpeechleſſe and confounded wilt thou be, when God ſhall enquire into all thy words, into all thy actions, and there is nothing but ſinne appeareth, when every thing will be turned into blood, as the Egyptian puniſhment was, into the bloud of thy ſoul: When God looked over all his works he had done, he ſaw them exceeding good, and ſo bleſſed the ſeventh day; but thou wilt look over all thou haſt done, and finde it exceeding evil, and curſe both the day of thy birth and the day of thy death. Oh that men would be wiſe, that they would conſider their later end: What wilt thou do, when God, when thy conſcience, when the law, when devils will accuſe thee? Where wilt thou hide thy ſelf? Remember Jacob, Gen. 32.13. when his brother Eſau was to meet him, who was enraged and provoked againſt him, how carefull he was by Preſents and humble deprecations to mitigate his anger. Remember the unjuſt Steward, Luke 16.8. who knowing he muſt be called to account, taketh all the ſubtill waies he can to make himſelf friends, when he ſhall be caſt out of his office: our Saviour ſpeaks that parable to this purpoſe, That when God ſhall ſay to every one of us, Thou ſhalt be no long or ſteward, in this relation, in that condition I will have an account of all, that then we manage all things ſo, that we may be able to have ſome comfortable refuge.
2. Thoſe whoſe works are (though not contrary, yet) differing from the command.2. Thoſe have nothing of this texts comfort, who though they do not contrary work, yet do different non-required work. It's foreign, not foreign, though they do not male, yet they do aliud agere, a ſervant, though he do not contrary to his Maſters work, yet if he do not the ſame he is commanded, he is obnoxious to his Maſters wrath: And this is very conſiderable, for the Phariſee at the cloſe of his life may ſtrive to ſay, Lord, I have faſted twice a week, I waſhed my hands, my houſe, my pots, &c. thus I have glorified thee, but what ſaith Chriſt, In vain do ye worſhip me, Mat. 16.9. and who hath required theſe things at your hands? Thus the Papiſt, if he ſay, I have gone a Pilgrimage, I have made ſuch penall ſatisfactions, I have ſaid ſo many Ave Maries, I have done penance, I have received extream unction. Now becauſe this is not required or commanded work, therefore it will have no reward: So then it's not enough to ſee thy work be not contrary to Gods will, but look that it be according, that it have Gods ſuperſcription, and the ſtamp of his command upon it: Though it be not malum, yet it is aliud; though it be not contra, yet it is preter, and indeed what is preter, becauſe not ſecundum, muſt needs be contra. It's contrary to Gods will, whatſoever is not commanded.
3. The ſlothfull and negligent.3. They cannot have the texts comfort at all, who are ſlothfull and negligent, though they do not contrary or different, yet they are ſluggiſh, and ſo will not work at all in Gods Vineyard. This is repreſented by the Parable of him who had but one Talent, yet becauſe he did not improve it, he is caſt into utter darkneſſe; Caſt that unprofitable ſervant, Mat. 25.30. He did not ſpend the Talent, he brought it ſure and ſafe to his Maſter, but he is unprofitable, and muſt be caſt into utter darkneſſe: So the tree that brings forth no fruit, though it did not bad fruit, muſt be cut down and caſt into the fire. Oh how greatly is this to be conſidered, for whoſe life doth not appear to him, as Bernards did, aut peccatum, aut ſterilitas, either the boggy mire of ſinne, or the parched wilderneſſe of barrenneſſe; and if that be ſo great a ſinne, Chriſt be ſo ready to curſe it, no wonder if the moſt holy have ſad thoughts about their death, and the day of their accounts. It's not then a negative Religion that will truly comfort thee, but a poſitive fruitfull one. It will be no ſolid joy of conſcience to ſay, and no more, Lord, I have been no drunkard, no adulterer, no prophane perſon, for God looketh for a zealous, active, fruitfull way in all holineſſe; yet how doth the meer negation of ſinne make many have ſtrong confidence of their excellent condition; whereas if they did conſider the poſitive fruitfull part of godlineſſe, and ſee how farre they are off it, horrour would overwhelm them. Conſider then how fruitfull are thy duties, are thy hours for God, maieſt thou not cry out many times, hodie diem perdidi? doeſt thou put that of the Apoſtle in practice, to redeem the time? Epheſ. 5.16. Heaven would not be heaven, if it were only a negation of torment, not a poſitive affluence of all happineſſe; ſo neither is that godlineſſe which is a bare abſence of ſinne, not a fruitfull abounding in the waies of holineſſe.
4. There cannot be any ſolid comfort at the time of account, 4. The lukewarm.where there is a prevailing lukewarmneſſe and formality, though the work God requireth be done outwardly. Eli cannot give a good account of reproving his ſonnes, though he did reprove them, becauſe there was remiſneſſe and coldneſſe in it; a partiall coldneſſe and dulneſſe is in the beſt ſervice we do. Paul having found the reliques of corruption rebelling againſt grace, and contra vitia pugnamus non ut vincamus ſed ne vincamus, Jebuſites will abide in the land, but we ſpeak of a totall plenary lukewarmneſſe, ſuch which Chriſt condemneth, Revel. 2. when he wiſheth ſhe were either hot or cold, but being lukewarm, God would ſpew her out of his mouth: That expreſſion is to ſhew how noiſom and intollerable ſuch perſons, and ſuch duties are to God. Never then think a meer formall and cuſtomary way of Religious duties will ever be any comfort to thee, no, God will ſay, Thy heart was not in theſe, thou didſt not ſerve me as the world, as thy luſts; and hereupon thou wilt wiſh, Oh that my duties had been more ſpirituall, more fervent, more heavenly: Theſe very duties thou putteſt thy truſt in, will run like ſharp points into thy very heart. Thus you have heard what perſons cannot have any comfort at all.
Now we ſhall ſhew you, What things even to the godly, What things will much diminiſh the joy and comfort of the godly at the end of their daies.though they may have comfort for the main, yet will greatly diſhearten and diminiſh their joy then. There will be fears againſt hope, doubts againſt faith, agonies againſt joy: That even as nature and death will in a terrible manner conflict together, ſo will their hopes and fears: Yet this is not to be underſtood, but that even a Chriſtian walking moſt tenderly and circumſpectly, may at his death have no joy and aſſurance: God for many juſt and wiſe ends doth ſometimes diſpenſe it ſo, that he who lived very holily, may yet die very uncomfortably. It was ſo with Chriſt, though there was a peculiar reaſon, and why not with his members? only when God dealeth ſo, they are meer exerciſes to increaſe their Crown of glory; they are not ſo properly afflictions for ſinne, as Job had thoſe extraordinary trials, not for ſinne, though he was not without ſinne, but triall, and thereby to make him more glorious. But I ſhall ſpeak of ſuch particulars, as in their own nature tend to make our end very ſad and heavy; and therefore let him who would look on death, as Jacob did on his ſonne Joſephs Chariot, not with grief, but with joy, as a convoy to eternall happineſſe,1. Immoderate affection to worldly things. take heed of theſe things as ſo many dangerous works: And
1. Immoderate affections to lawfull things, they do ſo dead the heart and clog the ſoul, that when a man comes to die, theſe earthly things lye upon the heart, as too much undigeſted meat upon the ſtomack, making thee extream ſick and full of pain. The Apoſtle then, 1 Cor. 7. preſcribeth a comfortable way to dye joyfully, where he ſaith, thoſe that buy muſt be as if they bought not; they that marry as if they married not: The greener the wood is, the harder to be conſumed; the more lively and active thy worldly affections are, there muſt be the greater oppoſition to leave all and be with God. The ripe aple falleth from the tree very eaſily: the godly man dying is compared to ripe corn, ſo that if theſe earthy and worldly affections be not dried up in thee, it will much hinder thy joy, this green wood will make a great ſmoak. Hezekiah, though he had this comfortable evidence, yet ſaith the Text, He wept ſoar; ſome attribute that to the Old Teſtament diſpenſation, where earthly and worldly happineſſe was more generally promiſed then under the New, and therefore death being a privation of that, did more affect them: howſoever this is ſure, an heart not weaned from the world, and yet muſt be parted from, is like a tooth not cut from the fleſh, which will cauſe great pain in the pulling out. If therefore thou wouldſt with much peace and joy make up thy account, ſit looſe from all earthly things; theſe are good, but God is better; to have God would be a gain to thee, theſe are thorns and thorns in thy ſide, they do not only choak our duty, but our comforts.
2. Formality and ſlothfulneſſe.2. This will diminiſh thy comfort much, though thou haſt for the main been holy, when too much formality and ſlothfulneſſe hath been upon thee. The want of zeal and fervency will greatly abate of thy joy: Therefore the Apoſtle, 1 Pet. 1. ſaith, Give all diligence to make your calling ſure, as if he had ſaid, as long as you live ſlothfully and negligently, you can never come to any aſſurance: the more lazy and cold thou art, the greater will thy fears and doubtings be: Oh then let this be a goad in thy ſide, to do what thou doeſt with all thy might, love God, ſerve God, pray to God with all thy might; I tell thee it will be a great grief and breaking of heart to think of all thy family duties and publique duties, done in a meer cuſtomary way, if thou doeſt them not as a dying man, as a man going immediatly to give his account to God, thou comeſt not up to thy duty. Rev. 2. ſee how ſevere God is there to the Church, I have ſomething againſt thee, becauſe thy works are not perfect, filled works: They were good works, but they were not filled with inward life and the ſubſtance of grace; therefore he exhorts them to ſtrengthen the things that were ready to die: Oh then do thou pray, that a conſtant fire may burn upon the altar of thy heart, take heed of grievings and tormenting fears, becauſe thou wert ſo barren ſo ſuperficiall and unhearty in the work of God; though this will not break thy anchor, yet it will toſſe thy ſhip up and down very violently; though it will not raze thy foundation, yet it will cauſe great heartquakes and trembling within thee.
3. The not zealouſly improving opportunities.3. This will much weaken, though not quite deſtroy thy comfort, when thou haſt not been carefull and active to improve all the opportunities and prizes God put into thy hand. To think, this I might have done, there was this excellent occaſion, and I neglected it! Theſe thoughts will be ſo many drops of gall in thy hony: Therefore the Apoſtle preſſeth that duty to redeem the time, Epheſ. 4.16. to take all the occaſions and opportunities before thee: We are commanded to learn of the unreaſonable creatures, that know their times and ſeaſons. Chriſts tears over Jeruſalem, Luk. 19.41. were becauſe ſhe did not know her day; God doth give many gracious occaſions, which it may be will never be injoyed more. Now as thoſe that did not go out early to gather Manna, could not have any afterwards, though they would have laboured many hours; and as thoſe that did not ſtep into the Pool, while the Angel deſcended, could not upon any terms have the benefit afterwards, ſo it is here, if thou take not the opportunity, the ſeaſon God offers, it may never come again. It's true, there is no man dying, but may be greatly afflicted for miſ-ſpent opportunities, therefore you heard no man could put any confidence in the beſt improved life that can be, only he is happy that hath leſſe worms gnawing upon his conſcience then others: Oh then take this home with thee, thou godly ſoul, when Chriſt knocketh at the door there is an opportunity of doing or receiving good, take heed with the Church, thou do not make excuſes, and ſo make Chriſt depart, thou maieſt afterward ſearch for him in the anguiſh of thy heart, and not finde him.
4.4. The doing Gods work upon conſtraint, and not from filiall and voluntary principles. This will allay our comfortable account, when though we have done the work of God, yet we did it upon conſtraint and ſlaviſh fears, not from filiall and voluntary principles. As the heart hath been free and willing, ſo commonly will thy joyes be. When the people offered ſo willingly about the Temple, how joyfull and glad is David, bleſſing God, Who are we that we ſhould be able to offer thus willingly, 1 Chron. 29.14. and Lord keep this alwaies in their hearts; ſo that a ready willing minde God doth accept of and fils with conſolation, He hath not ſowed ſparingly, and therefore ſhall not reap ſparingly. Wo is me, ſaith Paul, if I preach not the Goſpell, 1 Cor. 9.16. If I preach the Goſpel willingly, I have a reward, but if not, the diſpenſation of the Goſpel is committed to me, As if be had ſaid, If I preach the Goſpel and do my duty from a ready willing minde, I ſhall have an overflowing reward; but if not, there is a neceſſity laid upon me, it is my duty, I cannot put it off, God will require his truſt; Oh then do not loſe the comfort of all thy duties, to do from conſtraint, from fear, becauſe of a ſlaviſh conſcience, this will not produce that conſolation, which a voluntary free ſpirit will; therefore as the Apoſtle ſpake concerning Miniſters, Heb. 3.17. people ſhould obey them, that they might give their account with joy and not with grief, the ſame is to be applied by every one; oh let me with delight and willingneſſe do Gods work, that I may lift up my head when death appeareth! He that is haled to his duty, will be haled to his account, in neither will he have any joy, I did ſuch things indeed, but it was meer fear of hell and torment, I had no delight in God or approaches to him.
5. Though we do the work God requireth, 5. The more hypocriſie the leſſe comfort.yet ſo much inſincerity and hypocriſie as there is, ſo much will our comfort abate. This I have done indeed, this zeal, this activity I had, but it was not purely for God; there were ſelf-reſpects, ſelf-conſiderations, and theſe will be ſo many thorns by thy roſes, if it had not been for ſuch ingredients thy heart had been more ſerene and calm. This was Pauls evidence, not ſimply that he preached the Goſpel, but that he did it as of God, and to God, 2 Cor. 2. The Phariſees in all the duties they did, could have no true comfort, becauſe their ends were nought: Jehu and Judas theſe will give no comfortable account, ſo that purity of intention and rectitude of aims, will only comfort thee at thy death; ſhouldſt thou abound in the moſt Angelicall duties that are, be admired of all, yet if in all theſe things thou haſt not been purely fixed, thy hopes will fail; inſincerity is accompanied with ſad doubts and uncertainties.
6. Ignorance, 6. Ignorance or miſtake in ſome points of Divinity.or a miſtake in ſome things may make us give our account with great fear. As
1. If we look for perfection in our lives, being reſolved like Rachel to mourn and take no comfort, unleſs our life appear a garden to us without any weeds at all, but that is reſerved only for heaven: If none might dye comfortably, but he that hath lived perfectly, then every man muſt go out of the world with deſpair; yea there is no man but his failings are more then his duties, there is more corruption then grace; ſo that if there be ſincerity, though imperfection, we may ſay, Lord we have finiſhed the work thou gaveſt us to do. Indeed humility is required becauſe of our imperfections, but not diffidence: To doubt and to refuſe the comfort God offers is not humility, but diſobedience, like that of Peters, who would not let Chriſt waſh his feet.
2. Another miſtake may be about the nature of true faith and hope, as if we were to divide between Chriſt and our ſelves, and ſo from both conjoyned together gather our aſſurance; even as the Papiſts define ſpes hope, to be partim à gratiâ, partim à meritis noſtris proveniens, but thoſe that go thus to divide, muſt needs divide themſelves from comfort, for the object of our faith and truſt muſt be Chriſt only. We may joyfully take thoſe evidences of grace we ſee in our ſelves, but to put confidence in them, would be to make our ſelves our own ſaviours.
3. This miſtake may breed much diſconſolateneſſe when we limit our aſſurance and evidence to the time of our death, that if God give us it not then, we give up our caſe as deſperate. Indeed it's a moſt bleſſed thing, and a mercy much to be prayed for, that as Simeon, ſo we having ſeen Chriſt in our hearts and lives, may then depart in peace: It's the haven after all the tempeſts we have had here, but yet God may deny us this cordiall, even the beſt of Gods children have found, that God hath not kept the beſt wine for the laſt; but God doth ſometime to his, as they did to Chriſt, give him gall and vinegar to drink: For as the wicked ungodly man, who the next moment is to drop into eternall flames, may yet die with great carnal preſumption that God is his God, that Chriſt is his Mediator in whom he will truſt, and ſo feareth not, quakes not at the dolefull judgement coming upon him, ſo the godly man, though ready to be crowned with Immortall Glory, and there is but a moment between him and everlaſting happineſſe, yet may think his caſe doubtfull, if not deſperate, may ſeem to have no hopes, no joy, yea be ſo tempted, that he ſhall think all he did was but in hypocriſie and falſehood, that there was no truth in him, this may be: Therefore let the godly not limit God to that time of death.
Ʋſe.Ʋſe of Admonition to awaken your ſelves at this truth, Think how nearly it concerns you, Doſt thou live in ſuch a way, as that thou art able to make this glorious profeſſion? Is not God, is not his word, is not thy own conſcience againſt thee? How ſpeechleſſe and confounded wilt thou be, when God ſhall bid thee give an account of all thy talents! Oh that men ſhould not lay this later end no more to heart! that none ſaith, O my ſoul, now all is well, now thou takeſt thy mirth, but what a change will the hour of death make! With what comfort wilt thou look upon the devils work, and ſins work, which thou haſt been doing all thy life time? eſpecially take heed of unprofitableneſſe and decayings in the way of godlineſſe; thou that haſt looked towards heaven, but art turned out of the way, be ſure thy end will be miſerable, It had been better for thee, ſaith the Apoſtle, never to have known the way of righteouſneſſe. You may have deſires, may have breakings of heart, and yet return to ſinne again; oh think with what a violent flood theſe thoughts will come upon thee! Oh me wretched and undone ſinner, I have no refuge, no hope! many reſolutions I had, but they vaniſhed away, and now I muſt live no longer, my time is expired, my courſe is finiſhed: Oh that God would adde, as to Hezekiah, ſome years to my life! Oh that I could bid the Sun ſtand ſtill, or time go no further, till I were at peace with God, but theſe are vain wiſhes: Let not then this truth go, before it hath left a ſting in thy very heart; O Lord nothing troubleth me, but that I did not think or minde theſe things ſooner: Meditate on theſe things your night is coming upon you; Will you alwaies delay, or elſe be ſecure, and not matter theſe things; many have done fooliſhly and dropt in a moment into hell, do not thou be ſo overtaken. May we not conclude, that the auditor with whom this truth will not avail, may fear he is delivered up to an impenitent heart.