Discourses Upon the Rich Man and Lazarus, Collection of sermons · Sermon 7
SERMON VII.
Luke xvi.xxvi.
And besides all this, between us and you there is a great Gulf fixed; so that they who would pass from hence to you, cannot, neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
THE first Part of Abraham's Answer to the Rich Man's Request being dispatcht in the handling of the Preceding Verse, which concern'd the Equity of a Refusal, I come now to the second Part of it, which holds forth to us the impossibility of a Grant; as he shew'd before, that there was no Reason for the doing of what he desir'd, because he had receiv'd his good things, and Lazarus Evil, so here (to put a final stop to any further Petition of that kind) he shews, that it cannot be done. And besides all this, &c. i. e. besides what I have already urg'd, consider likewise this which I am going to add, which may justly produce a silencing Effect upon thee.
Where we have two Things, an Assertion laid down, and the Consequence of it. 1. An Assertion laid down [Between us and you there is a great Gulph fixed] particularly. (1.) A great Gulph. Not like that space between the two Hills on which David and Abner stood, 1 Sam. 26.13. For they were both accessible through the intermediate Valley; but this Gulph is too deep and wide. Thy breach is great like the Sea, says the Prophet to Jerusalem, Lam. 2.13. But this Chasm in the Text is vastly greater. (2.) This Gulph is fixed, or establisht. 'Tis not a movable boundary, which may be contracted and enlarg'd, or continued and taken away at Pleasure, but stands firm, like those Mountains of Brass, Zach. 6.1. whereby some understand the Eternal Decrees and Immutable Purposes of God. (3.) 'Tis sixed between us and you, i. e. Between Abraham and Lazarus and the rest of the glorified in Heaven, and the Rich Man, and the rest of the Damned in Hell; for both Parties are here mention'd in the Plural Number. The World to eome is divided into two contrary Regions (more contrary than any Climates in this World can be) and all Commerce betwixt the People belonging to them, is utterly cut off. 2. The Consequence of what is here asserted; which is twofold; (1.) So that they which would pass from hence to you, cannot. This does not in the least imply, that any of the glorified do actually desire to go from Heaven to Hell, in Pity to the Damned; but the meaning is, that if it could be supposed, that they should desire it, yet they could not do it; if Abraham had been inclinable to send Lazarus, and Lazarus had been willing to be sent, to minister that relief to the Rich Man which he requested, yet Lazarus's coming to him would have been an insuperable Difficulty. 2. Neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. The Damned cannot visit the Glorified, nor stir a step to relieve themselves; as Shimei was to dwell in his House, and not go forth thence any whither, 1 Kings 2.36. They cannot change their Place, nor their Company, but are tyed, and staked down to doth. They separated good Men from their Communion here, and they shall not be admitted into good Men's Communion hereafter; as that murmuring Generation which despis'd the pleasant Land of Canaan, were never suffer'd to set a Foot in it, but all their Carkasses fell in the Wilderness, Numb. 14.32.
Obs. The miserable Condition of damned Souls in the next World is unalterably so. Here
First, Prove, that their Condition is indeed unalterable.
Secondly, Shew whence it is thus.
Thirdly, How reasonable it is, that it should be thus.
Fourthly, The ƲSE.
First, To prove, that the wretched Condition of Damned Souls is indeed unalterable. There are several Arguments which may be drawn from Scripture, for the Evincing, and Corroborating of this Truth. As
1. There is no Living again after Death, in such a Manner or to such a Purpose, as before. The Dead Bodies ('tis true) will live again, but not till the Dissolution of the World, and then it will not mend the Case, but make it worse. What Alteration can there be for the better in the state of the Damned, unless they could be allow'd to come back and rectifie the Errors they were guilty of in their former Time of Life? Now this can never be; the Scripture hath declar'd against it in many Places. Job 7.9. As the Cloud is consumed, and vanisheth away, so he that goeth down to the Grave, shall come up no more. Again, c. 16.22. When a few Days are come, then I shall go the Way, whence I shall not return. If it be appointed to Men once to Dye, consequently they are to Live but once; for there is no Life upon Earth, but what ends and terminates in Death. We have but one Life, wherein to flee from the Wrath to come, and are not to look for another, when that Wrath hath overtaken us.
2. All the Hopes of miserable Sinners End with their Lives; which is Evidence enough, that there can be no Alteration of their Condition afterwards. The Scripture says, When a Wicked Man dyeth, his Expectation shall perish, Prov. 11.7. And, They that go down into the Pit, cannot Hope for God's Truth, Isa. 38.18. Every carnal Man and his vain Hope, dye together; they usually languish, but always expire, at the same Time. Upon a Bed of Sickness they commonly grow weak and faint; but when the Spirit comes to be resign'd, they are as the giving up of the Ghost. A Sinner's hope never survives him so much as one Moment; and yet why should it not, if after this there were the least possibility of a Change? Where any Possibility is, Hope will still abide, and fasten upon it; and therefore if all Hope be taken away, 'tis a plain Sign, that there is not any ground to Encourage or Support it. The Despair which seizes Damned Souls, assoon as they leave their Bodies, shews their State to be utterly remediless.
3. The Door of Mercy is finally shut against all Persons dying in thier Sins. It is shut against all Persons Living in their Sins, but not finally. Mat. 7.7. Knock, and it shall be open'd unto you. Opening implies a shutting; but that which is finally shut, is never open'd. Sinner's here are within the reach of this Promise, if they have Faith to lay hold of it, and improve it to their own Benefit; but this Promise is out of Date, assoon as Life ceases. Afterwards came the other Virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us, (i. e. after the Door was shut, they came) but he answer'd and said, verily I say unto you, I know you not, Mat. 25.11, 12. Hence it is that Christ tells us, Many will seek to enter in, and shall not be able, Luke 13.24. All seeking, and striving too, how earnest soever, if the season be past, will be ineffectual; and the season must needs be past, when our Time in general is quite spent; for the Day of Grace (at longest) never outlasted the Day of Nature.
4. It is upon this account, and can be upon no other, that the Judgment to come is stiled Eternal Judgment, Heb. 6.2. It cannot be said to be Eternal in respect of the Continuance of Administration, but only with a regard to the Effect and Issue of it. Tho the Eternal God be the Judge, yet the Act of Judgment is not Eternal, but the results and consequences of it are so. How long the Day of Judgment will last, is a Controversie which I shall not enter into, but leave it among the secret things which belong to God; this is certain, and without Controversie, that he will not be always judging; for if the Trial were to hold always, when should the Execution be? But the Judgment which God passes upon the Sinner, will be everlastingly Decisive, and the Sentence which he pronounces, will be Irreversible. There is no Appeal from this Tribunal to any other, nor will any Cause come before this Tribunal a second Time; but that which God does, it shall be for ever.
5. It is for this Reason, that Hell is set forth not only by a Prison, but such an one, as there is no escape or discharge from, The Apostle Peter speaks of the Spirits in Prison, i. e. Souls in Hell, 1 Pet. 3.19. A Prison, where they are in safest Custody, and can never break away, or obtain a Release, Mat. 5.26. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost Farthing. There is no Goal-delivery here; the Debts which are not forgiven in this World, are never forgiven in the World to come. The strictest Confinements on this side of Hell are not so hopeless, but that our Freedom some way or other may be recoverable; whereas the Gates of Hell are made so sure, that the Imagination of getting through them, would be as vain, as the attempt at Babel, of building a Tower that should reach to Heaven. Every Soul there is put into stronger Fetters, than those that are laid in Iron; Fetters not to be worn asunder, nor taken off.
6. The Devils are set forth as Examples of God's intended dealing with unrepenting Sinners. As they shall never regain the Happiness which they have lost, but are condemn'd to perpetual Misery; So the Souls which are under their influence now, must look to be dealt with hereafter, Jude 6. The Angels which kept not their first Estate, but left their own Habitation, he hath reserv'd in Everlasting Chains under Darkness to the Judgment of the great Day. God hath cast them down so low, that they shall never rise more; and this he did immediately, assoon as ever they fell; and they have never had the least single offer of Grace since, nor ever shall have. Now if God hath been so severely and inexorably just to such noble Creatures Superior to us, in laying such a Punishment upon them, not to be remov'd, for their first Offence, he will certainly not be less just to those that continue sinning wilfully all their Days under the Means of Eternal Salvation.
Secondly, Whence is it that the miserable state of the Damned is thus unalterable? What are the true and proper Causes of its being so? Ans. We may resolve it into the Power and Will of God.
1. The Power of God which is Irresistible, makes the state of the Damned unalterable. He by his Strength setteth fast the Mountains, being girded with Power. Psalm 65.6. He hath established the Earth, and it abideth. Psalm 119.90. And those Rocks which the Prophet calls the Bars of the Earth. Jon. 2.6. Are firmly plac'd by his Almighty Hand, so as that no other Hand can move them. The Waters of the Sea are kept within bounds of his appointing, which they cannot pass over; He hath said, Here shall thy proud Waves be stayed, and so they are, Job 38.11. Now Hell is as much within the Verge of Omnipotence, as any Part of God's Creation; and therefore what can they do, to help themselves, or deliver their own Souls, that have the strong Lord God to judge them? They who cannot change any of the Ordinances of God in Nature, how will they do to rescue themselves from his Armed Vengeance? He that is able to Guide and Manage the whole Course of this World, and bring about his own Glory by every Action and Event, in despite of all that does oppose it, how easily can he detain a Company of wretched Malefactors under that Wrath which he Dooms them to? Whom he Binds, none can Loose.
2. The Will of God, which is invariable, makes the state of the Damned to be so likewise. He is a God, whose Counsel stands for ever, whose Purposes and Determinations alter not, and from whose Eyes Repentance is hid. Whatever God wills to be, must needs be so as he wills it; and under all the changes and turnings of Providence, his Mind is still but one, and that one Mind is most infallibly accomplisht. We see in the Affairs of this Life many times, repeated endeavours of emerging out of a low Condition, which still come to nothing, as Vessels that are tugg'd up a little way against a Stream, and then carried back again; of which no other Reason can be given, but that God hath appointed such a Condition for them. How much less can they, of whom God hath said, that they shall be punished with Everlasting Destruction, 2 Thess. 1.9. Out-live this Destruction, and withdraw themselves from the Eternity of their Punishment? If this could be done, we must not only suppose Divine Power to be vanquisht, but the Divine Pleasure to be changed also; for if God do not go back from his declared Resolution, Sinners can never shake off their Bands of Death.
Thirdly, How reasonable it is, that the state of the Damned should be thus unalterable?
1. Because they would not come under a sanctifying and saving Change, while they were in this World. They would not alter their sanful Course here, and there their miserable State shall not be alter'd, tho they would. God is often solliciting, urging, requiring, intreating of them now, but they are obstinately Bent against it; instead of turning from their Course, they turn to it, Jer. 8.6. As long as God forbears them, their Hearts are fully set to do Evil, Eccl. 8.11. And therefore, when he comes to reckon with them, 'tis a very just requital, that the Gulph should be fixed. While Judgment is deferr'd and suspended, they will go on, in their Road of Wickedness; when Judgment is ripe for Execution, and Execution begins, God will go on in his way of threatened displeasure. They would have spent an Eternity in Sin, if they might have had it to spend; they would never leave off the pursuign of their Lusts, therefore Wrath will hold on the pursuit of them.
2. Because they remain Impenitent, even in the midst of all their Misery. As they find no Place for Repentance, so they have no Hearts to it. Their Judgments indeed are chang'd in Hell, but their Wills are not; they have abundant Conviction, but not the least foot-steps of Conversion. They are as full of Enmity against God, as ever they were, and really as much unconcern'd for the Evil of Sin, tho pierced through with the Evil of Suffering. Among all their Weepings and Wailings, there is not a drop of true godly Sorrow. They are as desperately Wicked as before, and discover it as they can; like that unconverted Thief who railed at our Lord Christ, when he hung upon the Cross by him; to whom the other said well, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same Condemnation? Luke 23.40. Antichristian Idolaters are the lively Emblems of the Damned in this respect; for they under all the Plagues which are sent upon them, Blaspheme and Repent not, Rev. 9.20, 21. c. 16.9, 11.
3. The Alteration of their Condition would not make for the better, while they themselves continued the same. Unless they had other Spirits given them, it would signifie nothing to put them into another State. If God were to try the same Persons again and again, the Issue would be still the same; as Pharaoh after several Judgments inflicted and recalled, would not let Israel go, and so God honour'd himself upon him at last in his utter Ruine. Souls in that burning Furnace are not melted, but harden'd rather; and what could be expected from a Sinner that is still incorrigible, but fresh Provocations, if God after he had shut him up in Prison, should set him at Liberty again? New Opportunities and Temptations would infallibly produce more new Sins. The Scripture foretells how unsuccessful Mercies would be, where Sin is yet in Dominion; Isa. 26.10. Let favour be shewed to the Wicked, yet will not he learn Righteousness. So that the removal of Judgment from them only, would do them no kindness.
4. Sinners can never make Satisfaction to the Justice of God for any one Act or Thought of wickedness by all that they can suffer; and therefore there is a Necessity that they should suffer always. They can never restore the Honour to God which they have robbed him of by Sin; they can make no Reparation for the Unrichteousnesses and indignities which they have done to him; and being such insolent Debtors, not able to pay what they owe, nor having any Surety to do it for them, they can never be let out. He who cannot clear his account with God, nor so much as begin to clear it, can find no fault with his being an Everlasting Prisoner. After a Soul hath lain thousands of Ages in Hell, he hath as much to answer for, as he had at his first Entrance; there is not one Line wiped out of his whole Score. The guilt of every Sin is Infinite, by Reason of the Object against whom it is committed, and this can never be expiated by the utmost Torments of a Finite Creature.
Fourthly, the ƲSE.
1. Information. 1. How great must he be, who is thus able to Destroy! Surely the Perfections of God are deeper than that Hell, which he cast Sinners into. Job 11.8. what awful words are those, whereby he expresses one part of his Glorious Excellency! Deut 32.40. I lift up my Hand to Heaven, and say, I live for ever. God speaks here in the form of an Oath; and as the Angel swore after the like manner by the Life of God, Rev. 10.5, 6. so God here swears by his own Life, to intimate what an Object of dread the Living God is to a perishing Sinner; for as surely as God lives, the Sinner shall dye. How fearful a thing must it be to fall into his Hands, out of which every Criminal would fain flee, but cannot! Job 27.22. what Conceptions can we have of him, that bear a Proportion to his terrible Majesty! 2. How false and groundless is that fancy of the Expiration of a Sinner's Misery and Torment after a limited term! one of the Ancients dream't of a flaming River, through which all Creatures were to pass, (not onelyonly damned Souls, but even the Devils themselves) and so to be sav'd at last. Others since his time, have started some fond Opinions of the same kind, as if Mercy would finally rejoyce against Judgment, and swallow up all in its own embraces. But the largeness of such Men's Charity outdoes the soundness of their Faith; and how reconcileable soever this may be to a soft indulgence in their own Tempers, it contradicts the Scripture-Account of God's inflexible righteousness, and the state of the World to come. Abraham was no such Comsorter to the Rich Man, as to tell him, that he should or might shoot this Gulph hereafter. 3. What Madness must needs be in the Heart of every Sinner, that does not consider this! the Holy Ghost makes use of that very Word, and indeed it can be nothing less. Eccl. 9.3. That man who goes on in his Sin, till it be too late to retire, and knows it will be too late in a little while; who continues treasuring up Wrath, till those Treasures be open'd, which will never be emptied, is certainly beside himself. It is impossible, that reason should be exercis'd in this case, where is so vast an inequality between what tempts to Sin, and what should deterr from it. That which allures, is transient, that which should restrain, is permanent; the Pleasure is short, and Punishment is endless. 4. What a blessed Security is to to Saints in Heaven, that they cannot leave their glorious Habitation, as the fallen Angels have done! for undoubtedly, they are as much Confirmed in their Happiness, as the Damned in their Misery. As they that are salted with Fire (Mark 9.49.) are preserved, from Consumption, so they that dwell in perfect Light, are free from any shadow of turning. They eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God, Rev. 2.7. and they who once eat of that Tree, can dye no more. After they are enter'd upon the Possession of their Inheritance, they can never forfeit it, nor be thrown out of it; No Convulsions can shake these Pillars in the Temple of God. They are above the reach of Temptation, and the possibility of Sinning; and all the spiritual Enemies which assault and disturb them now, they shall not see again any more for ever. After a stormy Voyage, we shallly safely at Anchor in that Port, and never be driven from it.
2. Exhortation. 1. Put not off the working out of your Salvation to the last Extremities. Do not say concerning the Councels of God, as Hushai concerning that of Ahithophel, 2 Sam. 17.7. That they are not good at this time. It is high time to obey those present calls, which ere long you will be out of a Capacity of obeying. Break off your Agreements with Hell now, hereafter your Bands will be made too strong to be broken. The Critical Season of Death and Judgment are at Hand, when you will inevitably see that Salvation which is of God, or that Destruction which is of your selves. Who therefore would deferr the Settlement of the Affairs of his Soul, that lives so uncertainly in the Body, and must expect at his Seperation from it (if his Peace be not made before) to be torn in Pieces by an implacable Revenger! 2. Put forth your Selves, and your whole Strength to the uttermost, while you may, in the Service of God; because your Opportunities for it will soon cease in this world for ever. The silent and swift approaches of the Night, should quicken our diligent Improvements of the Day. Neglect nothing now, which you will vainly wish had been perform'd, when the Hour comes that your Time shall be no longer. This Consideration should stir us up to Act most industriously; for slothful Servants, as well as they that are more grosly wicked, bewail their Folly to no Purpose in a miserable Eternity. Whatsoever thy Hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no Work, nor Device, nor Knowledge, nor Wisdom in the Grave, Eccl. 9.10. If you are remiss and superficial now, you cannot mend it then. 3. Learn to be stedfast and unmoveable in your course of Duty. Let nothing perswade you to change your God, but cleave with full purpose of Heart to him. The Prospect of an Eternal World, where our Lot must remain always the same, should make us very firm, resolved Christians. When the Devil tempts you to go back from Christ, remember what it is to bbe irrevocably condemned to a departure from him. You who are loose and wavering in your Obedience now, will be chained fast enough hereafter under a load of unpardonable Guilt. Nothing can undo your Shackles then, and therefore why should any thing carry you away from your present Duty? 4. Keep your distance from those Persons in this World, from whom you look to be everlastingly divided in the next. As Sinners will never know the worst of what they shall suffer, so it will be good for us to have no Acquaintance or Concern with what they do. Their Breath (which smells of the Infernal Sulphur) ought to be strange to us. There is to be a Gulph between us at the last, and for that Reason there should be no unnecessary Fellowship, or chosen Familiarity now. Enter not into the Path of the Wicked, Prov. 4.14. If you expect that your End should differ so much from theirs. It is certainly most absurd to Associate with them on Earth, who are to be banisht so far off in Hell.