The Necessity of Serious Consideration and Speedy Repentance, Introduction
The INTRODUCTION.
THAT Exhortation which St. Peter hath given unto Christians, 2 Pet. 1.10. To give diligence to make their calling and election sure, must needs appear at the very first hearing of it, so very reasonable, and so much for our Advantage every way, that one would think it should be most readily embraced, and immediately put in practice by every one that loves himself. Can any one, who hath any love for himself (as who hath not in some sense or other?) rest himself content and well satisfied, so long as he apprehends himself to be in an unsafe and dangerous Condition, and knows a way how to come out of it? Is it not natural to all Men in such a Case to bestir themselves, and to seek out diligently all the means of safety, and never to cease from so doing, till they think themselves as sure as Men can be, that all the danger is over; and that they need no longer to fear, either to lose the good they love, or to suffer the Evil they abhor? Yes, it is natural enough to us all, to use as much, and oftentimes a great deal more diligence, than it is either needful or fit for us to use, that we may secure the safety of our Bodies, and even of the least valuable parts of our Estates in this World; which yet it is not in our power to do, tho we do all that ever we can to that purpose. But alas! we are so far from using any such diligence in endeavouring to make sure to our selves our Eternal Happiness, (tho we may be always as sure, that we shall have power to do this, as we are that we sincerely endeavour it) that we hardly once consider, that we are in any danger of losing it.
Surely it will be granted by all, That a blessed Life for ever in Heaven, after this very short and very troublesome Life on Earth shall be at an end, is a very desirable thing; and such as one cannot but desire, when he hath well consider'd, That there it may be had, but here it cannot. And tho' there may be some, who do not yet believe, that such a life of eternal Blessedness is to be had in Heaven after Death; yet I dare say, that even these, seeing they know they must shortly die, could heartily wish it might be so. I cannot easily be persuaded to think, that any one can hate Life for any thing else but the troubles and the miseries which he finds it cannot be without: And therefore I believe, that no Man would willingly die, and be no more for ever, supposing it possible that he may live again for ever without any such troubles or miseries. Now every one knows, that he must die, and that it cannot be long ere he must live no more here; and therefore no Man can chuse but wish, that, if it be possible, he may live again: Especially if he may be sure, both to live a happy life, and to die no more.
And blessed for ever be our Lord JESUS CHRIST, who hath given us assurance, that there is such a Life prepared for all that are his faithful followers! He hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel, 2 Tim. I. 10. And being Himself the way, the truth, and the life, Joh. XIV. 6. hath pointed out unto us the narrow way which leadeth unto life, Mat. VII 14. duplicate page duplicate page And this is no other but the way of God's Commandments, Rev. XXII. 14. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life. Whosoever therefore desires an eternal blessed Life after Death, and has a mind to make it sure unto himself, must make haste to get into this way, and be very careful to keep it so long as he lives. He must get into this way, because there is no other way to Life; and he must make haste to get into it, because Death follows him every day at his Heels▪ and he knows not how soon it will be upon him; and if he get not into the way of Life before it overtakes him, he must die and be miserable for ever. And he must be sure to keep it all the days of his present Life, because whenever he goes out of it, he is in the way to eternal Death.
The time of this present Life (how short soever it may be) is to be look'd upon as the only time of making an eternal Life sure unto us. If we let this time pass over us before we are prepared for that Eternity, it is like to prove unto us an Eternity of Sorrows. Now are we travelling toward God our Happiness, and those heavenly Mansions, which the Eternal Son of God, and our only Saviour is gone before to prepare for us; and where we hope to be for ever with the Lord. Whilst we live, we are but in the way, and not at home in our Country: Here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come, Heb. XIII. 14. And the same blessed JESUS, who hath open'd the Gate of Life unto us by his own Death and Resurrection, and is our only sure Guide unto it, hath acquainted us with two ways, and no more, that we can walk in whilst here we live; the broad way to Destruction, wherein go the Multitude; and the narrow way to Life, wherein but few walk: If then we step out of the one way, we must needs be in the other; for there is no middle Path to be found, wherein we may walk, and neither go to Life nor Destraction. The broad way is that of Men's Lusts, wherein there is Latitude enough; and the narrow way is the way of God's Commandments; and a Man must be very strict and upright in his walking therein, and must not swerve either to the Right-hand or to the Left, if he have a mind to be safe.
It seems (I must needs say) one of the strangest things in the World to me, that we all should be so exceedingly concern'd, as at every turn we shew our selves to be, about our living safely and comfortably in this present World; so that we cannot hear the least ill news, but it puts us quite out of humour; and we are all in fears what will become of us: And yet so very few amongst us seem to have any concernment at all upon them, what shall become of them when they die! I confess, if Men could be any way assured, that there is nothing at all to be expected after Death, I should the less wonder, that their whole concern should be for this Life; because I know nothing else that they should be concern'd for. But seeing it is an impossible thing, that any one should be assured of that; and seeing we have all the assurance that Men can have of the contrary, to wit, That an endless state of either Happiness or Misery shall follow our short life here; what an unaccountable madness seems this to be, which has so generally possess'd us, to be so concern'd, how we shall fare for a few Days here, and altogether as regardless (for so the most of us seem to be) how it shall go with us for evermore! Whence can this proceed, but from inconsideration, or want of thinking on things as Men should do? If we did really think in earnest, what we are, whence we came, what we have here to do, how soon we may and must go hence; whither we are to go, and what shall finally become of us; we must needs become a little more serious and provident both, than now we are; and how little assurance soever we had of what is to come, we would be concern'd a little, so to behave our selves in this World, as we might go out of it with this Comfort at least, That if we can be sure of no good after Death, yet we should not need to fear any evil. Any one that is wise, if he have no hopes to he Happy, would yet take a course to be Safe. And yet (God knows!) the generality of People are far short of this Wisdom. All we seem to mind, is some little thing that we take pleasure in for the present; and all our care is, not to lose that, whatever it be, so long as we live. But we so little think of what either shall be, or may be after Death; yea, and (what's stranger, considering we know it so well) we so little think, that we are every moment stepping towards the Grave, and that the next step we take, for ought we know, may be into it; that Death surpriseth most of us, when ever it comes; and how slowly soever, through God's wonderful forbearance, it come; yet it steals upon us unaware, and takes us unprepared, and so proves (what we are well-taught to pray against) a sudden Death to most of us; and if there be any thing worse than another after Death (as certainly there is both a better and a worse than any thing can be in this World) we are sure of it. To make us a little more sensible of this great folly, and to shew us what course we are to take, if we have any mind to do our selves good, or have no mind to make our selves miserable for ever, is the design of this Discourse. And I shall divide it into Two Parts. In the former of which I shall shew the Necessity of a Serious Consideration, and give some few Directions for it. In the later shall be shewn the Danger of Delaying our Repentance, and an Exhortation given to make haste to live well, that we may be always ready to die well; and so make sure of Life Eternal.