The General Assembly, Doctrine · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. A Perſwaſion to all to ſeek after this bleſſed Gathering at laſt.
4. USE of Exhortation: 1. To Sinners. 2. To Saints.
1. To Sinners: A word or two to thoſe Souls that are yet in the gall of bitterneſs, Acts 8.23. 2 Tim. 2.26.and bonds of iniquity; tyed with Chains to the Prince of Darkneſs, led captive by him at his pleaſure. Suffer your ſelves to be gathered unto Chriſt; what would poor Miniſters give that they might prevail with you? How doth our Lord ſpread his Arms to embrace you? After all your wandrings, and Extravagancies, the Father of the Prodigal would run towards the returning Prodigal, fall on your Neck, kiſs you, and make you kindly welcom; and Godly Chriſtians would not envy your Entertainment, but delight in your Society, as not diminiſhing but increaſing their Felicity.Luke 15.7.10. There is joy in Heaven over one ſinner that repenteth, ſaith our Lord; yea, there's joy in the preſence of the Angels of God over one ſinner that repenteth. Glad are the Saints of ſuch Conſorts, glad are the Holy Angels of ſuch Babes to attend upon; glad would poor Miniſters be if your Souls were ſavingly converted and gathered to Chriſt: But if you ſtill ſtand out, you have neither part nor lot in this matter, but muſt be Exiles, baniſh'd and puniſhed with everlaſting deſtruction from the preſence of the Lord, and the glory of his power, 2 Theſſ. 1.7, 8, 9. As meanly as you think of God's Children now, it will be a doleful parting from them in the great Day: Now be wiſe for your precious Souls.
1. Yet there's a poſſibility that you may be converted and ſaved; Now is the accepted time, 2 Cor. 6.2.now is the day of Salvation; to Morrow it may be paſt, and never return again. You are yet alive, many are paſt hope, paſt help, thouſands are dead and damned ſince you deſerved to be in Hell, you are yet Monuments of Mercy.
2. The Spirit is yet ſtriving with you, poor Miniſters are ſtudying for you, pouring out their Souls to God for you, longing after you, crying out, Why will you die? Why will you refuſe this bleſſed Call of God? Be it known to you, God will not always be affronted,Gen. 6.3. His ſpirit ſhall not always ſtrive.
3. If ever your Souls be converted and ſaved, your ſelves muſt be Inſtruments as well as God is the Efficient cauſe thereof; for God works Morally, ſo as to preſerve Men's nature and the principles thereof; if ever you repent the Work is your's, though the power to work is from God,Baxter's Myth. Theol. Part III. page 46. Phil. 2.12, 13. [omne opus humanum eſt virium noſtrarum opus & vires nullae ſunt nobis niſi à deo libere donatae] ſaith a great Divine: The Duty is our's, the Grace is his: God is the efficient, Man the Agent.
4. Your work is then to fall down on your Knees, and beg of God a Spirit ſuited to the Grace of God, and fitted for this day of gathering; Lord, I am now going to hear thy Word, oh come with power from on high,Acts 16.14. open my Heart as thou didſt the Heart of Lydia: Melt my Heart like wax, then ſet thy ſtamp upon me:2 Cor. 10.5. Caſt down my vain imaginations—and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chriſt: Square my Soul to be a Temple of the holy Ghoſt: Put ſpiritual Life into my Soul,1 Pet. 2.5. and let me be one of thoſe lively Stones, built up a ſpiritual Houſe with the reſt of thy Saints:Song 5.4. Put thy Hand in by the hole of the door of my heart, and make my bowels move towards thee: Let the power of thy Grace be ſuch an hidden, prevailing, uncontroulable Efficacy as may win my Soul to thee: All I can do is nothing unleſs the Spirit prevail: If thou wilt work who can let it? If thou work not, all I do is in vain O Lord let me not periſh with the reſt of the Infidel World, gather not my ſoul with ſinners, Pſal. 26.9, 12.nor my life with bloody men, but in the midſt of thy congregation let me bleſs the Lord.
2. But the parties I have to deal with, more directly are Chriſtians, real Saints, who are gathered to Chriſt, and hope to be gathered to him at laſt with the reſt of God's People; ſuch as theſe I will give theſe few Inſtructions to, and all Profeſſors:
1. Be Sincere: Be really what you ſeem to be by Profeſſion: It will be a dreadful diſappointment to paſs for Saints, and be found among them, and not be of them; for its ſaid, Rom. 9.6. They are not all Iſrael, which are of Iſrael, i. e. they are not of the ſame Spirit that are of the ſtock of Iſrael, ſome Goats may be found among the Sheep till the ſeparating day: Some may have a name to live and be dead: All's not Gold that gliſters,Rev. 3.1. ſhining Lamps, and Oil in the Veſſels, are different things: It will be a dreadful thing when the Maſter of the Feaſt comes to view his Gueſts, and finds one not having on a wedding Garment, and thus Expoſtulates with him, Friend, how cameſt thou in hither not having a wedding garment! Alas he was ſpeechleſs and caſt into utter darkneſs: Oh what weeping and gnaſhing of teeth! Mat. 22.11, 12, 13. O take heed of a ſhew and ſemblance of Religion: Tremble leaſt when you are weighed you be found wanting, leaſt your Works be not perfect before God,Rev. 3.2. [foreign] filled up with the neceſſary Eſſentials that conſtitute a Chriſtian. Sirs, a day is coming when your inſide will be turned out, to the open view of all: When God will bring to light the hidden things of darkneſs and make manifeſt the councels of the heart, 1 Cor. 4.5. See then that your Hearts be ſound in God's Statutes that you may not be aſhamed:Pſal. 119.80. Be ſincere and then you will be without offence till the day of Chriſt: Phil. 1.10.Be upright in Heart and downright in Life: Keep Conſcience void of Offence: Walk with God, and you ſhall reſt with God.
2. Gather your ſelves together in ſolemn Exerciſes of Religion: Eſpecially in caſes of publick Calamity and common Danger, ſo God calls to Iſrael, Zeph. 2.1, 2. Gather your ſelves together, yea gather your ſelves together, O nation not deſired, before the decree bring forth: Be unanimous and harmonious in Faſting and Praying: How often doth God call his People of Old,Joel. 1.14. ch. 2.16. to ſanctify a fast, call a ſolemn Aſſembly, gather the Elders,—there's great reaſon for it, all have ſinned, all muſt be humbled, all are concerned: Perſons may be helpful one to another, a threefold cord is not eaſily broken: Eccl. 4.9,—12.God ſometimes expects unanimous Votes, which make a great ſound in his Ears: Let Chriſtians do as the Children of Iſrael and Judah, go together to God weeping and ſeeking the Lord their God, covenanting with God, as in Jer. 50. 4, 5. Yea in ordinary Duties of Prayer, Conference, Reading; let them ſtrengthen one anothers Hands in God: Provoke each other to love and to good works: Heb. 10.24.Sing God's praiſes together: Oh what an Emblem of Heaven is this Communion of Saints! Many live ſticks make a great blaze: Grapes put together ripen one another: Is Communion of Saints good in Heaven, and is it not good here? Are not ſome Chriſtians ignorant and want informing? Are not ſome dead and want quickening? Hard and want ſoftening? Wandring and want reducing? Are not ſome ſtaggering and want ſetling? Are not ſome weak, and ſhould not we lift up the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees? Heb. 12.12.Get together here as you hope to come together hereafter.
3. Agree lovingly: Let not Chriſtians fall out by the way, that hope to meet in the End: Away with diſcords and diviſions, if any occaſions of Difference fall out (as its likely there will) reſt not till you ſeek and obtain Reconciliation: If thou have any thing againſt thy Brother, be thou faithful in admoniſhing if it be his Fault, to bring him to Repentance, keep not Malice burning in thy Heart; avenge not your ſelves, expreſs brotherly kindneſs to him: Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good, ſtudy Rom. 12.18,—21. If thou remember that thy brother hath ought againſt thee leave thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, firſt be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift, Mat. 5.23, 24. God will rather tarry for his due then thou ſhould'ſt neglect thy Duty; if thou be conſcious to thy ſelf that he hath juſt reaſon to be offended with thee, humble thy ſelf, confeſs thy Fault to God and Him; if thou be conſcious that thou haſt done him wrong, go to him and know the reaſon of his Strangeneſs to thee, and endeavour to pacify him, but do not fall out with any Brother, but live in peace, that the God of love and peace may be with you: 2 Cor. 13.11.Oh take heed of Quarrels and Animoſities; ſtudy the Wiſdom which is from above, that's firſt pure, James 3.17.then peaceable, gentle, eaſy to be intreated; you muſt agree in the End, now lovingly Agree, for ſhame of the World, for the credit of Religion, for your own Comfort live peaceably; cut not aſunder the Veins and Sinews of the Myſtical Body of Chriſt, ſtudy 1 Cor. 1.10. Phil. 2.1, 2.
4. Travel over Sinners for their Converſion: Do your utmoſt, endeavour to bring in Souls to God, that there may be more at that great Day to be gathered together to Chriſt: This is your preſent Duty, this will be your future Comfort: This is Miniſters proper Work, and every Chriſtians Concern: I have heard of a private Chriſtian that uſed to follow Perſons to their Shops, Plows, and diſcourſed with them about Soul-affairs, and thereby was an inſtrument to convert forty Souls to Chriſt: O what an honour would this be, doubtleſs private Chriſtians if Wiſe, Serious, and Zealous, might do much good this way, and yet keep their Places, Jude 22.23. Of ſome have compaſſion, making a difference, others ſave with fear, putting them out of the fire: Alas Sirs, how can you find in your Hearts to ſee Relation or any miſerable Sinner dropping into the Fire of Hell, and not ſpeak one Word to ſtop them? O dreadful cruelty! Are you not ſome way acceſſary to that Man's death that's a going to cut his own Throat, and you neglect to lay hands on him? Conſider this, and be not Mercileſs to Souls: Adviſe, admoniſh, rebuke, intreat them for Chriſt's ſake, for their Souls ſake to pity themſelves, and not leap into the Pit of Deſtruction; who knows what good you may do, if you be but inſtrumental to convert one poor Sinner from the errour of his way, you ſave a ſoul from death, and ſhall hide a multitude of ſins, Jam. 5.20. And oh what joy on both ſides will there be at your next meeting before the Throne!
5. Moderately lament and profitably improve dead Chriſtian Friends: They are gathered to Chriſt and the reſt of their Brethren: They are ſafely laid up out of danger, they would be loath to be back again in this ſinful ſorrowful World: You may lawfully lament your loſs, but envy not your Friends gain: Sorrow not even as others which have no hope, 1 Theſ. 4.13. As if they were loſt, or as if you ſhould never meet again, for the dead in Chriſt and ſurvivers ſhall be ever with the Lord, 15, 17. it is but a ſhort abſence, there ſhall be a joyful meeting: A little receſs, ſhall be attended with an everlaſting converſe: David would not mourn for his dead Child, for ſaith he, I ſhall go to him but he ſhall not return to me, 2 Sam. 12.23. ch. 18.33.but he lamented ſore for Abſolon whom he was never to ſee again with comfort: Thoſe that die in the Lord are not loſt but laid up: Their Bodies ſleep in Jeſus, and, their Souls reſt in the boſom of their dear Lord: They are with him in Paradiſe and ſay,Luke 23.28, 43. weep not for us but weep for your ſelves: Imitate our Example, worſhip the ſame God as we do, live at the rate of Heaven, let your Affections be with ours, hold Communion with us: This I have treated of in my Book of Heavenly Converſe.
6. Make ready to follow theſe crowned Saints: They are got above, we are below, they pray for the filling up of their Number, let us pray that we may be made meet to be partakers of the inheritances of the Saints in light, Col. 1.12. The Language of Jeſus Chriſt (and all the Saints) is, be ye therefore ready alſo: Luke 12.40.Be dreſſing your ſelves for that Marriage-day: Bleſſed are they that are called to the marriage ſupper of the Lamb, and have put on their fine linnen, clean and white, which is the righteouſneſs of Saints, Rev. 19. 7, 8, 9. [foreign] Righteouſneſſes both inherent and imputed: Both are neceſſary for their ſeveral Ends and Uſes: Whether this refer to the Day of Antichriſt's fall or at the Reſurrection, its true in both: There's great and good things which God hath prepared for them that love him, 1 Cor. 2.9.freedom from Sin, Sorrows, perfection of Peace and Joy, immediate Communion with God, fulneſs of Grace and eternal Happineſs: Wherefore, beloved ſeeing that you look for ſuch things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without ſpot and blameleſs, 2 Pet. 3.14. Watching, warring, wreſtling, working, well-doing, waiting till your change come, with your Loins girt, your Lamps light,Luke 12.35. v. 36. burning and ſhining with Splendour, and you your ſelves like unto men that wait for your Lord.
7. Be longing for that bleſſed Day, when your Souls ſhall be gathered among them, with our bleſſed Lord; Paul ſaith, he deſired to depart and be with Chriſt, Phil. 1.23.which is far better: Its good to be with Saints here, but its far better, infinitely better to be with them in Heaven, where the King makes the Court, and the Courtiers are all crowned Kings: Is there not great reaſon the Saints ſhould cry out with Monica, Auſtin's Mother [quid hic facio?] What do I here? Or with Calvin [uſque quo Domine?] How long Lord? Oh when ſhall my poor impriſoned Soul be ſet at liberty from this body of clay and this body of death? When ſhall I mount up above the Stars, into thoſe Coeleſtial Regions? Oh the groanings of my Soul under this body of death and diſtance from God: Yea I groan earneſtly deſiring to be clothed upon with an houſe which is from heaven: 2 Cor. 5.1, 2, 3.When will my dear Lord break down theſe clay-walls, and break this cage and let this Soul fly up into the Heavens, where it ſhall be perfected? How long ſhall I dwell in Meſhech, and ſojourn in the tents of Kedar: Pſalm 120.5.I am weary of Sin, and diſtance from my dear Lord, moſt of my godly Friends are gone, when ſhall I follow after? Why is his chariot ſo long in coming, why tarry the wheels of his Chariots: Jude 5.18.Make haſt my beloved and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of ſpices: Rom. 6.27.Why doth my Soul thus linger and lagg behind my old Companions? Such and ſuch are gone with whom I took ſweet councel in familiar Conference about the things of God, and our heavenly Country; many with whom I have pray'd and praiſed God, with whom I have ſitten down at the Lord's Table; now they are drinking this Wine new in my Father's Kingdom, and why am I left thus far behind, worſhipping afar off? Lord come thou down to me or take me up to thee, reach out thy hand pluck me out of this low Dungeon, and ſet me where thou haſt promiſed,Mat. 19.25. ſuch as have followed thee in the Regeneration, upon Thrones, yea thou haſt promiſed. that ſuch as overcome ſhall ſit with thee in thy throne: Rev. 3.21.The preferment is too high for ſuch a worthleſs worm, ſuch a dirty villain as I am, but thy promiſe is ſure to be performed: I depend upon it, I long for ſuch a day; ſome, yea thouſands have taken poſſeſſion; I am one of thy redeemed ones, thou haſt given me the earneſt of thy Spirit, and ſome foretaſts and perelibations of Glory: Oh for a full harveſt! I reach out my arms towards thee, and hope at laſt to injoy thee the ſpirit and the bride ſay come, and let him that heareth ſay come, Rev. 22.17, 20.he which teſtifieth theſe things ſaith ſurely I come quickly, my ſoul eccho's Amen, even ſo come Lord Jeſus.