Meetness for Heaven Promoted, Chapter 10
CHAP. X. An Anſwer to the Objection of vain pretenders to a meetneſs for Heaven.
Obj. BUT ſome may ſay, you ſpeak terrible things againſt the prophane, but I bleſs God, I am none of thoſe, my caſe is better then thoſe before deſcribed, I carry fairly in my Converſation, none can challenge me for the foreſaid groſs enormities, I keep Church, hear Sermons, pray as well as God gives me grace, none are perfect, I hope God for Chriſts ſake will pardon my defects; I repent of my ſins from the bottom of my heart, and believe in Chriſt, and do as well as I can; God help us, we are all ſinners; God will not be ſo ſevere as you ſay: I hope I ſhall go to Heaven as well as others.
Anſw. Its not as I ſay, or you ſay, but as God himſelf ſaith; do I ſay any thing but what the holy God ſaith in the Bible? Object againſt it and diſprove it; but muſt not the Word of God judge you another day? Hath he not told us in his infallible word who ſhall be ſaved, and who ſhall be damned; and will you believe God or your own ſelf deluding hearts? Beſides, I ſtand upon habitual meetneſs chiefly: What art thou man in point of ſtate? Art thou a child of God or a child of the Devil? Tell not me that thou haſt done this or that good work, but art thou ſavingly converted from ſin to God? Haſt thou that renovation that neceſſarily accompanies Salvation? This I have ſpoken to.
But that which I ſhall briefly hint at, is to tell you that many go as far as Kadeſh-barnea, that reach not Canaan: Many go far, that dye in the Wilderneſs; and ſet out fair, yea hold on long, that yet never obtain this Heavenly Inheritance. Strive to enter in at the ſtrait gate, ſaith our Lord, for many I ſay unto you, will ſeek to enter in, and ſhall not be able. Luke 13.24.
1. You ſay you carry it fairly and live civilly: Alas, civil Righteouſneſs and abſtaining from groſs ſins will not do. Abimelech an Heathen was an exact Moraliſt, Gen. 20.6. Paul unconverted was blameleſs. Phil. 3.6. Theſe were not Saints nor fit for Heaven.
2. You ſay you keep Church, attend on Ordinances, hear the beſt Preachers, ſo did thoſe that heard Chriſt himſelf, Luk. 13.26. yet at laſt are rejected with an [I know you not]; ſo did they. Ezek. 33.31, 32.
3. You ſay you Pray, and perform many Religious duties, ſo did the Jews of old that were ſtark naught, and rejected; Iſa. 58.1, 2. ſo did the Phariſees, in Luk. 18.11, 12. Some have the form but want the power of godlineſs; 2 Tim. 3.5. theſe are lifeleſs blocks.
4. You ſay you own the Orthodox Faith, and are not guilty of Hereſie; ſo did they Rom. 2.24, 28. Creeds make not Chriſtians. A ſound head and unfound heart may be companions. The Scribe anſwered diſcreetly and orthodoxly, Mark. 12.34. and was not far from the Kingdom of God, but never came into it.
5. You ſay you have honeſt purpoſes and endeavours; yea, ſome attainments in growing better and mending what's amiſs; its well; but Saul ſaid, 1 Sam. 16.21. I will no more do thee harm; yea, Herod reformed and did many things. Mar. 6.20. All this is good, but not good enough for Heaven.
6. You ſay, but my reformations were begun and attended with ſtrong convictions, and troubles of Conſcience; but this will be no good evidence, for Cain had great terrors; Gen. 4.14. Felix had his tremblings; Acts 24.25. yea, The damned Devils believe and tremble. Jam. 2.19.
7. But I repent of my ſins you'l ſay, and mourn ſore: I reply, haſt thou conſidered well whether it be a worldly ſorrow that worketh death, or a godly ſorrow that worketh repentance to Salvation? 2 Cor. 7.10. Saul wept ſore; Ahab humbled himſelf; Eſau ſought the bleſſing with tears; Heb. 12.17. Judas repented himſelf; Mat. 27.3. yet all ſhort.
8. You ſay, but I aſſociate with Gods people, am well accounted of, can have teſtimonials under the hands of eminent Miniſters, Chriſtians. I anſwer, ſo high did the fooliſh Virgins artain, they had Lamps, Oyl in them, waited for the Bridegroom, yet the door was barr'd upon them, with an [I know you not.] Mat. 15.1.-12. Some have a name to live, but are dead. Rev. 3.1.
9. But God hath given me notable gifts of memory, knowledge, utterance in diſcourſing, praying, which ſurely he will not reject. I anſwer, ſo had they Mat. 7.21, 22, 23. gifts of Preaching, Miracles, yet even theſe meet with an [I never knew you.] Gifts and grace are different things. See 1 Cor. 13.1, 2, 3.
10. But I have grace, I have the grace of faith, love, good deſires. I anſwer, Simon Magus alſo believed, and was baptized, yet had neither part nor lot in this matter, for his heart was not right in the ſight of God. Act. 8.13.21. There is a feigned as well as unfeigned faith, a diſſembled love, unfound deſires, legal repentance.
11. But I have put forth my ſelf in extraordinary acts of Piety, zeal for Religion, Reformation, ſufferings for God: I doubt not but this inheritance belongs to me. I anſwer, all this thou mayſt do, and be no Candidate for Heaven. Jehu was a great reformer, yet a rotten-hearted hypocrite. 2 Kin. 10.16, 28. Young Joaſh was ſo zealous for a ſeaſon. 2 Chron. 24.4, 17. What ſtrict obſervers of the Sabbath were the Scribes and Phariſees? Luk. 11.42.13, 14, 15.
12. You'l ſay further, Oh but I have aſſurance of my good eſtate, and not only ſo, but ſome joy and peace of Conſcience, which are as ſo many foretaſts and prelibations of my future happineſs. I anſwer, its well, but ſee to it that they be of the right ſtamp; the ſtonyground hearers anon with joy receive the word. Mat. 13.20. Balaam had brave raptures in hearing the words of God, ſeeing the viſion of the Almighty, and beholding the glory of Gods people Iſrael, he fell into a trance. Num. 24.4, 5, 16, 17. and there are that taſt of the word of God, and powers of the world to come. Heb. 6.5, 6. yet ſuch may fall away irrecoverably. Oh how many catch at the promiſes, and are pleaſed with a ſweet diſcourſe of freegrace! Alas, theſe long for, and love Goſpel-delicacy, as Children delight in ſweet-meets: And as Dr. Ames ſaith, Arminian grace may be but the effect of a good dinner. Good nature working towards that which ſuits the fancy, but ſound conviction and deep humiliation never prepared the Soul to a judicious reliſh of divine things, nor do they produce thoſe bleſſed effects in heart and life, as in Gods Children.
Oh how many poor ſinners are going on in a golden dream, and fear no danger, till they be paſt hopes of recovery! Many think they are travelling towards Heaven, and never queſtion it, till as they are ſtepping out of this world (as they think) into Heaven, miſs their footing and drop down into Hell: That never ſee their errour till it be too late to retrieve it. Oh that men were awakened in time! If you ſtay till death have ſtruck its ſtroke it will be too late. [Imparatum inveniet dies judicii, quem imparatum invenerit …es mortis.] The day of judgment muſt needs find him unready, that the day of death finds unready. Men have a conceit that the interval betwixt death and judgment may do great things to make them meet for Heaven, but they are miſtaken: Death launcheth you into the boundleſs ocean of Eternity. It is appointed unto men once to dye, and after that the judgment. Heb. 9.27. Ah, Sirs, what think you? Is there an Heaven or Hell after this life, or is there not? And are you not certain whether you do enter by death into eternal happineſs or miſery, and yet can you be quiet? If you were not looſe in your belief of future things, you would be reſtlefs as long as you are doubtful. You owe your eaſe to nothing but your Lethargy. If you were not infidels you would be diſtracted. What Man! The next moment may be roaring in Hell, and not repent on Earth! He is worſe then a Devil that trembles not under divine wrath. What if it have not ſiezed on you, as on Devils! The flame is at next door; wrath hangs over your heads; the only reaſon you ſee it not, is becauſe you are blind: The Lord open your eyes, and I need not preach terrour to you, your hearts will meditate terror: Fearfulneſs will ſurprize you hypocrites, and make you ſay, Who among us ſhall dwell with the devouring fire, with everlaſting burnings? Iſa. 33.14. Its a wonder you do not run up and down like mad men; ſurely you have taken ſome Opium to caſt you in a dead ſleep, or intoxicate your Spirits: Or as ſome Malafactors do, that dare not dye ſober: Yea, ſome wiſer Heathens took great draughts of Wine, ſaying, That no voluptuous perſon can go in his Wits into an inviſible ſtate. But is this a making meet for Heaven or Hell? Can rational perſons think to eſcape the ditch by winking? Or will men ſay, as its reported of Robert Duke of Normandy, (William the Conquerours Father) going on Pilgrimage to Jeruſalem, falling ſick, was born in a Litter on Saracens ſhoulders, and ſaid, He was born to Heaven on the Devils back? Alas, will you truſt the Fiend of Hell to bring you to Heaven? Is he grown ſo full of charity to Souls? Oh forlorn caſe of miſerable ſinners! have you no better a friend then Satan? That you can be content to be rockt aſleep in his cradle, and carried with eaſe to Hell, rather then ride in our Lords chariot paved with Love, to Heaven? Is ſecurity your beſt fence againſt miſery? Can theſe poor fig-leaves of temporary Righteouſneſs ſecure you from divine Vengeance? Can you be content to ſtand by that another day, that you dare not put to the tryal here?
Alas, I am afraid; 1. Some are ignorant ſots that know not what is neceſſary to a meetneſs for Heaven. Moſt think if they have but time to ſay at death, [Lord have mercy upon me; God forgive me my ſins; Lord Jeſus receive my Soul,] they think they have made their peace with God, eſpecially if they can ſay they forgive all the world, and dye in charity with all, and ſend for the Miniſter to pray with them, and receive abſolution and the Sacrament, when (perhaps) they are little fit for ſuch a ſolemn Ordinance; then the Miniſter recommends their Souls into Gods hands, commends them at their Funeral, and now they are certainly gone to Heaven; theſe poor wretched ſinners bleſſed their Souls whilſt living, and men muſt praiſe them and account them bleſſed when dead. Pſal. 49.18.
2. Moſt are inconſiderate: They conſider nothing but meer objects of ſenſe, like the kine of Baſhan, go out at their breaches, every one at that which is before her. Amos 4.1, …3. They never mind things out of their natural ſight; they put far away the evil day, Am. 6.3. little thinking what will be in the end of their ſenſual ways: Jer. 5.31. Either they ſay, to morrow ſhall be as this day, and much more abundant; Iſa. 56.12. or elſe in Atheiſtical ſcorn and mockery; Let us eat and drink for to morrow we dye: 1 Cor. 15.32. Let us be merry while we may; we ſhall never be younger; when we are gone all the world is gone with us; as if there were no reckoning or rendering day, or retribution in the other world; but let ſuch ſtudy Eccl. 11.9, 10. Rom. 8.13. Luk. 12.19, 20. Pſal. 9.17.2 Theſſ. 1.6, 7, 8, 9. Job. 3.18. Pſal. 50 23. Oh Sirs, diſappointments are dreadful: Its ſad with a witneſs to be confident of Heaven, and yet doomed to Hell. As Hamilcar dreamed he ſhould the next night ſup in Syracuſa, which indeed he did, not as a Conqueror, (as he hoped) but as a Priſoner: Oh, how will it double your damnation, to live in confident hopes of reigning with Chriſt, yet to be judged by him, and baniſhed from him for ever! If you ſay Soul take thine caſe, and God ſay, Devil take his Soul: Whether of theſe think you, will prevail?