Sermons Volume 2, 2 Corinthians 5 · Sermon 17
SERMON XVII.
2 Cor. 5.10.
That every man may receive the things, done in the Body, according to what he hath done, good or bad.
THis receiving relateth either to the Sentence or the Execution; principally the latter.
Doct. The end of the last judgment is, that every man, according to what he hath done, may receive reward and punishment.
Without this, the whole process of that day would be but a solemn and useless pageantry, and therefore the end bindeth all upon us. And as we have considered the other circumstances, we must consider this also. This receiving the things done in the Body relateth either to the doom and sentence: Or else to the Execution. For the sentence see Serm. Mat. 25. verse 34. & 41. I shall here speak of the execution; 'tis set forth emphatically, Matth. 25.46. These shall go away into everlasting punishment, and the Righteous into life eternal. In which Scripture,
1. There is A Distribution of the Persons. These and the Righteous the Goats and the sheep, the workers of iniquity and the Godly, the Righteous and the wicked. This is the most material distinction, and an everlasting distinction. 'Tis the most material and important distinction. There is a distinction of Nations, some lye nearer to the Sun, others more remote or farther off; some in a southerly, some in a northerly climate, but they are all alike near to the Sun of righteousness. Jew, or Greek, or Barbarian, are all one in Christ, Gal. 3.28. There is a distinction of endowments, some are learned and some unlearned. Yet the Gospel looketh equally upon both, and Christs disciples owe the equal debt of love to both, Rom. 1.14. There is a distinction of ranks and degrees in the World, some are noble, and others ignoble, but before God, omnis sanguis concolor, All blood is of a-colour, and the true Spiritual nobility, is to be born of God, John 1.13. The Gospel puts the rich and poor on the same level, Jam. 1.9, 10. They differ in worldly estate; but all have the same Redeemer, as under the Law, the rich and the Poor paid the same Ransom, Exod. 30.15. There is a distinction between bond and free, but the bond are Christs freemen, 1 Cor. 7.22. And the free is Christs Servant, Eph. 6.7. All these are not material to our acceptance with God. There is a distinction between opinions and petty sects and parties in the Church, but this is not the grand distinction, which will hold weight at the day of doom. There were different parties at Corinth, and they were apt to band one against another, but yet they had but one common Christ, 1 Cor. 1, 2. Jesus Christ theirs and ours. We inclose and impale the common salvation, unchristian and unminister one another, cast one another out of Gods favour, but Gods approbation doth not go by our vote, and suffrage; there lyeth an appeal from mans censure, lingua Petilliani non est ventilabrum Christi. 'Tis well that every angry Brothers tongue is not Christ's fan wherewith he will purge his Floor. God in his Judgment taketh notice of another distinction, whether we be righteous or wicked, holy or unholy. The Eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his face is against them that do evil, 1 Pet. 3.12. That is the distinction which doth bear weight before Christs Tribunal. And this is the everlasting distinction. Other distinctions do not outlive time, they cease at the graves mouth, within a while it will not be a pin to choose what part we have acted in the World, whether we have been high or low, rich or poor, but much will lye upon it, whether we have been godly or ungodly, whether we have sowed to the flesh or to the Spirit. This distinction will last for ever, and the one of them will fill Heaven and the other Hell. The whole World is comprized in one of these two ranks; there is no neutral or middle estate.
2. As there are different persons, so there are different recompenses, and a different doom and sentence which is executed upon either; the conclusion is dreadful to the wicked but comfortable to the godly, for everlasting life shall be the portion of the godly, and everlasting punishment the portion of the ungodly. This one Scripture well improved should be enough to make us shun all sin, and imbrace and pursue after all good. Wisdom lyeth in considering the end of things, not what profit and pleasure it bringeth me now, and flattereth me with now, but what it will bring me in the end▪ Rom. 6.21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death; but being made free from sin, and become the Servants of God, ye have your fruit to holiness, and the end everlasting life. Alas sin bringeth little pleasure or satisfaction in the time of injoying it, and in the remembrance of it, it bringeth shame, and in the Conclusion, where it is not repented of, it bringeth death. Whereas on the other side, the service of Christ will be matter of joy and pleasure, at the present matter of comfort and confidence, afterward, and in the end, salvation and eternal life; there is a curiosity in man, he would fain know his own destiny, what shall become of him, or what lyeth hid in the womb of futurity concerning his estate. As the king of Babylon stood upon the parting of the ways to make divination. No destiny deserveth to be known so much as this, shall I be saved, or shall I be damned; live everlastingly in Heaven, or Hell? If the Question were, shall I be rich, or shall I be poor, happy or miserable in the present World? Shall I have a long life, or shall I have a short? That is not of such great moment, we cannot meet with such troubles and difficulties here, but they will have a speedy end, so will persecutions, and disgraces, and sorrows, but this is a matter of greater moment than so: Whether I shall be eternally miserable. 'Tis foolish curiosity to enquire into other things, they are not of such Importance that we should know them aforehand, and it may do us more hurt than good to know our worldly estate, the misery of which cannot be prevented by any prudence and foresight of ours. And 'tis better to trust our selves with the Providence of God than to anticipate future cares, but it concerneth us much to know whether we are in a damnable or a saveable condition, whether we are of the number of those that shall go into everlasting punishment, or of the righteous who shall go into everlasting life, if we be in the way to everlasting punishment 'tis good to know it whilst we have time to remedy it. If heirs of Salvation, the assurance of our Interest is a preoccupation of everlasting blessedness. This is that about which we should busie our thoughts and spend our time.
3. Observe the notions by which this different estate is expressed; life and punishment.
1, The happy condition of the godly is called life and well deserveth it. This life is but a continued death, it runneth from us as fast as it floweth to us, and 'tis burdened with a thousand miseries, but that life which is the portion of the faithful, 'tis a good and happy life, and 'tis endless, it hath a beginning, but it hath no end. One moment of Immortality is worth a full age of all the health and happiness that can be had upon Earth what will you call life? The vegetative life, or the life of a plant? Alas if that may be called life 'tis not an happy life, for the plants have no sense of that kind of life they have. The sensitive life, or the life of the Beasts, will you call that life? They are indeed capable of pain and pleasure, but this is beneath the dignity of man and those that affect this kind of happiness to injoy sensual pleasure without remorse, degrade themselves from that dignity of nature wherein God hath placed them, and make themselves but a wiser sort of beasts, as they are able only to purvey for the flesh more than the bruits can. Wherein then will you place Life? Surely in reason, mans Life is a kind of light given us, John 1.4. In him was Life, and the Life was the light of men: Reason and understanding was mans perfection. Well then, this is the Life, which we must enquire after. Now when is this Life of light in its full perfection? While the Soul dwelleth in flesh, and looketh out by the senses to things near at hand; the proper contentments of the body are the poor; paltry vanities of this deceitful World. Now this is not the life, which we were made for, but when it seeth God, and injoyeth God in the highest manner, that we are capable of; our true life lyeth in the vision of God, 1 Cor. 13.12. And Matth. 5.8. For he is only that universal and infinite object, which can satiate the heart of man, and our proper, and peculiar Blessedness; Whom have I in Heaven but thee! Psa. 73.25. This is our full and continued Happiness. Alas! the present life hath more gall than honey, its injoyments are low and base, and short, and fading, and its troubles and miseries are many. Gen. 49.9. Few and evil are the days and years of my pilgrimage. But in the other World, there is nothing but Glory and Blessedness. A glorified Soul, in a glorified Body doth for ever behold God, and delight its self in God.
2. The other notion is punishment, the Word signifieth not only punishment, but torment. So we render it, 1 John 4.18. Because fear hath torment. Annihilation were a favour to the wicked; they have a being, but 'tis a being under punishment and torment. Divines usually distinguish of poena damni and poena sensus; the loss and the pain, both are included, Matth. 25.41. in Christs sentence, Depart and go into everlasting fire, God doth not take away the being of a sinner, but he taketh away the comfort of his being, he is banished out of his sight for evermore, and deprived of his favour, and all the joys and blessedness which are bestowed on the Godly, and that is enough to make him miserable. 'Tis true a wicked man now careth not for the light of Gods countenance; because looking to visible things he hath no sound. Faith of those things which are invisible, but now he cometh to understand the reality of what he hath lost, and besides hath no natural comforts to divert his mind, no Plays, or Balls, or Pleasures, or Meat, and Drink, and company which now do draw off his heart from better things, and solace him in the want of them. Secondly the pain of sense that's double, the worm that never dyes, and the fire that shall never be quenched, Mark. 9.44. The worm is the worm of Conscience, reflecting upon his evil choice, and past folly, which hath brought him to this sad and doleful estate. When he considereth for what base things he sold his birthright, Heb. 12.15. He parted with felicity, and the Life to come; this will be a continual torment and vexation to them. And being under despair of ever coming out of this Condition, his torment is the more increased. If there were no more than this Conscience reflecting upon the sense of his loss, with the cause and consequents of it, surely this will fill him with anguish, and the Body united to such a miserable, self vexing, and self-tormenting Soul can have no rest. Secondly besides this, there is the fire that shall never be quenched, which is the wrath, which bringeth on unspeakable torments on the Body. For, Wo, Wrath, Tribulation and Anguish is the Portion of every Soul that doth evil, Rom. 2.9, 10. What kind of punishments they are we know not, but such as are grievous, and come not only from the reflection of their own Consciences, but the Power of God, Rom. 9.22. God will shew his Wrath, and make his Power known.
4. Eternity is affixed to both, Everlasting Punishment, and Eternal Life.
1. The joys of the Blessed are Everlasting. There shall never be change of, and intermission in their Happiness, but after Millions, and Millions of Imaginary years, they are to continue in this Life, as if it were the first moment. Paul telleth you, 1 Thes. 4.17. That we shall for ever be with the Lord. And what can we desire more; in this Life, if we had the confluence of all manner of comforts, yet the fear of losing them, is some infringement of our Happiness. But there, whatever Glory we partake of, we shall never lose it, it will be thy Crown for ever, thy Kingdom for ever, thy Glory for ever, thy God and thy Christ for ever. Oh why do we no more think of this? This Life, that scarce deserveth the name of a Life, yet we would fain continue it, though in pain and misery, Skin for skin, & all that a man hath, would he give for his Life. Oh then how welcome should Eternal Life be, which compared with this Life, is like the Ocean to a drop? When we lay both of these lives together, this fading moment, and that enduring Eternity, how much more valuable doth the one appear, than the other? Our sorrows will soon end, but these joys when they once begin, will never end, 2 Cor. 4.17. This light affliction, which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding, and Eternal weight of Glory. Cannot we suffer with him for one hour, deny our selves a little contentment in the World? Shall we begrudge the labours of a few duties, when, assoon as the vail and curtain of the flesh is drawn, we shall enter into Eternal Life and Joy.
2. The Punishment is Everlasting. The wicked are everlastingly deprived of the favour of God, and of the light of his Countenance. When Absolom could not see his Fathers Face, kill me, saith he, rather than let it be always thus, 2 Sam. 4 32. The wicked are never more to be admitted into the presence of God, who is the fountain of all peace, and joy. And therefore how miserable will their Condition be? Besides, the pain will be Eternal, as well as the loss; not one kind of misery only shall light upon wicked men. The Scripture representeth it by every thing which is terrible, sometimes by Death, which is so much feared, sometimes by Fire and Brimstone, which are so terrible in burning▪ sometimes by Chains, and Darkness, and Prisons, and Dungeons. Because men in extremity of pain, and misery, do use to weep and wail, and gnash their teeth, sometimes by that. All these dreadful expressions, give us some crevise light into the state of the other World. Now these things shall be without ceasing, for neither Heaven, nor Hell, have any period; there is no time set, when the fire shall go out, or these Chains be loosed, or these wailings cease.
But how can it stand with the Justice of God, for a momentany action, to cast men into Everlasting Torment? I Answer,
1. God will govern the World by his own reasons, and not by our fancies, for we are told, he giveth no account of his matters, he hath made an Holy Law, and that Law hath a Sanction, 'tis established by penalties and rewards. Now if God make good his threatnings, and bring the misery upon the Creature, which he hath foretold, where lyeth the injustice? What part of the punishment would you have relaxed, the loss or the pain? The loss is double; of Gods favour, and of his natural comforts; would you have God admit those to the sight and fruition of himself, who never cared for him? Or to return to their natural comforts, that they may again, run riot with them, and abuse them to an occasion of the flesh, and to quiet and beguile his Conscience, with the injoyments of the World; that he may the better bear the loss of these, or to lessen the pain, when the sin, and impenitency, obstinatly doth still continue.
2. 'Tis meet for the Government of the World, that the penalties should be thus stated, to give us the more powerful argument against fleshly lusts, which being more pleasing, and suitable to corrupt Nature, need to be checked by a severe commination. Man is a very slave to sensitive pleasure; which being born, and bred with him, is not easily renounced; therefore God hath told us aforehand, that if we live after the flesh, we shall die. The pleasing of the flesh will cost us dear, the sinners Paradise is guarded with a flaming Sword, and delight ballanced with fear, that by setting Eternal pains against momentany pleasures, we may the better escape the Temptation. The pleasures of sin, which are for a season, Heb. 11.25. bring Torments, which are Everlasting. The fearful end of this delightful course, may deter us from it, Rom. 8.13. If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die. God hath so proportioned the dispensation of joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, that 'tis left to our own choice, whether we will have it here or hereafter; whether we will injoy pleasure as the fruit of sin, or as the reward of obedience; both we cannot have. And 'tis agreeable to the wisdom of our law-giver, that things to come should have some advantage, in the proposal, above things present, that the joy and pain of the other World, which is a matter of Faith, should be greater than the joy, and pain of this World, which is a matter of sense. Things at hand, will certainly more prevail with us, than things to come, if they be not considerably greater. Therefore here the pain is short, and so is the pleasure, but there it is Eternal. Well then, it becometh the Wisdom of God, that those who would have their pleasure here, should have their pain hereafter, and that Eternally. And those that will work out their Salvation, with fear and trembling, and pass through the difficulties of Religion, should have pleasures at his Right Hand, for evermore, Jam. 5.5. Ye have lived in pleasure upon earth. And Luke 16.25. Remember that thou in thy life time, receivedst thy good things. You must not think to pass from Dalilahs lap to Abrahams Bosom.
3. No Law observeth this, that the mora poenae, the continuance of the punishment, should be no longer then the mora culpae, than the time of acting the offence. Amongst all the punishments, which Humane Laws inflict, there is no punishment, but is longer: Loss, shame exile, bondage, imprisonment, may be for Life, for a Fact done in a day or hour; punishment doth not repair so easily, as offence doth pervert, publick right and good. Therefore the punishment may continue longer then the time wherein the crime was committed.
4. There are many reasons in the cheap Commission of sin, which justify this appointment: As,
1. A majestate Dei, against whom the sin is committed, and who is depreciated, and contemned by the Creatures offence. What base things are preferred before God, and the felicity we might have in the injoyment of him? At how vile a price is his favour sold?
2. A natura peccati, which is a preference of a sensitive good before that which is Spiritual and Eternal. Men refuse an Eternal Kingdom offered to them, for a little carnal satisfaction, Heb. 12.25. And if they be eternally miserable they have but their own choice.
3. A voluntate Peccatoris, he would continue his sin everlastingly if he could. They are never weary of sinning, nor ever would have been, if they hade lived eternally upon Earth, they desire always to injoy the delights and pleasures of this Life, and are rather left by their sins, than leave them. Well then, since they break the laws of the Eternal God, and the very Nature of the sin is a despising his favour, for some temporal pleasure, or profit, and this they would do everlastingly, if they could subsist here so long: This doth sufficiently justify this appointment.
5. Both are the result of a foregoing Judgment, wherein the cause had been sufficiently tryed and cleared, and sentence passed. In all regular Judgment, after the tryal of the cause, there is sentence, and upon sentence, execution: So 'tis here, there is a discussion of the cause, and then a sentence of absolution to the godly, Matth. 25.34. Come ye Blessed of my Father, Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you; of Condemnation on the wicked, verse, 41. Depart ye Cursed, into Everlasting Fire. Then what remaineth, but that the sentence should be executed? This being the final sentence, which shall be given upon all men, and all their works, the end of this Judgment, is to do Justice, and to fulfil the will and truth of the Law-giver. Now the Execution is certain, speedy, and unavoidable.
1. Certain, when the matter is once tryed, there will be sentence, and sentence once past, there will be execution. We often break up court before things come to a full hearing, & so delay the sentence; if we cannot delay the sentence, we seek to delay the execution. But sentence once past here, it must needs be executed. Partly because there will be no change of mind in the Judge, he is inflexible, and inexorable, because there is no errour in his sentence, but it is every way Righteous, and the truth of God is now to be manifested; God would not astright us with that he never intended to do; grant this Judgment & execution is uncertain, & all his threatnings will be but a vain scar-crow. In the day of his patience and grace his sentence may be repealed: Mutat sententiam, sed non decretum; As Jer. 8.7, 8. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and a Kingdom, to pluck it up, and pull it down, and to destroy it, if that Nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from the evil, I will repent of the evil, which I thought to do. Here God revoketh the doom; Conviction now maketh way for conversion, but then for confusion. And partly, because there is no change of state, in the persons judged, they are in Termino, as the Apostate Angels; while man is in the way, his case is compassionable, God allowed a change of state to man after the Fall, which must not last always, 2 Pet. 3.9. He waiteth long for our repentance, but he will not wait ever, here we may get the sentence reversed, if we repent, but then 'tis final and peremptory, excluding all further hopes, and possibility of remedy. And partly because there can be no change of the heart, they may have some relentings, when matters of faith, become matter of sense. For if they would not love God, inviting by his mercies and offering pardon, then they will not love him, condemning and punishing, and shutting them out from all hope; these three infer one another, because no change of heart, no change of state, because no change of state no change of sentence.
2. 'Tis speedy; there was no delay, they were presently transmitted, and put into their everlasting estate, here is sententia lata, sed dilata, sentence is past but not executed, Eccl. 8.11. Because sentence is not speedily executed upon an evil doer. But here 'tis otherwise, they must depart, and be gone speedily out of Gods presence, Esther 7.8. As soon as the word was gone out of the Kings Mouth, they had him away to execution.
3. 'Tis unavoidable; 'tis in vain to look about for help, all the World cannot rescue one such Soul. In short there is no avoiding by Appeal, because, this is the last Judgment, nor by rescue, they shall go away, not of their own accord, but compelled, 'tis said, Math. 13.42. The Angels shall gather them, and cast them into a Furnace of fire. So again cast them, they shall be dragged away: Not by flight, for there is no escaping; nor intreaty, for the Judge is inexorable.
6. The sentence is executed upon the wicked first; it beginneth with them, for 'tis said these shall go away into everlasting punishment, and the righteous into life eternal. Now this is not meerly because of the order of the narration did so require it, the wicked being spoken of last, but there is a material truth in it, sentence beginneth with the godly, & execution with the wicked; sentence with the godly because they are not only to be judged, but to Judge the World together with Christ, 1 Cor. 6.2. Now they must be first acquitted and absolved themselves before that honour can be put upon them. But execution with the wicked, Matth. 13.30. Both grow together until the harvest. I will say to the Reapers, gather ye together first the Tares, and bind them in bundles, to burn them, but gather ye the Wheat into my barn. First the wicked are cast into Hell fire, Christ and all the godly with him looking on; which worketh more upon the envy and grief of the wicked, that they are thrust out, while the godly remain with Christ, seeing execution done upon them. And the godly have the deeper sense of their own Happiness by seeing from what wrath they are delivered. As the Israelites when they saw the Egyptians dead upon the shoar, Exod. 14.30, 31. With 15.1. Then sang Moses and the Children of Israel this Song unto the Lord. So when the wicked in the sight of the Godly are driven into their torments, they have a greater Apprehension of their Redeemers mercy.
USE 1. To press us to believe these things. Most mens faith about the eternal recompenses is but pretended; at best too cold, and a speculative, an opinion rather than a sound belief, as appeareth by the little fruit and effect that it hath upon us, for if we had such a sight of them as we have of other things, we should be other manner of persons than we are, in all holy conversation and godliness. We see how cautious man is in tasting meat in which he doth suspect harm, that it will breed in him the pain and torments of the stone and Gout or Collick; I say, though it be but probable the things will do us any hurt. We know certainly that the wages of sin is death, yet we will be tasting forbidden fruit. If a man did but suspect an house were falling, he would not stay in it an hour; we know for certain, that continuance in a carnal …ate will be our eternal ruine; yet who doth flee from wrath to come? If we have but a little hope of gain we will take pains to obtain it. We know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord. Why do we not abound in his work? 1 Cor. 15.58. Surely we would do more to prevent this misery, to obtain this happiness, when we may do it upon such easy terms, and have so fair an opportunity in our hands, if we were not so strangely stupified, we would not go to Hell to save our selves a labour. There are two things which are very wondrous; that any man should reject the Christian faith; or, that having imbraced it, should live sinfully and carelesly.
USE 2. Seriously consider of these things. The Scripture every where calleth for consideration.
Think of this double motive, that every man must be judged to everlasting joy, or everlasting Torment. These things are propounded aforehand for our benefit and instruction, we are guarded on both sides, we have the bridle of fear and the spur of hope; if God had only terrifyed us from sin, by mentioning unexpressible pains and horrours, we might be frighted and …and at a distance from it. But when we have such incouragements to good, and God propoundeth such unspeakable joys, this should quicken our diligence. If he had only promised Heaven, and threatned no Hell, wicked men would count it no great matter to lose Heaven, provided that they might be annihilated; but when there is both, and both for ever, shall we be cold and dead? We are undone for ever if wicked, blessed for ever if godly, let us hold the edge of this truth to our hearts; what should we not do that we may be everlastingly blessed, and avoid everlasting misery? 'Tis no … what we suffer in time, and endure in time.
USE 3. Improve it first, to seek a reconciliation with God in the way of Faith and Repentance. A man that is under the sentence of death, and in danger to be executed every moment, would not be quiet till he get a pardon. All men by nature are Children of wrath; as a Son of death, as one condemned to die; so 'tis an Hebraism: Now run for refuge, to take hold of the hope that is set before you, Heb. 6.18. make peace upon earth, Luke 2.14. Agree with thine Adversary quickly, while he is in the way, Luke 12.58, 59. Now God calleth to repentance, Act. 17.30, 31. Oh Labour to be found of him in peace, 2 Pet. 3.14. How can a man be at rest till his great work be over?
2. Improve it to holiness and watchfulness, and to bridle licentiousness and boldness in sinning, Eccl. 11.9. Rejoyce O young man in thy youth, and let thine heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes, but know thou, for all these things God will bring thee to judgment. As cold Water cast into a boiling pot stops its fury, 1 Pet. 1.17. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons Judgeth every man, according to every mans work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear. Say as the Town Clark of Ephesus, Acts 9.40. We are in danger to be called in Question for this days uproar. I must give an account for idle words, careless praying, and unprofitable mispending of time.
3. Improve it to patience under ignominy and reproaches. Thy innocency will appear on thy tryal, if in an abject Condition the upright shall have dominion in the morning; afflictions and persecutions will then end, and thou shalt have thy reward, 1 Thes. 1.6, 7. And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy in the Holy Ghost, so that ye were ensamples of all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. And, 1 Cor. 15.58. Wherefore my beloved, be stedfast and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as ye know your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord.