The First Last, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. The ſecond branch of Exhortation, viz. to the Formal Hypocrite, to haſten out of his dangerous condition; urged by divers Motives.
2. ANd now I turn to you the other ſubjects of my Text, Formal Chriſtians, who are painted Sepulchres, Graves that appear not, Luke 11.44. I have endeavoured to work upon the others hopes, I ſhall now endeavour to work upon your fears: your condition, you ſee, is ſad and deplorable, yet not deſperate: Have you not often in your thoughts (and it may be in your ſpeeches) paſſed a ſad doom upon the prophane? When you have heard them ſwearing, and blaſpheming the Name of God, imbruing their tongues in the blood and wounds of Chriſt, when you have ſeen them wallowing in their drunkenneſs, &c. have you not thought, O I would not be in that mans condition for all the world? yet by what hath been ſaid, you ſee your ſtate in ſome reſpect worſe then theirs; that there is a greater likelihood of their ſalvation, then of yours: What remains then, but that you turn your eyes inward, and take up the ſame thoughts concerning your ſelves, which formerly you have had of them? you ſee what thoughts our Saviour had of ſuch as you are, Luke 18.9-14. there he tells you that a poor penitent Publican is rather juſtified (and conſequently ſaved) then proud ſelf-juſtifying Phariſees: in all his Preaching, What do ſuch as you hear, but woe, woe, as Matth. 23.13—end? when a broken-hearted Magdalen hears a ſweet word, Luke 7.48. Thy ſins are forgiven: Zacheus a gracious call, Luke 19.6, 9. Come down Zacheus, this day is ſalvation come to thy houſe, foraſmuch as he alſo is the Son of Abraham: and generally, weary, heavy-laden ſinners have a loving invitation, Math. 11.28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, backt with a ſweet promiſe, I will give you reſt. Oh then, let fall thoſe plumes of pride which have been lifted up ſo much above others; glory not in your ſpecious formalities and outſide cleanlineſs: That which is highly eſteemed amongſt men, is abomination in the ſight of God. Luke 16.15. Bear not your ſelves high upon your parts, morality, or external performances, while there are ſeven abominations in your hearts, Prov. 26.25. Think not that your credit amongſt men will beſtead you before the all-knowing God. But haſten out of your woful ſtate; learn that firſt and hardeſt leſſon of Chriſtianity, ſelf-denyal: labour to get what yet you want, a heart deeply humbled for ſin, an abſolute diſclaim of ſelf-righteouſneſs, and ſubmiſſion to the righteouſneſs of Chriſt, and Truth in the inward parts. Something I ſhall add by way of motive, and then directions.
1. Will it not grieve thee to the heart to have loſt ſo many duties, prayers, days of hearing; faſting, thankſgiving? It may be many tears and ſighs, yea many ſcoffs, reproaches and injuries ſuffered for thy profeſſion. Let me take up the Apoſtles words, Gal. 3.4. Have you ſuffered ſo many things in vain, if they be yet in vain? Will it not cut thee to the heart, to be ſeparated from that ſociety in heaven, with which thou haſt aſſociated here on earth? That, that which hath helpt others to heaven, ſhould accidentally plunge thee deeper into hell? That thou haſt done and ſuffered more then many a one in glory, for the name and profeſſion of Chriſt, and all loſt? Loſt, 1. As to any acceptance with God here. 2. As to any advantage to thy ſelf hereafter: How will it repent thee of what thou haſt done and ſuffered in the profeſſion of Rel gion? how wilt thou wiſh that thou hadſt joined with the prophane crew? that thou hadſt never had thoſe gifts, made that profeſſion, done thoſe duties, which ſhall be (not only loſt as to any benefit of thy ſelf, but) as ſo many weights to preſs thee deeper into hell; Stings in thy torment, and brands to increaſe the flame, and ſhall ſtand uncancelled, as ſo many dreadful Items in God's Book of remembrance, rendring thy account more heavy? Oh, will it not grieve you, when others have ſworn, and drunk, and whor'd themſelves into Hell, that thou haſt hear'd, and pray'd, and faſted thy ſelf thither? (pardon the harſhneſs of the expreſſion, I mean by an ill management of thoſe duties) when others are damned for prophaneneſs, thou for thy (hypocritical) profeſſion? others for their ſins, thou for thy (feigned) ſervices? 1 Cor. 15.19. If a Chriſtian hath hope onelyonly in this life, he is of all men moſt miſerable: the reaſon is, becauſe they deny themſelves of worldly contentments, expoſe themſelves to continual croſſes and vexations, in expectation of future glory, which, if they miſs of, they are every way miſerable. This is thy condition: further, will it not grieve thee to be thruſt into Hell with that company which here thou abhorredſt? to be turned out with the workers of Iniquity, Pſal. 125. laſt. Nay, to have a hotter Hell then they? All this perhaps may ſound harſh in your ears, and you may ſuppoſe them to be but the Hyperbolical expreſſions of an Orator, declaiming againſt this ſin, or the over-heated eructations of miſtaken Zeal, and miſguided Paſſion: No, my Brethren, they are the words of Truth and ſoberneſs: The greater ſin ſhall have the greater puniſhment, (that's a known and granted maxime:) Now thy ſins are greater then many (I will not ſay then any) prophane perſon's: Is not contempt of Chriſt, and ſetting light by him, ſetting up your own Righteouſneſs in oppoſition to his, trampling upon his precious blood, a greater ſin then Swearing, Drunkenneſs, &c? Is it not Rebellion at the height, Rom. 10.3.—have not ſubmitted themſelves unto (i. e. have rebelled againſt) the Righteouſneſs of God? Hereby you evacuate the ſufferings of Chriſt, expunge the Goſpel, and charge Chriſt with an unneceſſary undertaking, yea, with ſelf-murder. Tremble then at the ſight of your condition. Truly, when I look on a Formaliſt, and conſider what pains he takes; his conſtancy in Hearing, Prayer, and other duties; when I look upon his almoſt ſpotleſs and unblameable converſation; me thinks 'tis pity ſuch ſhould be thrown into Hel: But when I conſider that pride & oppoſition to Chriſt lies at the root of all this; when I ſee him ſtrutting in his own rags, and will not be beholden to Chriſt; then me thinks the greateſt ſeverity as little enough, and the hotteſt corner in Hell cool enough to puniſh his deſperate madneſs. Oh to ſlight the love of Chriſt, to make void his ſufferings, to ex-authorize him of his Mediatory office, how great a ſin is it, and how great puniſhment doth it deſerve? But I am almoſt digreſſed from that which I propounded. Well, if thou wilt not loſe the work which thou haſt wrought, 2 Joh. 8. if thou wilt not loſe thy duties, or be a loſer by them, Get out of this condition.
2. Will it not grieve thee to ſee Publicans and Harlots admitted into Heaven, and thy ſelf caſt out? See Matth. 8.11, 12. Many ſhall come from the Eaſt, and Weſt, and ſhall ſit down, &c— But the Children of the Kingdom (the formal Jews) ſhall be caſt out into utter darkneſs, There ('tis emphatical) there ſhall he weeping, and gnaſhing of teeth. Poſſibly thou liveſt amongſt a company of prophane Neighbours; and when thou neareſt ſome curſing and ſwearing, ſeeſt others prophaning the Lord's Day; ſome duplicate page duplicate page Drunkards, others unclean and debauched in their lives; all of them ſcoffing at God, and Holineſs, which thou profeſeſt: thou bleſſeſt thy ſelf, and ſayeſt in thy heart (and not without good reaſon) as Luk. 8.11. God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, &c. But what if ſome of theſe, upon Repentance, ſtep before thee into Glory? What if thou ſeeſt hereafter ſome of theſe in Abraham's boſom, and thy ſelf in a Lake of brimſtone? What if theſe, waſht in the blood of the Lamb, cloath'd in the long white Robe, ſtand amongſt the ſheep at Chriſt's right hand, when thou in the filthy, ſtained rags of thy unrighteous righteouſneſs, ſhalt be thruſt amongſt the Goats on his left hand; and when they hear, Come ye Bleſſed, &c. thou hear, Go ye Curſed? Will not this even rend aſunder thy heart-ſtrings, and fill thy ſoul with unſpeakable horror and conſternation? Thus doubtleſs it will be if thou live and die in thy condition. Oh that I could provoke you to jealouſie! as God threatens to do, and did provoke the Jews by the converſion of the Gentiles, Deut. 32.21. Rom. 11.11. One day, doubtleſs, you will be provoked to a ſinful and malicious jealouſie at th s ſight; but I had rather now provoke you to a vertuous and holy jealouſie, ſuch as might rouze you out of your Formality, and make you altogether Chriſtians. The Jews were never more incenſed, then when they were told God had rejected them, and embraced the Gentiles, Act. 22.21, 22. They gave him audience to that word, and then lift up their voices, and ſaid, Away with ſuch a fellow from the Earth, for it is not fit that he ſhould live. The elder Son grows ſullen and envious at his Prodigal brothers entertainment and welcome, Luk. 15.28, 29. 'Tis not this ſinful envy that I would excite in you; but an holy jealouſie, fear, emulation; leſt ſuch prophane ones ſhould get before you into the Kingdom of God: If ſuch a ſight would be (as needs it muſt be) grievous and tormenting; endeavour now to prevent it by a timely eſcape from Formality; otherwiſe I ſhall ſay,Averroes a Mahumet n. as the Heathen Philoſopher, who ſeeing the Chriſtians eat their pretended God, cryed out, Sit anima mea cum Philoſophis; ſo I, Sit anima mea cum prophanis, (ſcil. penitentibus:) I had rather be a penitent Thief, then a proud Formaliſt or Judiciary.
3. Thou never kneweſt, nor ſhalt know the real comforts of Chriſtianity, while thou continueſt in Formality: a painted Chriſtian hath but imaginary comforts; the Hypocrite hath but foreign, Mat. 6.2, 5. a Hypocrites reward, proportionate to his ſervice: Sincerity, as it ſhall onelyonly wear the Crown hereafter, ſo it onelyonly enjoyeth true ſolid conſolation here: The joy of the Holy Ghoſt is their priviledg, who are made partakers of the Holy Ghoſt, not in his common gifts, but ſaving graces: The true waters of conſolation are drawn out of thoſe wells of ſalvation, the ſenſe of God's ſpecial love ſhed abroad in the heart, the blood of Chriſt ſprinkled upon the conſcience, and the ſanctifying ſpirit of God, firſt working, and then ſhining upon his own work: He that is a ſtranger to theſe, is a ſtranger to true joy, and who but the ſincere Chriſtian hath theſe things? The ſtream can neither riſe higher, nor continue longer then the fountain whence it ariſes; and what is the fountain of a Formaliſts comfort, but his own ſpotted righteouſneſs, and ſorry performances? the web wherewith he covers himſelf is ſpun out of his own bowels, and this can neither afford him warmth, nor long endure: The ſparks wherewith he encompaſſeth himſelf, are but from a fire of his own kindling; all the light and warmth he hath, is thence; and what then can his portion be, but at laſt to lie down in ſorrow? Iſ. 50.11. When he is brought to the King of terrors, his confidence ſhall be rooted out of his tabernale, Job 18.14. His comfort is but a land-flood, violent, but not laſting. 'Tis evident; for,
1. All true comfort flows from Chriſt, from a ſaving intereſt in him, and reconciliation with God by him: this the Formaliſt hath not; he never drunk of that rock, but onelyonly out of the muddy puddles of his own polluted duties, which have nothing but filth and gravel at the bottom.
2. True Conſolation is the conſequent of ſound Humiliation (to which he is a ſtranger) Pſal. 126.5, 6. They that ſow in tears, ſhall reap in joy, &c. Iſa. 66.10. There ſeems to be ſomething to purpoſe intimated in that, Prov. 14.10. The heart knows his own bitterneſs, and the ſtranger intermedleth not with his joy. Why may not the meaning be this, That as the heart hath its ſorrows that others know not, ſo its comforts alſo; and he that never knew the one, ſhall never taſte the other? however the thing is a Truth. The vapours of a truly humbled ſoul's tears, ſighs, ſorrows, exhaled, do afterwards come down in refreſhing dews, and ſhowers of conſolation. Liquors bottled up, increaſe their ſtrength and virtue: God bottles up the tears of his people, and theſe waters ſo bottled, are turned into wine of conſolation. But the Formaliſt never knew how to weep for ſin, as ſin; he is a ſtranger to thoſe Evangelical meltings, and therefore cannot have thoſe reviving cordials of comfort.
3. True comfort is the fruit of a conſcience pacified, purified, ſanctified: 2 Cor 1.12. This is (foreign) our exultation, the Teſtimony of a good Conſcience, &c. ſuch is not the Formaliſt's Conſcience; ſilent and peaceable it may be, not pacified; for that's onelyonly by the blood of ſprinkling: it may bring in an abſolving verdict, but it's upon miſtake, which will be rectified by the ſupreme Judg at the laſt day. Well then: Wouldſt thou drink the pure wine of Conſolation? Wouldſt thou taſte of the hidden Manna? Have the new Name? The white ſtone? Get out of thy Formality; Be that indeed, which now thou woudſt be accounted, and deſireſt to be found at laſt, A ſincere Chriſtian.
4. Let this conſideration drive thee out of thy Formality: He that is no more then form, will, very probably, ere long, become leſs then form: Formality is but a water-colour, not laid in the oil of grace, not dried in the grain of Chriſt's blood, and therefore will fade: it will either wear off in time, or waſh off with the waters of affliction. The Stage-Player who onelyonly bears the perſon of a Prince; when his part is acted, and the Comedy ended, puts off his habit, and is but what he was before: The Formaliſt doth but perſonate and repreſent the Chriſtian, and this will not always continue, Job 27.10. Will the Hypocrite delight himſelf in the Almighty? will he always call upon God? He will not: Artificial Chriſtians will be but Temporaries: Such were Judas, Demas, Julian: nor wilt thou onelyonly loſe what thou ſeemeſt to have, but become worſe: The ſalt that hath loſt its ſavour, makes the very ground it is caſt upon, barren. The counterfeit friends of Religion, have often proved her moſt embittered Enemies. Julian's little finger (who once profeſſed Chriſtianity) was heavier then the loins of the other perſecuting Emperors: rottenneſs in profeſſion, often turns into ranchor and malice againſt it. Had ſome of the Apoſtates of this age been told, while they made profeſſion of the Truth, that they ſhould become revilers of Miniſters, contemners of Ordinances, violent Perſecutors of that way they then profeſſed; that they ſhould be ready to pull out the eyes of thoſe, for whom they ſeem'd willing even to pull out their own: would they not have been ready to ſay with Hazael, 2 King. 8.13. Is thy ſervant a dog, that he ſhould do this great thing? Yet this is the fruit of Formality and Hypocriſie: well, if you would ſtand, and keep your ſtation, be more then form. They that are but Comets will fall: and he that begins in Hypocriſie, will end in Apoſtaſie: if thou haſt onelyonly a name to live, it will ere long appear that thou art indeed dead: a meer name will not long preſerve a man from rottenneſs and putrefaction: Formality will ſhrink in the wetting; the fire will diſcover who are but droſs, Luke 8.13. Times of perſecution, are times of falling off, to thoſe that are not truly fixed: whence are all thoſe ſad falls in our days but from want of Truth in the inward parts? Pſ. 37.31. The Law of the Lord is in his heart; none of his ſteps ſhall ſlide: The Formaliſt hath the Law only in his head, and on his tongue; this is not enough to keep him from falling. And oh think what a Diſcredit it will be to turn Apoſtate, Renegado: How will God and man abhor thee? good men becauſe thou art not what thou once ſeemedſt to be; bad men, becauſe thou didſt once ſeem to be good: get therefore out of this condition, which will have ſo ſad an iſſue.
5. But ſuppoſe thou mayeſt hold out, it will be bitterneſs in the end; however thou mayſt eſcape the diſcredit and ſhame of Apoſtaſie here, thou canſt not eſcape the danger and damnation of thy Formality hereafter. The Text tells thee, that Publicans and Harlots go before thee into the Kingdome of Heaven; but as they go, not before, but upon repentance; ſo neither ſhalt thou follow after, but upon the ſame condition. Formality will as certainly damn thee as any other ſin; and thruſt you as deep into hell, as almoſt any other, and what comfort will it be, that thou haſt left a good name behind thee, that thou didſt live and die under the repute of a ſincere Chriſtian? the miſtaken commendations of ſurviving Chriſtians, will be but a poor allay to the ſcorching flames of hell: yea, it will aggravate thy torment to think, (as probably thou mayeſt think) Now ſome are ſpeaking and hoping well concerning me on earth, while I am howling and yelling in theſe flames. 'Tis ſome addition to a mans grief under extremity of pain or ſickneſs, to be judg'd by others in a better ſtate then indeed he is: To be canonized on earth is but ſorry comfort to him that is condemned in hell! what good did the honours that were done to Nero, Sueton.at, and after his death, do to him; though as the Hiſtorian tells us, Non defuerunt qui Neronent vernis aeſtiviſque coloribus ornarent: There wanted not ſome to ſtrow his curſed grave with the flowers of the ſpring: Salvian (as I find him quoted) complains, that Multorum corpora ſplendent in ſepulchris quorum, animae ardent in Gehemâ. Some were rendred glorious at their funerals, whoſe miſerable ſouls were frying in hell: a poor recompenſe! this is no allay, but is, or would be an aggravation of their torment, if they knew it. 'Tis ſtoried of one preaching at the funeral of a ſuppoſed religious man, and giving him large commendations, a voice was heard, ſaying, Mortuus ſum, judicatus ſum, condemnatus ſum: for the truth of the ſtory, I ſhall leave it to your own diſcretion, whether to believe it or no; the moral may be good that damned ſouls take little delight in the commendations of Survivors; for a man that takes a good Conſcience with him; and whoſe good works follow him, it is ſomething to leave a good name behind him, for Prov. 10.7. The memory of the juſt ſhall be bleſſed; but where the two former are wanting, the laſt will rot ſooner or later; the great day will rectifie all miſtakes in that kind. If we would have a name that might outlive that day, we muſt get out of Formality, and come up to ſincerity, which is Goſpel-perfection.