Practical Reflections on the Late Earthquakes, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
Security a Preſage of Temporal and Eternal Ruine, to particular Perſons, whatever God may do as to the Nation in general.
LAſtly; Whatever God may in Soveraignty do in ſparing this Nation, and how well ſoever he will provide for thoſe who are upright before him; yet, as to particular Perſons, who are not at peace with God, it is moſt certain, that Security is a Preſage of Ruine; that ſudden Deſtruction ſhall overtake them, as Travail on a Woman with Child. When the ſlothful and wicked Servant thinks, and ſays in his Heart, that his Lord doth delay his Coming; He will come and cut him in ſunder, in a Day that he looked not for, and in an Hour that he was not aware of, Matth. 24.55. When the rich Fool in the Parable ſaid, Soul, take thine eaſe; the next News we hear of him is, that the Pillow is plucked from under his Head, and he is caſt into Hell. When, notwithſtanding all the Warnings of God by his Word and Providence, Men will bleſs themſelves in their Hearts, and ſay, I ſhall have Peace, though I walk in the Imagination of my Heart, Deut. 29.19, 20. The Lord will not ſpare ſuch a Man, but the Anger of the Lord, and his Jealouſy ſhall ſmoak againſt him, and all the Curſes that are written in this Book ſhall lie upon him, and the Lord ſhall blot out his Name from under Heaven. Therefore let Men take heed how they arrogantly boaſt themſelves in their Wickedneſs, leſt God ſingle them out unto ſome ſignal Vengeance in this World, to make them Examples to thoſe who ſhall afterwards live ungodly. If they regard not a Judgment to come, to put the evil Day far from them, and deſpiſe all the Fore-runners of Judgment in this World; yet they may ſuddenly be ſurprized in their Security, and they are every Moment liable to a ſudden Arreſt of Judgment, againſt which they have no Relief.
They are under Condemnation, they are yet in their Sins; and therefore to ſuch I muſt ſay, Except you repent, (ſpeedily, and heartily repent) you muſt periſh. For tho God be loth to ſtrike, and inclined to Pity, and willing to ſpare; tho he be ſlow to Anger, and ready to forgive; Yet the Day of his Vengeance is at hand, when he ſhall put on Fury like a Garment; when his Eye ſhall not pity, nor his Hand ſpare; when he ſhall laugh at your Calamity, and mock when your Fear cometh. Now, O fooliſh delaying Sinner, that goeſt on in Sin! the Patience and Mercy of God pleads for thee againſt his Juſtice, and he would lead thee to Repentance by his Longſuffering; his Bowels yearn over thee, and he would fain overcome thee by his Love, and conquer thee by his Grace: But the Day is haſtning, when there ſhall never be a Word ſpoke for thee by the Mercy of God more; when, becauſe he ſtretched out his Hand, and thou regardeſt not, thou wouldſt not hear his Voice, or know the Day of thy Viſitation, he ſhall condemn thee without Pity, and ſend thee to Hell, without any ſuch Compaſſionate Language as he uſed to his ancient People, How ſhall I give thee up, Ephraim? The Voice of Mercy ſhall then ceaſe, and plead for thee no more: He that made thee, will ſhew thee no Mercy; He that formed thee, will ſhew thee no Favour. He would Now delight in thee, and rejoice over thee to do thee Good, and therefore beſeecheth thee to have Pity on thy ſelf: But Then he will delight in the Glory of his provoked Juſtice; becauſe thou wouldſt not be perſwaded to Accept of his Mercy while it might be had. Think of it, and Tremble, all ye that go on in Sin, and hate to be Reformed!
Whatever become of the Nation, if National Judgments do not overtake you, you cannot be long out of the Grave, or out of Hell. You are in danger of Damnation every Hour: And tho Sentence against an evil Work is not ſpeedily executed, tho a Sinner do Evil an hundred times, and his Days be prolonged; Yet ſurely I know it ſhall not be well with the Wicked, Eccl. 8.11, 12, 13. Chriſt hath told you again and again, that ſuch as you can never be Saved. It is the Word of the Living God, that ſuch and ſuch Perſons as you know your ſelves to be, ſhall never enter into Heaven. It is a Truth founded on ſuch Principles, that the Contrary is impoſſible.
And yet to convince Men of this as to their own State and Condition, there's the Difficulty. For if you will not believe God and Chriſt, how ſhall I expect you ſhould believe me? Alas! you will not conſider your Caſe for one ſerious Hour: We can hardly prevail ſo far, as to bring you to compare your ſelves with the Word; and your own Character with the Deſcription of ſuch as ſhall periſh. You will put it to the venture, and a bold Venture it is: For if no Miniſter in the World ſhould tell you, That except you repent, you muſt periſh; yea, if the Devil ſhould tell you the contrary a thouſand times, it will not make the Word of God of none Effect, or your Damnation the leſs Certain.
You may make a ſhift for a little time to drown the Voice of Conſcience, or ſtop its Mouth; to lay aſide the Thoughts of Death, and Judgment, and an everlaſting Hell; to ſpeak Peace to your ſelves, againſt the expreſs Word of God: But if you are not Renewed and Sanctified; if you do not truly Repent, ſo as to hate Sin, and leave it, and turn to the Lord; if you do not unfeignedly give up your ſelves to God in Chriſt, as your Saviour, and Soveraign, in the Method of the Goſpel; your Judgment is near, your Deſtruction is at hand, you muſt Periſh; and that more dreadfully, than moſt others in the World: For your Light, your Knowledg, your Means, your Mercies, your Calls, your Warnings, your Examples, are more and greater than others. Divine Patience will not laſt always. The Lord is not ſlack (as Men count Slackneſs) concerning the Promiſe of his Coming, but is long-ſuffering to usward, not willing that any ſhould periſh, but that all ſhould come to Repentance, 2 Pet. 3.9. But if they turn not, he will whet his Sword; he hath bent his Bow, and made it ready; he hath prepared alſo Inſtruments of Death, Pſal. 7.12, 13. Tho there are in God Riches of Goodneſs, and Forbearance, yet if you deſpiſe the Riches of his Goodneſs, not knowing that the Goodneſs of God leads to Repentance, you do but treaſure up to your ſelves Wrath against the Day of Wrath, and Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God, Rom. 2.4, 5.
It is dreadful to periſh as to a Temporal Ruine, by Wars, and Fires, and Earthquakes, and ſuch Calamities: But how much ſadder is it to think of deſcending into the Place of Remedileſs Torment, under the everlaſting Curſe of God, to be tormented with the Devil and his Angels! It is ſad to hear of this, ſad to foreſee it, to conſider it, to think of it; but it will be much ſadder to ſuffer, and to feel it. And be not deceived, it is not the leſs Certain, becauſe it is yet Future. You are now alive, and do not ſee the Grave digged for you, and yet you muſt die: And as certainly do I know from the Word of God, who cannot lie, That except you Repent, you muſt Periſh, and that for ever.
THE END.
Books Printed for Abraham Chandler in Alderſgate-ſtreet.
THE Mourner's Companion, or Funeral-Diſcourſes on ſeveral Texts.
Death a Deliverance; In a Funeral-Diſcourſe preached in part on the Deceaſe of Mrs. Mary Doolittle, late Wife of Mr. Thomas Doolittle, Miniſter of the Goſpel.
Sacramental Diſcourſes on ſeveral Texts, Before and After the Lord's Supper; Together with a Paraphraſe on the Lord's Prayer.
All three by Mr. John Shower.