The Sinners Last Sentence, Chapter 16 – Chapter 17
CHAP. XVI. Why Chriſt will try men at the Great Day by acts of Charity.
THe ſecond queſtion to be diſcuſſed before I proceed to the Doctrine, is, why Chriſt tryeth men at that day by the neglect or performance of Charity, and not of ſome other Duty, as hearing, praying, watching, &c. Or by their Patience, Humility, Temperance, or Heavenly-mindedneſs? &c. To this I anſwer,
Theſe Works of Charity are by a Synechdoche put for new Obedience, and all the good works of a Chriſtians life. Though Chriſt mention thoſe as the teſt of men at that day, yet he doth not hereby exclude others. The Scripture abundantly proveth, that other Graces and Duties ſhall be rewarded at that day, 1 Pet. 1.6, 7. Matth. 10.18. Heb. 6.10, &c. and that men ſhall be condemned for other ſins beſide the neglect of Charity. The want of the Wedding-Garment, Matth. 22.12, 13. Unprofitableneſs in the improvement of Talents, Matth. 25.30. We have a Bed-Roll of other ſins condemning, 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. Rev. 21.8. Indeed every ſin, any ſin that men have lived in, and loved, who have died impenitent, will be found damnable at that day.
It cannot rationally be ſuppoſed, that the performance or neglect of thoſe outward acts of Charity ſhould be the general teſt, (I mean of all) for how then ſhall thoſe that die in their Infancy and Childhood, or ſuch as are extreamly poor be tried, who are rendred wholly uncapable of feeding the Hungry, or cloathing the Naked. Neither do I judge it ſhall be the ſole teſt, for it's poſſible for a man in theſe outward acts to be bountiful to men, who hath no regard or fear of God in him. The Apoſtle ſuppoſeth a man may give all his Goods to the poor, and yet be void of true love to the poor, 1 Cor. 13.3. It's unqueſtionable, that the Worſhip of the bleſſed God is much more excellent than our kindneſs to the Children of men (as Calvin well obſerveth on the Text) yet Chriſt who knoweth the hearts of all men, and from what principles they act, will mention the Saints acts of Charity at that day, and reward them accordingly, and will mention the Sinners omiſſion of Charity at that day, and condemn him for it.
1. Becauſe acts of Charity are more obvious and apparent to the World. Though the Chriſtian uſually is cloſe therein, and will not let his left hand know what his right hand doth; yet Charity, like Muſk, will diſcover it ſelf. The Objects thereof will publiſh their Benefactors; and he himſelf thinks it needful ſometimes to be open and publick in his liberality (though not for ſelf-oſtentation, yet) for others imitation. Luther tells us, That Chriſt will try men this way, becauſe the World ſhall juſtifie his Sentence both of reward and puniſhment. If a man be charitable, all his Neighbours take notice of it; yea, commonly love him for it; the vileſt of them will commend him, though by his holy Converſation he condemns them. I ſuppoſe this is the good man of whom the Apoſtle ſpeaks, when he tells us, That for ſuch a one a man will even dare to die, Rom. 5. Therefore when Chriſt ſhall acknowledge the Charity of his people, and then reward them with himſelf; the wicked Neighbours of theſe men will confeſs the truth thereof, and their Conſciences will force them to conſent thereto. Again, there is hardly a Muckworm, whoſe Motto is, To have, and to hold, to heap, and to hoard up, who will as ſoon part with his blood, as any thing conſiderable to the poor; but all his Neighbours, good and bad, obſerve him, ſpeak of him, and generally condemn him for his earthly-mindedneſs. So that when Chriſt at the Great Day ſhall accuſe him, they will be forced to atteſt the truth of that Accuſation, and when Chriſt at that day ſhall condemn him, they cannot but agree to the Sentence; Pſal. 52.6, 7. The Righteous alſo ſhall ſee, and fear, and ſhall laugh at him. Lo, this is the man that made not God his ſtrength: but truſted in the abundance of his riches, and ſtrengthned himſelf in his wickedneſs.
2. Becauſe theſe acts of Charity are ſignes of Faith and Love, to which Graces Heaven is promiſed, James 1.12. James 2.5. Joh. 3.16, 17, ult. Chriſt who knoweth the Heart, underſtandeth …om what inward root our outward …ruit ſpringeth; and therefore Faith and Love, which are the Fountain of true Charity, James 2.15, 16, 17. being inward and ſecret, he mentions what is more open and known, as a ſign and teſtimony of that faith in him, and love to him, which are inviſible and unknown to the World. Faith is a Grace ſeated in the heart, With the heart man believeth unto righteouſneſs; (where, by heart, I ſuppoſe is underſtood the Ʋnderstanding and Will; for Faith, in habitu, is in each; and in exercitio, an act of both.) And the heart is called an hidden man, 1 Pet. 3. But it diſcovers it ſelf to the Believer by love. For when once the Soul applieth Chriſt for Pardon and Life, and begins to hope for thoſe great and good things which Chriſt hath purchaſed for him, and promiſed to him; this Faith kindleth an holy flame of Love in the affections to Chriſt, and hereby the Soul underſtands that he is a true Believer beloved of God; for our Love is but the reverberation of God's Love back again to himſelf, 1 Joh. 4.19. And then Faith diſcovers it ſelf to others, by theſe fruits and effects of love to God, i. e. feeding the Hungry, and cloathing the Naked. St. Paul tells us, That Faith works by love, as its Tool or Inſtrument, Gal. 5.6. Love to God produceth love to his Saints, and love to the Saints will draw out the hand, and heart, and purſe to relieve them in their wants, 1 Joh. 3.17. Love is coſtly and expenſive, thinks nothing too much or too good for its Beloved. Mary's Box of Oyntment is very precious, but not too precious for her Lord. Life is worth all the World, yet laid down for a Chriſtian at the command of Love, 1 Joh. 3.16. Hereby perceive we the love of God, becauſe he laid down his life for us.
3. Becauſe practical godlineſs, of which Charity is a part, will be that by which men ſhall be tried at the Great Day; our Lord Jeſus doth hereby declare, That it is not the Profeſſion, but the practice of Religion, that will be enquired into by the Judge of quick and dead. It is not ſaying, Be thou fed, and be thou cloathed; without giving wherewith to be fed and cloathed: But it is feeding the Hungry, and cloathing the Naked, that ſhall be rewarded. Good words may pleaſe our ſelves, but good works only pleaſe God, and profit our own Souls. Not every one that ſaith, Lord, Lord, ſhall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven. It's the doing, not the talking Chriſtian that hath the promiſe of Heaven, Matth. 7. It's the practical, not the verbal Chriſtian, that hath a right to Heaven through the precious blood of Chriſt, and the gracious promiſe of God; Rev. 22.14. Bleſſed are they that do his Commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates into the City. It is the real, not the nominal Chriſtian, that is prepared for heaven. None are fit to do the will of God in heaven, but thoſe who have been accuſtomed to do the Will of God on Earth. There is a making meet for the Inheritance of the Saints in light, Col. 1.12. A young man by the School, is made meet for the Univerſity; and a Chriſtian by practical Holineſs, is fitted for eternal Happineſs.
Our Redeemer would hereby declare, That all ſhews and ſhadows of Godlineſs, all gaudy Profeſſions, and curious flouriſhes of Religion, if void of good Works, though as Gloworms, they ſhine ſomewhat in the dark night of this World, yet in the long day of eternity they will all vaniſh and diſappear. God will not then examine who hath been the greateſt Talker of his Will, but the greateſt Walker in his Way; nor who hath been the beſt Speaker, but who hath been the beſt Doer. For whoſo looketh into the perfect Law of Liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful Hearer, but a doer of the Work; this man ſhall be bleſſed in his deed, Jam. 1.25. Hearing the Word, without doing the Work it commands, brings no bleſſing. The life and ſubſtance of Religion conſiſts in practiſing what is good, and not in praiſing what is good. It conſiſts in Scripture-Duties, not in Scripture Phraſes.
4. Becauſe Chriſt would hereby publiſh to the World, the great reſpect he hath for Charity; therefore he tells us, He will take ſpecial notice of his Saints Charity at that day. Charity, whether in relieving the Oppreſſed, or comforting the Sorrowful, or counſelling the Doubtful, or ſupporting the Feeble, or feeding the Hungry, or viſiting the Sick, or cloathing the Naked, is highly eſteemed of Chriſt. To what Duty hath he annexed more or larger Promiſes, Matth. 5.7. Pſal. 18.25. Eccleſ. 11.1, 2. Pſal. 41.1. Pſal. 112.1. Iſa. 58.12. He ſpeaks of it, as if very much of Religion did conſiſt in it, and almoſt all of it. Pure Religion, and undefiled before God and the Father, is to viſit the Fatherleſs and the Afflicted, James 1. ult. He ſlights our moſt ſevere Duties, (thoſe which are moſt irkſome to the fleſh) if this be wanting, Pſal. 58.7, 8, 9, 10. He limits his own Mercy to the merciful, 2 Sam. 22.25. James 2.13. He is himſelf a merciful High Priest, Heb. 5. He had compaſſion on the ignorant, and thoſe that were out of the way, Heb. 5.2. On thoſe that had nothing to eat, Matth. 15.32. On thoſe that were ſcattered as ſheep without a Shepheard, Matth. 9.36. Therefore he cannot but value exceedingly, and love tenderly thoſe that are like him. That which lieth ſo near his heart, muſt needs be enquired after, as much, if not more than any thing elſe. And there is ſcarce any thing that ſpeaks our reſpect of perſons or things, more than our enquiry after them. Joſeph loved his Father Jacob dearly, I ſuppoſe far above all his Kindred, and therefore he firſt enquires after him. …s your Father well, the old man of whom ye ſpake? Gen. 43.27. David's heart was ſet on Abſolom, therefore when the Meſſenger return'd from the Battel, he doth in the firſt place, and in a ſpecial manner enquire after him. Is the young man Abſolom ſafe? 2 Sam. 18. Thus Chriſt being ſo infinitely taken with Charity, cannot but make a great enquiry after it at the Great Day. It is fruit that will then abound to the Saints account, Phil. 4.17. And ſuch Seed, that they who ſow it liberally, ſhall reap it liberally, 2 Cor. 9.6.
CHAP. XVII. Three particulars about the Text.
I Come now ſomewhat cloſer to the Reaſon of the Sentence; For I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat, &c. Here we muſt underſtand:
1. Obſerv. That the omiſſion of inward Charity is included in this of outward, and will be as dangerous, if not more at the Great Day. The ſubject of it, the Soul is much more noble than the Body; therefore to ſuffer a Soul to periſh through our neglect of giving it ſpiritual Alms is a greater ſin, than to ſuffer the outward man to periſh for want of bodily Alms. Again, the end of ſpiritual Alms is higher, (than of bodily) the eternal Salvation of the Soul, 1 Pet. 1.9. Receiving the end of your Faith, the eternal ſalvation of your Souls. Both ſorts of Charity are comprehended into theſe two verſes.
Viſito, Poto, Cibo Redimo, Tego, Colligo, Condo;
Conſule, Caſtiga, Solare, Remitte, Fer, Ora.
2. Obſerv. That other Works, beſide Works of Charity, and other Omiſſions, beſide the Omiſſion of this Duty, will be mentioned at that Day, and men ſhall be judged according to them. Indeed all our Works will be then accounted for. But you will ſay, What time will this take up. I anſwer, It ſeems probable, that the day of Judgment may laſt longer than moſt imagine. The Holy Ghoſt tells us, That God will bring every Work into Judgment, with every ſecret thing, whether it be good? or whether it be evil? Eccleſ. 12. ult. If every Work, then more than acts of Charity; and if every Work good or bad, open or ſecret, then the day of Judgment muſt be a long day. The Apoſtle ſpeaks the ſame as to the matter of Judgment, with the wiſe man, We muſt all appear before the Judgment Seat of Chriſt, 2 Cor. 5.10.
There are two of our eminent Engliſh Divines now with God, who have left their Judgment herein upon Record. One tells us, I humbly conceive, That the day of Judgment ſhall not be paſt over in an inſtant, but ſhall be of long continuance.Mr. Strong in a Serm. on 2 Cor. 5.10. p. 26. For if Chriſt ſhould judge only as God, he could diſpatch it in an inſtant; but his judging us men will be after the manner of men, that the Creature may underſtand, admire, and approve what is done. The other ſaith,Mr. Shepherds ſound Convert, p. 88. It muſt take up ſome large quantity of time to manifeſt all the ſecret ſins of men; and therefore it may be made evident both from Scripture and Reaſon, that this Day of Chriſts Kingly Office, in judging the world, ſhall laſt happily longer than the day of Chriſts private Adminiſtration now in governing the World.
Auſtin tells us,Auſtin, De Civit. Dei, lib. 20. cap. 1. Per quot dies hoc judicium extendatur incertum est, Scripturarum more diem poni ſolere pro tempore nemo neſcit.
3. Obſerv. Chriſt doth not ſay, Ye took my Meat from me, or wrong'd me of my Raiment, or perſecuted me, and caſt me into Priſon; But I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat; naked, and ye cloathed me not; in priſon, and ye viſited me not. He doth not ſay, I was hungry, and naked, and ſick, and inſtead of relieving, ye derided me, and by your taunts and jears, added Affliction to the afflicted, or ye deſpiſed and condemned me, as they, James 2.6. But I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat, &c. It was a bare omiſſion of a neceſſary Duty for which they are ſentenced to Hell. It's not robbing, but not relieving; not oppreſſing them with violence, but not ſupplying their neceſſities which Chriſt here condemneth them for.
Theſe words conſider'd thus relatively, as the reaſon of Chriſts ſevere Sentence, will afford us this Doctrine which I chiefly intend.