The Sinners Last Sentence, Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV. Farther Reaſons why Chriſt at the Great Day will condemn men for ſins of Omiſſion.
3. CHriſt will condemn men at the Reaſon. 3 Great Day for ſins of Omiſſion, becauſe thoſe that live in ſuch Sins have no intereſt in himſelf. There is no way to eſcape Hell, but by the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Theſſ. 1. ult. Jeſus that delivereth from the wrath to come. There is no way to attain Heaven, but by Chriſt: I give to them eternal life, and they ſhall never periſh, Joh. 10.28.
As Salvation is God's Gift, Rom. 6. ult. ſo it's Chriſts Purchaſe. There is no Name under Heaven whereby men may be ſaved, but by the Name of Chriſt, Act. 4.12. So that all who are without Chriſt, not intereſted in him, muſt of neceſſity periſh. He that hath the Son hath life, he that hath not the Son hath not life, 1 Joh. 5.12. Thoſe that are without Chriſt are unpardoned; All their ſins are imputed to them, Epheſ. 4. ult. Rom. 3.25. And where-ever ſin is imputed, it condemneth, Ezek. 18.3. Thoſe that are not intereſted in Chriſt, are Children of the Devil, Joh. 8.44. and Children of wrath, Epheſ. 2.2, 3. And ſuch Children muſt be with their Father the Devil, and under wrath for ever.
Now thoſe that live in Sins of Omiſsion have no intereſt in Chriſt. Our intereſt in Chriſt, and ſo in Life, is by Faith. That Chriſt may dwell in your hearts by Faith, Epheſ. 3.17. Gal. 2.20. I live by Faith in the Son of God. It is Faith that cauſeth the Union between Chriſt and the Soul, and joyns them together; by virtue of which Union, the Chriſtian hath communion with Chriſt in his Merits and Righteouſneſs, that his Life, and Death, and Burial are the Chriſtians, are by God imputed to him, as if performed in his own perſon: Hence it's ſaid, That the Chriſtian lives with Chriſt, is crucified with Chriſt, and buried with Chriſt, Rom. 6.4. And the Chriſtian is ſaid to be the righteouſneſs of God in him, 2 Cor. 5. ult. By this Union with Chriſt, which is the fruit of Faith, the Chriſtian is made a Son of God, Gal. 3.26. and ſo an Heir of God, and Joynt-Heir with Christ, Rom. 8.17. As a Woman by marriage being united and made one with a Man, hath communion with him in his Relations, Honours, and Eſtate So the Chriſtian by Faith made one with Chriſt, hath communion with him in his Relations. Go tell my Brethren, I go to my Father, and your Father, to my God, and your God, Joh. 20.17. In his Eſtate, Chriſt is Heir of all things, Heb. 1.2. and the Believer is a Joynt-Heir with him, as is before proved. Chriſt was the Firſt-born among many Brethren, and ſo the Inheritance did belong to him, Col. 1.18. Believers are a Congregation of firſt-born, and ſo the right of the Inheritance is theirs, Heb. 12.23. But ſuch as live in ſins of Omiſsion are without Faith, and therefore without Chriſt, and therefore muſt be without Heaven for ever. Faith is a ſanctifying as well as a juſtifying Grace, Act. 26.18. And to give them an Inheritance among them that are ſanctified through Faith in Chriſt, and therefore will not ſuffer the Soul to live in any ſin.
Faith will not ſuffer a man to live in the want of love to God, in ſo great an Omiſsion; for when Faith certifieth the Soul of Gods love to it, this kindleth in the Soul flames of love to God, 1 Joh. 4.19. When Faith brings much fewel, the fire of love will be great. Faith will not ſuffer a man to live without Repentance. The eye of Faith which beholds a Chriſt crucified for ſin, affects the heart with ſorrow for, and indignation againſt thoſe ſins that crucified him, Zach. 12.10. They ſhall ſee him whom they have pierced, and mourn. Faith will not ſuffer a man to live without delight in Chriſt, and rejoycing in the God of all Conſolation. Faith ſeeth ſo much good certainly laid up in the Covenant and Promiſes for the Soul, that it fills the Soul with joy in the hope and expectation of the enjoyment of them. Whom having not ſeen, we love: and in whom believing, though now we ſee him not, we rejoyce with joy unſpeakable and full of glory, 1 Pet. 1.7, 8. Faith will not ſuffer a man to live without waiting quietly on God. Faith will not limit the Holy One of Iſrael, but patiently ſtay Gods time for the mercies the Soul wanteth. Faith knoweth his Bonds are good, his Debts are in ſure Hands: The God that cannot lye hath promiſed, Tit. 1.2. and therefore is not haſty to call them in. He that believeth will not make haſte, Iſa. 28.16. Faith will not ſuffer a man to live without prayer. He that knows his own wants and neceſſities, how great and urgent they are, and alſo where he may quickly have liberal Supplies, and bountiful Relief will not long be kept from that Door. You may ſooner and eaſier put off a Beggar ready to ſtarve, (who muſt needs periſh, if Charity do not help him,) and perſwade him never to aſk Alms more, as keep a Believer from his daily waiting at Heavens Temple, to aſk ſpiritual Alms. An Unbeliever hath little hope to ſpeed, and therefore little heart to ſpeak. But a Believer hath taſted God to be gracious, and received many a bleſſing upon his knees, and therefore cannot but know that Door again, at which he hath received ſo good, ſo large Doles. He knoweth that whatſoever he aſketh, according to the Will of God, in the Name of Chriſt, ſhall be granted him, 1 Joh. 5.14. Joh. 14.14. Hereby he is encouraged to beg and aſk. I believed, therefore have I ſpoken, ſaith David, Pſal. 116.10. I believed, ſaith the Soul, therefore have I wept, and pray'd, and made ſupplication, and have prevailed.
Faith will not ſuffer a man to live without Scripture. The Word of God is the Food of Faith, and a man can as well live without Bread, as Faith without the Word, 1 Pet. 2.2. It's Scripture that breeds Faith; Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, Rom. 10.17. And it's Scripture that feeds Faith, and helps it to thrive; I hope in thy Word, Pſal. 119.114. Hope is a degree of Faith. So Pſal. 119. Eſtabliſh thy Word unto thy Servant, upon which thou haſt cauſed me to truſt. Thus I might ſhew how inconſiſtent other Sins of Omiſsion are with Faith; and therefore they who live in ſuch ſins, muſt be Unbelievers, and ſo obnoxious to the wrath of God, Joh. 3. ult. But I ſhall conclude this Head with this Note, that Faith is obediential, and therefore it's impoſſible for a Believer to live in Diſobedience to God's poſitive Laws. We read in Scripture of the Obedience of Faith.
Faith in the Promiſes works Obedience to the Precepts. As 'tis impoſſible without Faith to pleaſe God, Heb. 11. So 'tis impoſſible with Faith not to deſire to pleaſe him. The Diſobedient and Unbelievers are joyn'd together.
Abraham was called to an hard piece of Service; To leave his Country, this was hard to forſake his Native ſoil.Jer. 2.10. Neſcio qua natale ſolum; therefore God commands us to pity and relieve Strangers,Jer. 2….3. becauſe they are comfortleſs, being out of their own Country. To leave his Kindred, this was harder; there is a tender affection between near Relations. If he had gone into a ſtrange Country with his Kindred, their company might have ſweetned the bitterneſs of his baniſhment; but he muſt leave his Country as well as Kindred behind him. Nay, he muſt leave theſe, and go into a place where he muſt not have a foot of Land for himſelf, (Gen. 12, 1, 2, 3, 4.) yet Abraham obeys. But what was the weight which ſet the wheels in ſuch quick ready motion, truly his Faith was the ſpring of his Obedience. Mark, Heb. 11.8. By Faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place, which he ſhould after receive for an Inheritance, obeyed and went out, not knowing whither he went.
Reaſon. 4 4. Chriſt will at the Great Day condemn men to Hell, who live in ſins of Omiſſion, becauſe ſuch perſons are Hypocrites. Hell is prepared for Hypocrites and Unbelievers, ſaith Chriſt, Matth. 24.51. Others, as younger Brethren, receive their part of wrath under them as the Heirs. They are the great Owners of Hell, the chief Landlords of the Valley of Death; others do as it were hold from and under them. So the Hypocrite in heart heaps up wrath. The Hypocrite in heart. Hypocriſie lies cloſe in the heart, as the Juglers tools, out of ſight. As in the Cellar, under the Parliament, there was nothing to be ſeen but what was lawful and allowable, Coals and Wood, fit Proviſion for Winter: But when theſe were taken away, and the Cellar was ſearched to the bottom, then the Barrels of Powder appeared, and the Coals and Wood were diſcover'd to be fewel laid in for the Devils Kitchin. So, many perſons who are unblamable (as we ſay) in their lives, walk without offence, are negatively holy, theſe ſeem to be good men, & approved; but if we ſearch them further to the bottom, their Hypocriſie appears, that all this was for vain-glory, or ſome carnal intereſt; they heap up wrath, and ſhall have that wrath which is ſo dreadful, that Hell is called by that Name, in great meaſure; or he himſelf by his Hypocriſie is daily filling up that Cup of Wrath which he muſt drink of eternally. An hypocritical Nation are the people of Gods wrath, Iſa. 10.5, 6. whom he appoints to ruine. They go about to mock God, as they do men; but they deceive themſelves, God is not mocked. They do as thoſe who uſe much art to hide the wrinkles and defects of Nature, but God can ſee Jezabel under all her paint, and find out the Wife of Jeroboam, notwithſtanding her diſguiſe, and will puniſh the Diſſembler with the Lake of Fire; and then what ſhall become of the Profeſſor? All that love and make a lye are doomed to that Dungeon of Darkneſs. Hypocriſie is the loudeſt lye that ever was told, becauſe it is given to God himſelf. It may be ſaid to every Hypocrite as Peter to Ananias, Thou haſt lyed not to man, but to God, Act. 5.4. For he tells God, and would make him believe he forbears groſs Sins, and is negatively holy, becauſe it's his Will, when he neglects his poſitive Precepts, wherein he hath diſcover'd moſt of his Will. Now ſuch as live in Omiſſions, notwithſtanding all their Profeſſion, and all their negative Piety, are but Juglers and Diſſemblers. They who are partial in their holineſs, are not ſound at heart. Whoever obeys any Command out of Conſcience, will endeavour Obedience to every Command. David is approved for his Integrity, from the univerſality of his Obedience, 1 King. 14.8. So Zachary and Elizabeth are declared righteous before God, i. e. upright, walking in all the Statutes and Commandments of the Lord blameleſs, Luk. 1.6. Uprightneſs makes no baulks in the field of Divine Precepts. Were not this man who lives in Omiſſions unſound, he would fear Omiſsions as much as Commiſſions; for ſincerity hates every evil way, Pſal. 119.104. and he would be careful to obey Affirmative as well as Negative Commands; for uprightneſs, as Moſes, hath the whole Law in its hands; nay, written in its heart, and expounded in its life. But this man, who like a Globons body, toucheth the Law of God in ſome one point, but meets not in the reſt, ſheweth plainly that he is hollow within, as your Globes are. For obſerve it, if this man were ſincere, and acted upon conſcientious grounds, then thoſe pious Reaſons upon which he forbears ſins of Commiſsion, would incline him to take heed of ſins of Omiſſion. If he forbear Commiſsions, becauſe they are againſt the Will of God, (which ſhould be the main ground of all Obedience, Pſal. 119.5, 6.) then he would alſo take heed of Omiſſions, becauſe they are as much againſt the Will of God as Commiſsions. If the Authority of God were that which ſway'd him in his Negative, the ſame would move him to poſitive holineſs; for there is the ſame authority in Negative and in Poſitive Precepts, Exod. 20. The ſame God that ſaith, Thou ſhalt not ſteal, ſaith, Thou ſhalt be diligent to know the ſtate of thy flock; And thou ſhalt give to him that asketh.
Again, if this man abſtains from Commiſsions, becauſe they diſhonour God; he would alſo take heed of Omiſſions, for they diſhonour God alſo. Every breach of the Law is a diſhonour to the Law-giver, Rom. 2.23, 24. Further, if he forbear Commiſsions, becauſe he is redeemed from them with the blood, 1 Pet. 1.17, 18, 19. of Chriſt, he would take heed of Omiſsions; for Chriſt did not only redeem from Sin, but alſo unto Service, Tit. 2.14. He gave himſelf for us, that he might redeem us from all Iniquity, and purifie unto himſelf a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Once more, if he did forbear Commiſſions, becauſe they are injurious to his own Soul, and deprive him of Heaven and Happineſs; then he would take heed of Omiſsions, for they are as deſtructive to his Soul, and will as certainly hinder it of Heaven, as the Text aſſureth us. So that upon whatſoever conſcientious grounds he forbears Commiſſions, he would upon the ſame grounds take heed of Omiſſions, which he not doing, proclaims himſelf an Hypocrite, and as ſuch, is moſt juſtly condemned to die eternally. He that forbears ſin from a Principle of Grace, will be as careful to do good, as to abſtain from evil. Reſtraining Grace matters not much the omiſſion of good, but renewing Grace or Holineſs in Truth cannot allow it. Such a man chooſeth the things that pleaſe God, Iſa. 56.4.