The Sinners Last Sentence, Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI. 1. Uſe. Of the Doctrine by way of Informamation: How dreadful will be the Condition of thoſe that live in ſins of Commiſſion.
HAving explained the Doctrine, by deſcribing the nature and danger of ſins of Omiſſion, as alſo the Reaſons why Chriſt will ſentence thoſe that are guilty of them to an eternal baniſhment from his preſence, and to eternal torments with the Devil and his Angels; I now proceed to the Application of the Point. This Doctrine may be uſeful, 1. By way of Information. 2. By way of Examination. 3. By way of Exhortation.
1. The Doctrine is uſeful by way of Information.
Firſt Uſe of Information.1. If Chriſt will condemn men for ſins of Omiſsion at the Great Day, what will become of them that are guilty of groſs Crimes, and who live in ſins of Commiſſion? Theſe muſt be doubly puniſhed, for they are guilty of Omiſſions and Commiſſions too. If they who feed not the Hungry, and cloath not the Naked, ſhall be damned; ſurely they who take meat out of the mouths of the Poor, and rob the Needy of their Raiment, by fraud or force, ſhall be doubly damned. If they be ſent to Hell, who viſit not the ſick and impriſoned; how doleful will their Judgment be who wound the Servants of Chriſt, and caſt them into Priſon. If the meer civil man be excluded the higheſt Heaven, ſurely the ſcandalous Sinner ſhall be caſt into the loweſt Hell, Jer. 22.13. Woe to him that buildeth his Houſe by unrighteouſneſs, and his Chambers by wrong.
If the Tree that is void of good fruit be hewn down, and caſt into the fire, (Matth. 3.10.) what will become of the Tree that aboundeth in evil fruit? If barrenneſs of good expoſe to Divine Vengeance, what will fruitfulneſs in evil do? If the Fig-Tree that had leaves and no Figs was curſed, and wither'd away, what curſe ſhall befal thoſe Trees that bear Gall and Wormwood? Whoſe Grapes are the Grapes of Sodom, and whoſe Cluſters are the Cluſters of Gomorrah. If men ſhall periſh who call not on the Name of God, what ſhall become of them who blaſpheme the Name of God? If they who hear not the Word of God ſhall be deſtroy'd, what deſtruction ſhall befal them who deride it, and mock at it? If thoſe whoſe feet run not the ways of Gods Commandments, who lift not up their … to Heaven and pray, whoſe … are folded in their Boſoms, and whoſe tongues talk not of Judgment, ſhall be caſt into the Lake that burneth with fire and brimſtone for ever; where ſhall they be caſt whoſe Feet are ſwift to ſhed blood, whoſe Eyes are full of Adultery, and cannot ceaſe from ſin; whoſe Hands are full of Bribery and Extortion, and whoſe Tongues are full of curſing and lying, and whoſe Throat is an open Sepulchre.
What Tongue can tell the miſery that will befal ſuch Sinners at the Great Day? If not relieving the Poor, and not ſupplying the Needy, and not viſiting the Fatherleſs and Widow, the Sick and Impriſoned, cauſe ſuch a ſevere Sentence to be denounced againſt them, as, Go ye curſed into everlaſting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels for ever; what Sentence ſhall be denounced againſt thoſe that grind the faces of the Poor, that make Muſick of their Moans, Iſa. 3.15. That ſell them for a pair of ſhooes, Amos 2.6. Who oppreſs the Poor, and cruſh the Needy, Amos 4.1. And who ſlay the Widow and Fatherleſs?
Go to you rich men, weep and howl, for the miſeries that ſhall come upon you. Your Riches are corrupted, and your Garments moth-eaten. Your Gold and Silver is cankered, and the ruſt of them ſhall be a witneſs againſt you, and ſhall eat your fleſh as it were fire. Behold, the hire of the Labourers, which have reaped down your Fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them that have reaped, are entred into the Ears of the Lord of the Sabbath. Ye have condemned and killed the Juſt, and he doth not reſist you, James 5.1, 2, 3, 4, 6. Thoſe ſins that are crying, and do more eſpecially require Vengeance at the hands of God, and provoked Divine Juſtice to take notice of them, are ſins of Commiſſion. As Murder, Gen 4.10. The Voice of thy Brothers blood crieth to me from the ground. Sodomy, The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, becauſe their ſin is grievous, Gen. 18.20. Oppreſſion of Gods Servants, Exod. 3.7. or of any Widows or Fatherleſs. If thou afflict the Widow and the Fatherleſs, and they cry unto me: I will ſurely hear their cry, for I am gracious, Exod. 22.23. Or of any Poor and Needy, as in the Text of James 5.4. The cry of the Labourers are entred into the Ears of the Lord.
1. Theſe Sinners who are guilty of theſe groſs Commiſſions, are guilty of Omiſſions alſo: They have the weight of both ſorts of ſins to preſs them to Hell. A man may be guilty of Omiſsions, as not to believe, not to pray, not to examine his own Soul, &c. and yet be free from groſs Commiſsions; he may be no Lyar, no Thief, no Oppreſſor, no Murtherer, no Adulterer, at leaſt in regard of the outward acts which I intend here: But a man cannot live in groſs Commiſſions, but he muſt alſo live in Omiſſions; the Oppreſſor muſt omit to relieve the poor. He that deſtroys life, muſt neglect to ſave it. Beſides, they who live in ſuch Commiſſions muſt omit Faith and Repentance, which are inconſiſtent with them; they muſt neglect daily to call on God, for prayer would make them leave ſuch ſinning; but indeed ſuch ſinning makes them leave of (though poſſibly they did ſometimes begin to ſeek God in a formal way,) praying. Thoſe in the 5. of James, who oppreſſed the Labourers, who condemned and killed the juſt, (groſs Commiſſions) had their Riches corrupted, and Garments moth-eaten, i. e. were guilty of Omiſſions, would rather their wealth ſhould waſte with ruſt, and their Rayments with moths, than beſtow any on the Poor. Thoſe in the 4. of Hoſ. 1, 2. who were guilty of Swearing and Lying, and Killing, and Stealing, and Adultery, omitted Truth, and Mercy, and the Knowledge of God.
2. Sins of Commiſſion (I mean thoſe groſs Crimes) do more openly dare God than Omiſſions do. By Omiſſions we deny him, but by ſuch Commiſſions we dare him, and defie him. Such Sinners, as it were, bid God do his worſt, they fear him not. They do (at leaſt implicitly) mock at his Threatnings, and deride his Reproofs, and ſlight his Judgments that are executed on their Fellows before their own faces. They ſpeak in the Language of the Jews, Iſa. 5.19. That ſay, Let him make ſpeed and haſten his work, that we may ſee it, and let the Counſel of the holy One of Iſrael draw nigh and come, that we may know it. Theſe jear at Gods Judgments, and mock at his Menaces; they credit not his Comminations, nor expect their Execution. They look on the words of their Prophets as meer wind, and the matter of their Propheſie as a meer mockery. Let him make ſpeed, &c. and the Counſel of the holy One of Iſrael draw nigh, i. e. you have much and long told us, that your holy One, forſooth, who cannot abide ſin, and who is of purer eyes then to behold Iniquity, will execute his Judgments on us for our ſins, and that this is by Counſel eſtabliſhed, and cannot be reverſed; we would willingly ſee theſe Judgments ſo much talked of, and do wiſh that they may haſten, and not linger as they do; for we neither believe you, nor fear them. But who were theſe who ſpake at this deſperate rate? truly thoſe that lived in Commiſſions, who brought forth wild Grapes, Iſa. 5.4. who brought forth filthy, naughty, abominable fruit; in ſtead of Grapes, the Vineyard brought forth Thorns and Briars: Theſe were they who dared the Divine Juſtice, as if they had been incarnate Devils.
3. Groſs ſins of Commiſſion are more directly contrary to the very light of Nature. Indeed it is againſt the light of Nature not to feed the Hungry, and cloath the Naked, and help the Diſtreſſed; but it's much more againſt the light of Nature to oppreſs the Poor and Needy, and ſlay the Widow and Fatherleſs. Becauſe natural light is much more diſturbed by groſs Commiſsions than by bare Neglects; it appears, that thoſe are more againſt a natural Conſcience than theſe. We read, that the natural light of the Heathen did diſcover the ſinfulneſs of their Commiſsion, and condemn them for them, Rom, 1. …lt. And that the Barbarians, by the lig… of Nature, could diſcover the evil of Murder, and how Vengeance, like a Blood-Hound, did purſue the violent man, to take and ſlay him, Act. 28.4. Now that which ſo directly oppoſeth not only Scripture, but Nature, and that which a man will do (as it were) violence to his own Conſcience that he may commit, muſt unqueſtionably be dreadful, and out of meaſure ſinful. As the Apoſtle ſaith, To him that knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is ſin, James 4.17. ult. So ſay I to him that knoweth he ſhould not do theſe evils, and doth them, to him they are ſins, i. e. a wickedneſs with a witneſs. They have more of enmity againſt God, and contempt of his Mind, and have ſadder marks of Divine Vengeance. But what ſins are more againſt knowledge, than thoſe that are not only committed in ſpight of Scripture, but alſo of Nature it ſelf. No Vinegar ſo ſharp, as that which is made of the ſharpeſt Wine. He that knoweth his Maſters Will, and doth it not, ſhall be beaten with many ſtripes. He that knoweth his Maſters Will, is, that he ſhould forbear ſuch ſins, and yet commits them, ſhall be beaten with many ſtripes, Luke 12.
4. Groſs ſins of Commiſsion are more ſcandalous to men, and bring more diſhonour to God. They give greater offence to men, good men are grieved by them. Lots righteous Soul was vexed with the unclean converſation of the Sodomites, 2 Pet. 2.7. David tells us, Rivers of Tears ran down his eyes, becauſe the wicked broke Gods Law, Pſal. 119.136. Jeremiah wept in ſecret for the ſins of Iſrael, Jer. 13.17. Wicked mens ſins cauſe godly mens ſorrow. They need not diſturb the Righteous by their Perſecutions of them, they do it ſufficiently by their Tranſgreſsions againſt God. As theſe groſs ſins grieve the good, ſo they harden the bad: Others are encouraged to dreſs themſelves by ſuch foul and falſe Glaſſes.Jer. 23.14. Vile Sinners preſume their ſtates good though their lives be bad, becauſe they are no worſe than ſuch and ſuch, (poſsibly who are learned, and rich, and therefore counted wiſe men,) and therefore whatever befals them, they ſhall fare as well as others. Alas how many walk more by Patterns than by Commands, and ſo are led by following others to Hell! And how deep will they be damned, who draw others after them to Sin and Hell? They who forſake the Law, praiſe the wicked, Prov. 28.4. i. e. commend them for their wickedneſs, as they who keep the Law condemn them. Groſs Commiſsion diſhonour God moſt; they cauſe others to ſpeak ill of God, and diſgracefully of Religion. Nathan tells David, That by his Uncleanneſs and Murder, He had cauſed the Enemies of God to blaſpheme, 2 Sam. 12. If a Child of God commit one ſuch noiſome act, the wicked quickly take the ſcent, and a Cry is raiſed among the whole Pack, who with open mouth upon this purſue and blaſpheme God and godlineſs. By theſe particulars it appears, that groſs Commiſsions are ſins of the greateſt ſize, and therefore muſt have the greateſt ſeverity. If they are uſed as Baſtards who met not Iſrael with bread and water, how will God uſe them at laſt who meet his people with Bonds and Fetters, with Fire and Fagot? If Chriſt pronounce ſuch a dreadful Sentence in the Text againſt the (Comparative) green Tree, what ſhall become of the dry?