The Sinners Last Sentence, Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII. Practical godlineſs neceſſary.
Fourth Uſe of Information.4. IF Chriſt will condemn men at the Great Day for Sins of Omiſſion, for not viſiting the Sick and Impriſoned, and not relieving the Hungry and Naked: Then it may inform us, That nothing ſhort of practical godlineſs will ſpeak a mans eſtate ſafe at this Day, or fore-ſpeak his eſtate to be comfortable at that day. The want of this is the cauſe of theſe mens condemnation: They might forbear injuring the Saints, they might ſpeak them fair, bid them, Be ye fed, Be ye cloathed. They might wiſh them well, they might honour and reſpect them (as Herod did the Baptiſt) for their ſanctity and righteouſneſs, yet becauſe they were void of this practical godlineſs, they gave them not wherewith to be fed and cloathed; they are baniſhed the preſence of Chriſt, and adjudged to the Curſes and Company of Devils.
1. A great Profeſſion will not do without this practical godlineſs. Some ſoar high in their Profeſſions of, and pretences to greater ſtrictneſs, and degrees of Grace and Holineſs than others, who alas fall foully often on Earth, and always into Hell, for lack of this practical godlineſs. As ſome great Tradeſmen, who living wholly upon their Credit with others, without any ſtock of their own, quickly break and miſcarry. A Profeſſion is but as the leaves of a Tree (a ſign of fruit) not the fruit it ſelf. There is a vaſt difference between leaves and fruit. Some think that Chriſt had not curſed the Fig-Tree, if it had been without leaves as well as without fruit: But when by its leaves it profeſſed to have fruit,Vide Robinſon, 1. part, 132 and invited him to it in expectation thereof, and diſappointed him, he preſently claps a Curſe on it, that withers it at the very roots. The Phariſees were great Profeſſors, made broad their Philacteries, where-ever they went, would be known for perſons extraordinarily pious and religious, yet how wicked was their ſtate, Matth. 5.20. Except your Righteouſneſs exceed the Righteouſneſs of the Scribes and Phariſees, ye ſhall never enter into the Kingdom of God; and how woful is their Condition? Woe to you Scribes, Phariſees, Hypocrites, (ye live in Omiſſions) ye neglect the great things of the Law, Judgment, Mercy, and Faith, Matth. 23.23.
2. Great Gifts and Parts will not do without this. A man may have choice natural Abilities, rare acquired Accompliſhments; yea, common Gifts of the Spirit of God, and yet for want of this practical godlineſs be damned. What amiable words come out of Balaams mouth, he ſpeaks like a Saint; yea like an Angel? how often have I heard his Propheſies, with great admiration and affection? his Tongue hath melted my heart; and yet he had no good works, for all his many good words; and his lack of practical godlineſs ruin'd him. What ſpecial endowments had they who preached in the Name of Chriſt, and in his Name caſt out Devils, and in his Name did many marvailous works; and yet were caſt to Devils for being Workers of Iniquity, as all are who are void of this practical godlineſs, Matth. 7.21, 23. What excellent Gifts doth the Apoſtle ſuppoſe a man to have the gift of Propheſing, of underſtanding all Mysteries, and all Knowledge, and of all Faith, ſo as to remove Mountains, and yet if he have not Charity, he is nothing, &c. 1 Cor. 13.2, 3. If he love not his Brother, and expreſs it not to his power, by ſpiritual and bodily Charity, (which is part of practical godlineſs) he is nothing in Gods Eye, what ever he may be in the eyes of men.
3. Great Priviledges, with ſeeming performances, without this practical godlineſs, will not do. They who had Tabernacle, Temple, Ark, Covenant, Promiſes, for want of this were deſtoy'd; The Ark could not preſerve them. Afterwards, when they nelected practical godlineſs, the Temple could not protect them. He bids the Jews go and ſee what he did to his place at Shiloh for their Iniquities. He made them monuments of his Fury, who had been patterns of his Pity, when they neglected this practical godlineſs.
How meanly doth God diſcourſe of ſeeming Obedience to his own Inſtitutions, when this is neglected. Though they had his own Divine ſtamp on them, and were ſigns of the ſweeteſt Sacrifice, and the moſt acceptable Service imaginable, and he had often taken delight in them; yet when they left off to do well, obſerve his Language about them. To what purpoſe is the multitude of your Sacrifice to me, ſaith the Lord, bring no more vain Oblations, Incenſe is an abomination to me: Your new Moons and your appointed Feaſts my Soul hateth, I cannot bear them. What ſtrange expreſſions are here of his own Inſtitutions? But what's the reaſon? Truly, the lack of this, verſ. 17. Learn to do well, ſeek Judgment, relieve the Oppreſſed, Judge the Fatherleſs, Plead for the Widow, Iſa. 1.11, to 18. And how peremptorily doth he beat men off from truſting in their Priviledges, as of no advantage without this practical godlineſs. Think not, ſaith the Baptiſt, to ſay within your ſelves, We have Abraham to our Father, (this was a great Priviledge, for with him and his Seed was the Covenant made, and to them were Circumciſion, and the Paſs-over, the Seals of it given,) but what counſel doth he give them? truly, to mind practical godlineſs. Bring forth fruit meet for Repentance, i. e. for all the great priviledge in which you take ſo much pride, and upon which you lay ſo much ſtreſs; yet you can never flee from the wrath to come, unleſs you bring forth good fruit, fruit meet for repentance; ſuch fruit as will ſpeak your hearts to be changed, ſuch fruit as is ſuitable to a renewed nature. This, and this alone is practical godlineſs. The Coherence in that, Matth. 3.8, 9, 10. deſerves our Obſervation. And John ſaith unto the Phariſees, O Generation of Vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come: bring forth therefore fruit meet for repentance. And think not to ſay within your ſelves, We have Abraham to our Father: For I ſay unto you, that God is able of theſe ſtones to raiſe up Children to Abraham. Do not think that God is bound to, and muſt ſave you, becauſe ye are Abrahams Seed, for God can of ſtones make Sons of Abraham. And now alſo the Ax is laid to the root of the Tree, therefore every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and caſt into the fire.