The Sinners Last Sentence, Chapter 31
CHAP. XXXI. The holiest have cauſe of humiliation.
8. IF Chriſt will condemn men at the Great Day for ſins of Omiſſion; I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat, &c. Then it may inform us, That the beſt have abundant cauſe of humiliation; for the beſt have in them abundant matter of Condemnation. O how many are our Omiſſions every day, every hour, and by reaſon of them we are obnoxious to Hell flames? Good Biſhop Ʋſher, who for Piety and Learning, was honoured through the Chriſtian World; though he was early converted, and feared the Lord in his Youth; though he was eminently induſtrious in private, in his Family, in chatechiſing, and inſtructing, and praying often every day with, and for them that were committed to his Charge. Though he was a conſtant Preacher, and that with Judgment and Affection; Though he was ſingularly famous for his many worthy pieces which he wrote in Latin and Engliſh, yet after all this diligence and labour, when he came to die,Uſher's Life. the laſt words almoſt which he was heard to ſpeak, were, Lord, in ſpecial forgive my Sins of Omiſſion. Sins of Omiſſion will at death lie heavier on our hearts than we think for in life. If ſuch a laborious perſon found cauſe of bewailing his Omiſſions, ſurely much more cauſe have Loyterers as we are.
Omiſſions are fruits of Original Corruption as well as Commiſſions: It's from that dead ſtock that we are ſo defective in bringing forth good fruit. Paul layeth his Omiſſions at this door, Rom. 7.17, to 23. In my fleſh is no good. When I would do good, evil is preſent with me, &c. Now whatſoever is the Child of ſuch a monſtrous Parent is loathſome, and calls on us for ſorrow and ſelf-abhorrency. Holy Job did but ſuſpect his Children to be guilty of Omiſſions, of not ſanctifying the Name of God in their Hearts, according to their Duties, at their Feaſts and Meetings; And he riſeth early and offereth Sacrifice, according to the number of them all, Job 1.4, 5. He goeth to God and begs Pardon for them, and the bleſſing of God upon every one of them. It may be, ſaith he, my Sons have ſinned, and curſed (and not bleſſed God, ſo Calvin reads it,) God in their hearts: Thus did Job continually. Now if Job upon a ſuppoſition that his Sons might be guilty of Omiſſions, was ſo conſtant in his addreſſes to God on their behalf, by way of humiliation, acknowledging their Iniquity, and beſeeching his Mercy: What cauſe have we on the behalf of our own Souls, who know that we often offend God by Omiſſions, and know not how often we offend him by them? God may ſay to thee and me, Reader, Is not thy Wickedneſs great, and Iniquities infinite, as he to Job, Job 20.5. Where by Wickedneſs, Expoſitors underſtand Commiſſions, or thoſe Sins by which we prejudice or injure others, and by Iniquities, Omiſſions, by which we neglect, according to our Duties, to relieve others. And Eliphaz calls his Wickedneſs great, becauſe, as I have ſhew'd in the firſt Information, they are in ſome reſpects greater, more hainous than ſins of Omiſſion; and his Iniquities infinite, becauſe ſins of Omiſſion are more numerous than ſins of Commiſſion. Corrupt Nature can much better forbear what it hath an inclination and propenſity to, than do that which it hath a diſlike of, and an enmity againſt.
For their nature I have proved, that they are very ponderous, that they are breaches of a poſitive Law, grieve the Holy Ghoſt, provoke God, defile the Conſcience; yea, and deſtroy the Soul for ever, (how light ſoever ſome make of them,) and for their number they are infinite, beyond all account or reckonings. If they were ſmall ſins, their number would compenſate their lightneſs; grains of ſand are little, but an heap of them together is weighty, Prov. 27.3. The ſand is weighty. In many things we offend all, James 3.2. Now how ſhould the nature and number of theſe ſins humble us every day before the the Lord? What hour is there when we are awake, wherein we may not do more good than we do? When did we in viſiting a Friend, or conferring with a Neighbour, advantage their Souls as we might and ought? Can we ſay that we have been as diligent in our Callings, as watchful and exemplary in our Converſations, as thankful for our Mercies, as fruitful under the Ordinances of God, and as faithful in the improvement of our Talents as we are commanded to be? Do we every day pray and read Scripture in our Cloſets and Families with that holy reverence, humility, faith, ſeriouſneſs and integrity which God requireth? Do not worldly concerns now and then contend with, and juſtle out the Worſhip of the Great God, at leaſt cauſe us to ſlip our Prayers, and adjourn the Scriptures reading till a more convenient ſeaſon? Are we every week-day laborious in our Callings out of Conſcience to Gods Precept, and not out of a principle of Covetouſneſs? Do we ſpend the greateſt part of the day therein, without diverſions, by vain Companions, or needleſs Recreations? Are our Affections in Heaven, and our Hearts above, while our Actions are earthly, and our Hands are buſie here below. And do we deal in all things with others, as we would in the Judgment of ſound reaſon that others ſhould deal with us, Matth. 5.12. Is our daily carriage towards our Relations ſober, pious, affectionate, exemplary, and in all things as becomes the Goſpel of Chriſt? O how many are our Omiſſions, and what millions of them are we guilty of, and therefore they call aloud upon us to mourn for them? Others are in Hell, and muſt weep for ever for them; where their Sighs and Sobs, and Prayers and Tears, will no way advantage them. Bleſſed be God it is not ſo with us; though their Tears will prove their Hell, our Tears, through the blood of Chriſt, may prove our Heaven. Nehemiah, in the day of his ſolemn Humiliation with the Jews, acknowledgeth and bewaileth their Omiſſions, their not hearkening to his Commands, and their not minding the Wonders that he wrought for them, Neh. 9.16, 17. So Daniel, when he faſted and pray'd, and confeſſed his ſins, and the ſins of his people, bewails their Omiſſions, Dan. 9.6. We have not hearkened unto thy Servants the Prophets which ſpake in thy Name, to our Kings, and Princes, and Fathers, and to all the people of the Land, verſ. 10. We have not obeyed the Voice of the Lord our God, to walk in the Laws which he ſet before us, by his Servants the Prophets, verſ. 13. All this evil is come upon us, yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God. What then? why, he judgeth himſelf and his people for theſe ſins, and juſtifieth God in all his ſeverity. O Lord, Righteouſneſs belongs to thee, but to us confuſion of face, as at this day, to the men of Juda and Inhabitants of Jeruſalem, verſ. 7. So again, O Lord, to us belongeth confuſion of face: to our Kings, to our Princes, to our Fathers, becauſe we have ſinned againſt thee, verſ. 8. Omiſſions muſt be lamented in this or the other World; we muſt all be aſhamed of them here or hereafter; and is it not much better to bewail them here, than to bewail them in Hell; to judge and condemn our ſelves for them, than to be judged and condemned by God for them at the Great Day. Ah, at what a cheap rate may a Chriſtian, by Repentance, prevent that blow that will ſeparate him and all his happineſs, and bring him to that Repentance which will ever be repented of, but all to no purpoſe! Oh it's good to be wiſe on this ſide another World.