The Sinners Last Sentence, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Ʋſes concerning the hainous nature of Sin, and grievous miſery of Sinners.
Ʋſe. I Shall now apply this Doctrine. It may be uſeful by way of Information, and by way of Exhortation: 1. By way of Information.
1. It may inform us. If the Wicked in the other World ſhall be baniſhed the preſence of Chriſt, then how hainous is the nature of Sin, and how odious to God? God is love it ſelf, and delights in Mercy; yea, takes pleaſure in the Proſperity of men; Joh. 1.4. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. Micah 7.18. Who is a God like unto thee, who pardoneth Iniquity, and paſſeth by the tranſgreſſion of the Remnant of his Heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, becauſe he delighteth in mercy. Therefore it muſt be ſome grievous Crime, and ſomewhat which is very offenſive to him, that provokes him to ſentence them to an eternal baniſhment from him. O how horrid a thing is Sin? It brings all evil, Rom. 2.7, 8. And deprives of all good, Iſa. 59.2. Its formal nature is a voluntary departure from Gods Precepts, Heb. 3.12. Jer. 2.5. And its woful Effect is an eternal total departure from his gracious preſence. His partial temporary departure from his own people, (who are the Objects of his eternal Choice, and infinite Love) which makes them go mourning all the day, and lie roaring all the night, becauſe of their ſins, ſpeaks much of the evil of ſin, but his full everlaſting departure from others, which leaves them naked and ſtript of all Comfort, and expoſed to all Miſery and Miſchief, doth more abundantly proclaim its filthineſs and loathſomeneſs. It can be no ordinary Cloud or Vapour that can obſcure the Sun at noon-day, in all his beauty and brightneſs, and turn the clear day into a black night. And it can be no little or ſmall thing which provokes the Father of Mercy, and God of all Grace to deal ſo ſeverely with the works of his own hands.
2. It informs us of the unconceivable miſery of Sinners; They muſt depart from Chriſt for ever. To depart for ever from loving and lovely Relations, is no mean miſery to them who have no other Kindred than thoſe on Earth. It was no ſmall trial of Abraham to leave his Kindred and Fathers houſe, Gen. 12.1. To depart for ever from dear and intimate Friends, is a ſore trouble to him whoſe heart is knit to them. The failure and diſtance of Friends was grievous to Job, Job 19.13, 14. And David, Pſal. 38.11. To depart for ever from all the Saints, the Children of the moſt high, the excellent of the Earth, from the Members of Chriſt, of whom the World is not worthy, will cut deep in them who have any eyes to ſee the amiableneſs of their Perſons, and any hearts to underderſtand the benefit of their Prayers and Patterns: But to depart for ever from Chriſt, the Prince of Life, the Lord of Glory, the Heir of all things; the richeſt Treaſure, and higheſt Honour, and ſweeteſt Pleaſure, is doleful and dreadful indeed. How may the damned cry out, Ah whither do we go now we are going from thee, thou hast the words of eternal life.
The preſence of Chriſt is the happineſs of the Soul on Earth, Deut. 4.7. I will ſee you, and your hearts ſhall rejoyce. Joh. 16.22. And ye now therefore have ſorrow: but I will ſee you again, and your hearts ſhall rejoyce, and your joy no man taketh from you. No ſuch hearty comfort, as in the gracious preſence of Chriſt. And the preſence of Chriſt, is the happineſs of the Soul in Heaven. I deſire to be diſſolved (though death ſimply conſider'd be not deſirable) and to be with Chriſt. Finis conciliat mediis amorem. His preſence is the Heaven of Heavens. It's the excellency of the new Jeruſalem, that there the Tabernacle of God is with men, and God himſelf ſhall be with them, Rev. 21.3. And the felicity of the Citizens there. They ſhall ſee his Face, Rev. 22.4. In the preſence of Chriſt is all good, and in the abſence of Chriſt is all evil. If it were death to Abſolom not to ſee the Kings face, what death will it be to the damned, to be denied for ever the bliſsful ſight of the face of Chriſt.
If God depart from his people in ſome degrees, (for he is their God ſtill, Pſal. 22.1. Pſal. 88.1.) and but for a time; as a loving Father, to make his Children more ſenſible of their folly, and of the worth of his Favour; How ſadly have they cried out, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? How horribly will they ſcreech and roar, from whom he departs wholly and eternally, as a ſupream and righteous Judge.
It will greatly aggravate their miſery, to conſider theſe particulars:
1. The greatneſs of their loſs. It's not the loſs of an Houſe, or Eſtate, or bodily good, but the loſs of a Soul, the loſs of a Saviour, the loſs of a God; yea the loſs of all good, and that for ever. It's ſuch a loſs as never had its fellow or equal: It's ſuch a loſs as cannot admit of any addition to it. It's a loſs that never had the like before it, nor ſhall have the like after it. It's an incomparable loſs, that the damned may ſay as he, Ye have taken away my God, and what have I more?
2. For how ſmall a thing they loſe the bleſſed Jeſus. If they had loſt Chriſt for ſomewhat which might have countervail'd the want of him, or had in any degree equal'd him, it had been the better; but to loſe a God, a Chriſt, a Soul, fulneſs of Joy, for a little aiery Honour, or bruitiſh Pleaſure; this will cut to the heart. O how will it wound the Soul in the other World to think, for how ſmall a toy, for how pitiful a trifle, have I loſt a Crown of Glory, and Rivers of Pleaſures for ever! Ah what a Fool have I been to loſe Subſtance for Shadows, Bread for Husks, a Fountain of living Waters for broken Ciſterns, their own Mercies for lying Vanities, Chriſtal ſtreams for puddle Water, the choice Dainties of Gods Houſe for the Devils ſcraps, Heaven for Earth, and all things for nothing! Was any in Bedlam ever half ſo diſtracted.
3. It will much aggravate their miſery to conſider, that it was their own voluntary act to loſe ſo much for ſo little. They ſhall then think with themſelves, that this woful condition in which they are, was their own choice. All the power and policy of Earth and Hell could not force them to deſtroy themſelves. The Cords that bind them were of their own twiſting, the Rods that ſcourge them were gather'd with their own hands. The Web in which they are caught, and kill'd, was ſpun out of their bowels. God may ſay to them, as once to Iſrael, Ye have deſtroyed your ſelves, Hoſ. 13. Ye are your own Murtherers. I put your Salvation ſo far into your own hands, that ye could not be damned againſt your wills. Your own Iniquities correct you, and ye are holden with cords of your own ſins, Prov. 5.22. Jer. 4.18. Thy way and thy doings have procured theſe things unto thee; this is thy wickedneſs, becauſe it is bitter, becauſe it reacheth unto thine heart. Jer. 2.19. Thine own wickedneſs ſhall correct thee, and thy back-ſlidings ſhall reprove thee: know therefore and ſee that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou haſt forſaken the Lord thy God.
4. It will exceedingly increaſe their anguiſh, to know perfectly the greatneſs of their loſs. Here they know not the worth of a Chriſt; and thence they are little troubled at the want of Chriſt, but then their eyes ſhall be opened to ſee the Beauty, Excellency, and Amiableneſs of him whom they have loſt, and to ſee the coſtly Delicacies, choice Dainties, pure and perfect Pleaſures which the Godly enjoy in him, and with him; and ſo by the increaſe of their knowledge, will be an increaſe of their ſorrow. They ſhall ſee Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven, they ſhall ſee their Neighbours whom they ſcorned and mocked, for their purity and preciſeneſs in the preſence of Chriſt, in the Arms and embraces of Chriſt, in a ſtate of full Happineſs and perfect Satisfaction, while they themſelves are ſhut out, and denied entrance, Luk. 13.25, 28. The fire of Hell will give them light enough to ſee, as well as heat enough to feel themſelves infinitely miſerable.
5. It will greatly add to their torment and anguiſh to conſider, that they were ſometime near the enjoyment of this bliſsful preſence of Chriſt. Pardon, and Peace, and Love, and Life, and the endleſs fruition of the bleſſed Jeſus were tendered to them, were nigh them, were at the very door of their hearts. They were ſolemnly commanded, lovingly invited, ſeverely threatned, ſweetly allured, and pathetically perſwaded to accept of Chriſt and Grace; yea, and Heaven, and Happineſs, and eternal Life; yea, and their hearts began to relent, and to cloſe with the intreaties of the Goſpel; They were almoſt perſwaded to be Chriſtians indeed. There was but a little, a very little between them and Chriſt. The bargain was driven ſo far, that Chriſt was got into their conſciences, they bore witneſs for him, and warn'd them, if they loved their Lives, their Souls, to accept of him while he would accept of them; yea, Chriſt was got into their Judgments, they gave their Verdict on his ſide, as one infinitely more amiable and elegible than the World or Fleſh; nay, he had poſſibly got into their Affections, they delighted to hear of his great Love to poor Sinners, and of the great things he purchaſed for them with his own blood; and yet though they were ſo near, they came ſhort, and like Ephraim, play'd the part of unwiſe Sons, and ſtay'd in the place of the breaking forth of Children.
O how like a Dagger will it pierce the heart of them that live under the Goſpel, and neglect the great Salvation offer'd to them; when they come to be baniſhed the preſence of Chriſt, and to ſee others, who made Religion their buſineſs on Earth, bathing their Souls in Rivers of Pleaſures, drawing water with joy out of the Well of Salvation, eating of the Tree of Life that groweth in the midſt of Paradiſe, and hous'd in the Arms of their deareſt Saviour, and ſhall reflect and conſider with themſelves, all thoſe Joys and Pleaſures, all thoſe Dainties and Delicacies, all thoſe Robes, and Riches, and Glories, and Felicities, which they enjoy in the preſence of Chriſt, might have been mine; they were freely, and frequently, and affectionately offered to me, I had the refuſal of them; nay, I had a good mind to them, I was not far from the Kingdom of Heaven. There was but a little between me and them, they were at the very door of my heart, and ſtood knocking there for admiſſion, and deſired only hearty acceptance; but like a Fool I dallied with them, and defer'd them, as if hereafter had been time enough, and ſo have loſt them for ever.
6. It will much augment their anguiſh and miſery to conſider, who it is that paſſeth ſo ſevere a doom upon them. This dreadful Sentence is pronounced by Love, and Grace, and Goodneſs it ſelf. He that ſometimes call'd them to him ſo ſweetly, ſo affectionately, now caſts them from him ſo ſharply, ſo furiouſly. He who ſometimes cry'd to them, Come to me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden; and wept over them, O that thou hadſt known, even thou in this thy day, the things of thy peace. He that formerly invited, intreated, beſought them to be reconciled, 2 Cor. 5.20. and ſhew'd them his heart-blood, the price of their Pardon and Life, and ſtretch'd out his Arms to imbrace their returning Souls, will now in wrath, and rage, and flames, and fury, bid them be gone from him, and his Curſe go along with them. And if Love prove their Enemy, ſurely Wrath will not be their Friend. And if Mercy be thus againſt them, ſurely Juſtice will not be for them. Ah how ſorely will it gall the Sinner to conſider, This dreadful doom is denounced againſt me not by an Enemy, or one that hated me, but by a Friend and Father, by one that loved me, and took my nature on him, and ſuffered therein the Laws Curſe, to render me capable of eſcaping theſe Torments which I now ſuffer, and partaking of thoſe Pleaſures which yonder bleſſed Souls enjoy.