Sermons and Discourses Volume 8, Sermon 14
SERMON XIV.Ser. 14. The Uſefulneſs of Conſideration, in order to Repentance.
DEUT. XXXII.29.
O that they were wiſe, that they underſtood this, that they would conſider their latter end!
THIS Chapter is call'd Moſes his Song, in which he briefly recounts the various Providences of God toward the People of Iſrael, and the froward Carriage of that People towards him.
Firſt, He puts them in mind how God had choſen them for his peculiar People, and had by a ſignal Care and Providence conducted them all that tedious Journey, for the ſpace of fourty years in the Wilderneſs,Vol. 8. till he had brought them to the promiſed Land, which they had now begun to take Poſſeſſion of.
And then he foretels, how they would behave themſelves after all this mercy and kindneſs God had ſhewn to them, ver. 15. Jeſurun waxed fat, and kicked, and forſook God which made him, and lightly eſteemed the Rock of his Salvation. Upon this he tells them, God would be extremely diſpleaſed with them, and would multiply his Judgments upon them, ver. 19, 20. When the Lord ſaw it, he abhorred them, becauſe of the provoking of his Sons and of his Daughters; And he ſaid, I will hide my face from them, I will ſee what their end ſhall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no Faith. And ver. 23. I will heap miſchief upon them, I will ſpend mine arrows upon them. And then enumerates the particular Judgments which he would ſend upon them: nay, he declares he would have utterly conſumed them, but that he was loth to give occaſion of ſo much Triumph to his and their Enemies, ver. 26, 27. I ſaid, I would ſcatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to ceaſe from among men; were it not, that I feared the wrath of the enemy, leſt their adverſary ſhould behave themſelves ſtrangely, and leſt they ſhould ſay our hand is high, and the Lord hath not done all this. And he adds the Reaſon of all this ſeverity; becauſe they were ſo very ſtupid and inconſiderate, ver. 28. For they are a Nation void of Counſel, neither is there any Ʋnderſtanding in them.
And in the concluſion of all, he repreſents God as it were breaking out into this vehement and affectionate Wiſh, O that they were wiſe, that they underſtood this, that they would conſider their latter end!
O that they were wiſe, that they underſtood this. What is that? This may refer to all that went before, O that they were wiſe to conſider what God had done for them, and what they had done againſt him, and what he will do againſt them, if they continue or renew their former Provocations! O that they were but duly apprehenſive of this, and would lay it ſeriouſly to heart!
But from what follows, it ſeems more particularly to refer to thoſe particular Judgments, which God had threatned them withal, and which would certainly befal them, if they ſtill continued in their diſobedience. O that they were wiſe, that they underſtood this, that they would conſider their latter end! That is, the ſad conſequences of theſe their Provocations, that by the Conſideration thereof, they might prevent all thoſe Evils and Calamities, by turning from thoſe Sins which would unavoidably bring them upon them.
From the words thus explained, I ſhall obſerve theſe four things.
I. That God doth really and heartily deſire the Happineſs of men, and to prevent their Miſery and Ruin. For the very deſign of theſe words is to expreſs this to us, and it is done in a very vehement, and, as I may ſay, paſſionate manner.
II. That it is a great point of wiſdom to conſider ſeriouſly the laſt Iſſue and Conſequence of our Actions, whither they tend, and what will follow upon them. And therefore wiſdom is here deſcribed by the Conſideration of our latter end.
III. That this is an excellent means to prevent that Miſery, which will otherwiſe befall us. And this is neceſſarily implyed in this wiſh, that if they would but conſider theſe things, they might be prevented.
IV. That the want of this Conſideration is the great cauſe of mens Ruin. And this is likewiſe implyed in the words, that one great reaſon of mens Ruin is, becauſe they are not ſo wiſe, as to conſider the fatal Iſſue and Conſequence of a ſinful Courſe. I ſhall ſpeak briefly to each of theſe.
I. That God doth really and heartily deſire the Happineſs of men, and to prevent their Miſery and Ruin. To expreſs this to us, God doth put on the vehemency of a Humane Paſſion, O that they were wiſe, &c. The Laws of God are a clear evidence of this; becauſe the obſervance of them tends to our Happineſs. There is no good Prince makes Laws with any other deſign, than to promote the publick Welfare and Happineſs of his People: and with much more Reaſon may we imagine, that the infinite good God does by all his Laws deſign the Happineſs of his Creatures. And the Exhortations of Scripture, by which he enforceth his Laws, are yet a greater evidence how earneſtly he deſires the Happineſs of his Creatures. For it ſhews that he is concerned for us, when he uſeth ſo many Arguments to perſwade us to our Duty, and when he expoſtulates ſo vehemently with us for our neglect of it, ſaying to Sinners, Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die, O Houſe of Iſrael? Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life, ſays our Bleſſed Saviour, with great trouble to ſee men ſo obſtinately ſet againſt their own Happineſs; and again, How often would I have gathered you, as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings, and ye would not. And to ſatisfie us yet farther, that it is his real deſire, by our obedience to his Laws, to prevent our Ruine, God does frequently in Scripture put on the Paſſions of men, and uſe all ſorts of vehement expreſſions to this purpoſe, Deut. 5.29. O that there were ſuch a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my Commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their Children for ever! And Pſal. 81.13. O that my People had hearkned unto me, and Iſrael had walked in my ways! I ſhould ſoon have ſubdued their enemies, and turned my hand againſt their Adverſaries. Jer. 13.27. O Iſrael! Wilt thou not be made clean? When ſhall it once be? And to name but one Text more, when our bleſſed Saviour wept over Jeruſalem, how paſſionately does he wiſh, that She had known in that her day, the things which belonged to her Peace!
And if after all this, we can doubt whether the faithful God means as he ſays, he hath for our farther aſſurance, and to put the matter out of all doubt, confirmed his word by an Oath, Ezek. 33.11. As I live, ſaith the Lord God, I have no pleaſure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his ways and live. Turn ye, turn ye, from your evils ways; for why will ye die, O Houſe of Iſrael? So that if words can be any Declaration of a hearty and ſincere deſire, we have no Reaſon to doubt, but that God does really deſire the Happineſs of men, and would gladly prevent their Ruin and Deſtruction.
If any now ask, why then are not all men Happy? Why do they not eſcape Ruin and Deſtruction? And particularly why the People of Iſrael, for whom God here makes this wiſh, did not eſcape thoſe Judgments which were threatned; the Prophet ſhall anſwer for me, Hoſ. 13.9. O Iſrael! thou haſt deſtroyed thy ſelf. And David, Pſal. 81.11. My people would not hearken to my voice, Iſrael would none of me. And our Bleſſed Saviour, Matth. 23.37. How often would I have gathered thee, as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings, and ye would not! And John 5.40. Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life. You ſee what account the Scripture plainly gives of this matter; it reſts upon the wills of men, and God hath not thought fit to force Happineſs upon men, and to make them wiſe and good whether they will or no. He preſents men with ſuch Motives, and offers ſuch Arguments to their Conſideration, as are fit to prevail with reaſonable men, and is ready to afford them all neceſſary aſſiſtance, if they be not wanting to themſelves: but if they will not be wiſe and conſideder, if they will ſtand out againſt all the Arguments that God can offer, if they will receive the grace of God in vain, and reſiſt his bleſſed Sptrit, and reject the counſel of God againſt themſelves, God hath not in this Caſe engaged himſelf to provide any remedy againſt the obſtinacy and perverſeneſs of men, but their Deſtruction is of themſelves, and their blood ſhall be upon their own Heads. And there is no nicety and intricacy in this matter; but if men will conſider Scripture and Reaſon impartially, they will find this to be the plain Reſolution of the Caſe.
So that no Man hath Reaſon to charge either his Fault, or his Puniſhment upon God; he is free from the Blood of all Men; he ſincerely deſires our Happineſs: but we wilfully ruin our ſelves; and when he tells us, that He deſires not the death of a ſinner, but rather that he ſhould turn from his wickedneſs and live; that He would have all men to be ſaved, and to come to the know-of the truth, that He is not willing that any ſhould periſh, but that all ſhould come to Repentance, he plainly means as he ſays, and doth not ſpeak to us with any reſerve, or dark diſtinction between his ſecret and revealed Will, he does not decree one thing, and declare another.
And if this be ſo, no Man hath reaſon to be diſcouraged from attempting and endeavouring his own Happineſs, upon a jealouſie and ſurmiſe that God hath by any fatal decree put a Bar to it from all eternity: for if he had abſolutely reſolved to make the greateſt part of Mankind miſerable, without any reſpect to their Actions in this World, he would never have ſaid, that He deſires that all ſhould be ſaved; he would not have exhorted all men to work out their own Salvation; had he taken up any ſuch Reſolution, he would have declared it to all the World: for he hath Power enough in his Hands, to do what he pleaſeth, and none can reſiſt his Will; ſo that he did not need to have diſſembled the matter, and to have pretended a deſire to ſave men, when de was reſolved to ruin them.
This is the Firſt, that God doth really and heartily deſire the Happineſs of men, and to prevent their Miſery and Ruin. I proceed to the
II. That it is a great part of wiſdom to conſider ſeriouſly the laſt Iſſue and Conſequence of our Actions, and whither the Courſe of Life which we lead does tend, and what will follow upon it. And therefore Wiſdom is here explained by Conſideration, O that they were wiſe, that they would conſider their latter end! that is, what will befal them hereafter, what will be the Iſſue and Conſequence of all the Sins and Provocations which they are guilty of.
And this is a principal Point and Property of wiſdom, to look forward, and not only to conſider the preſent Pleaſure and Advantage of any Action, but the future Conſequence of it: and there is no greater Agument of an imprudent Man, than to gratifie himſelf for the preſent in the doing of a thing, which will turn to his greater prejudice afterwards; eſpecially if the future Inconvenience be great and intolerable, as it is in the Caſe we are ſpeaking of. For eternal Happineſs or Miſery depends upon the Actions of this preſent Life, and according as we behave our ſelves in this World, it will go well or ill with us for ever; ſo that this is a matter of vaſt importance, and deſerves our moſt ſerious thoughts; and in matters of mighty conſequence, a wiſe Man will take all things into Conſideration, and look before him as far as he can. And indeed this is the Reaſon why things of great moment are ſaid to be things of Conſequence, becauſe great things depend and are likely to follow upon them: and then ſurely that is the greateſt concernment, upon which not only the Happineſs of this preſent Life, but our Happineſs to all eternity does depend; and if the good and bad Actions of this Life be of that conſequence to us, it is fit every Man ſhould conſider what he does, and whither the Courſe of Life he is engaged or about to engage in, will lead him at laſt. For this is true wiſdom, to look to the end of things, and to think ſeriouſly before hand, what is likely to be the event of ſuch an Action, of ſuch a Courſe of Life: if we ſerve God faithfully and do his Will, what will be the conſequence of that to us in this World, and the other: and on the other hand, if we live wickedly, and allow our ſelves in any unlawful and vicious Practice, what will be the end of that Courſe.
And to any Man that conſults the Law of his own Nature, or the will of God revealed in Scripture, nothing can be plainer than what will be the end of theſe ſeveral ways. God hath plainly told us, and our own Conſciences will tell us the ſame, that If we do well, we ſhall be accepted of God, and rewarded by him: but if we do ill, the end of theſe things is Death; that indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguiſh will be upon every ſoul of Man that doth evil; but honour and glory and peace to every Man that doth good, in the day when God ſhall judge the ſecrets of men by Jeſus Chriſt, according to the Goſpel.
So that God hath given us a plain proſpect of the different Iſſues of a virtuous and a wicked Life, and there wants nothing but Conſideration to make us to attend to theſe things, and to lay them ſeriouſly to heart. For while men are inconſiderate, they go on ſtupidly in an evil way, and are not ſenſible of the danger of their preſent Courſe, becauſe they do not attend to the conſequence of it: but when their Eyes are once opened by Conſideration, they cannot but be ſadly apprehenſive of the miſchief they are running themſelves upon. If men would take but a ſerious and impartial view of their Lives and Actions, if they would conſider the tendency of a ſinful Courſe, and whither it will bring them at laſt; if the vicious and diſſolute Man would but look about him, and conſider how many have been ruined in that very way that he is in, how many lie ſlain and wounded in it; that it is the way to Hell, and leads down to the Chambers of Death; the ſerious thought of this could not but check him in his Courſe, and make him reſolve upon a better Life. If men were wiſe, they would conſider the conſequence of their Actions, and upon Conſideration would reſolve upon that which they are convinc'd is beſt. I proceed to the
III. Thing I propounded, which was, that Conſideration of the conſequence of our Actions, is an excellent means to prevent the miſchiefs, which otherwiſe we ſhould run into. And this is neceſſarily implyed in the wiſh here in the Text, that if we would but conſider theſe things, they might be prevented. For how can any Man, who hath any love or regard for himſelf, any tenderneſs for his own Intereſt and Happineſs, ſee Hell and Deſtruction before him, which, if he hold on in his evil Courſe, will certainly ſwallow him up, and yet venture to go on in his Sins? Can any Man that plainly beholds Miſery haſtning towards him like an armed Man, and Deſtruction coming upon him as a whirl-wind, think himſelf unconcerned to prevent it and flie from it? The moſt dull and ſtupid Creatures will ſtart back upon the ſight of preſent danger. Balaam's Aſs, when ſhe ſaw the Angel of the Lord ſtanding in the way, with his Sword drawn ready to ſmite her, ſtarts aſide, and could not be urged on. Now God hath given us, not only Senſe to apprehend a preſent evil, but Reaſon and Conſideration to look before us, and to diſcover dangers at a diſtance, to apprehend them as certainly, and with as clear a Conviction of the reality of them, as if they threatned us the next moment: and will any conſiderate Man, who hath calculated the dangerous events of Sin, and the dreadful effects of God's wrath upon ſinners, go on to provoke the Lord to jealouſie, as if he were ſtronger than he? It is not to be imagined, but that if men would ſeriouſly conſider what Sin is, and what ſhall be the ſad Portion of ſinners hereafter, they would reſolve upon a better Courſe. Would any Man live in the Luſts of the fleſh and of intemperance, or out of Covetouſneſs defraud or oppreſs his Neighbour, did he ſeriouſly conſider, that God is the avenger of ſuch; and that becauſe of theſe things the wrath of God comes upon the Children of diſobedience.
I ſhould have great hopes of mens Repentance and Reformation, if they could but once be brought to Conſideration: for in moſt men it is not ſo much a poſitive disbelief of the Truth, as inadvertency and want of Conſideration, that makes them to go on ſo ſecurely in a ſinful Courſe. Would but men conſider what Sin is, and what will be the fearful conſequence of it, probably in this World, but moſt certainly in the other, they could not chuſe but flie from it as the greateſt evil in the World.
And to ſhew what Power and Influence Conſideration will probably have to bring men to Repentance, and a change of their Lives, I remember to have ſome where met with a very remarkable ſtory, of one that had a Son that took bad Courſes, and would not be reclaimed by all the good Counſel his Father could give him; at laſt coming to his Father, who lay upon his Death-Bed, to beg his Bleſſing, his Father inſtead of upbraiding him with his bad Life and undutiful Carriage toward him, ſpake kindly to him, and told him he had but one thing to deſire of him, That every day he would retire and ſpend one quarter of an hour alone by himſelf; which he promiſed his Father faithfully to do, and made it good: after a while it grew tedious to him, to ſpend even ſo little time in ſuch bad and uneaſie Company, and he began to bethink himſelf, for what Reaſon his Father ſhould ſo earneſtly deſire of him to do ſo odd a thing for his ſake, and his mind preſently ſuggeſted to him, that it was to enforce him to Conſideration; wiſely judging that if by any means he could but bring him to that, he would ſoon reform his Life and become a new Man. And the thing had its deſired effect; for after a very little Conſideration, he took up a firm Reſolution to change the Courſe of his Life, and was true to it all his days. I cannot anſwer for the truth of the Story, but for the Moral of it I will; namely, that Conſideration is one of the beſt and moſt likely means in the World, to bring a bad Man to a better Mind. I now come to the
IV. And laſt particular, namely, that the want of this Conſideration is one of the greateſt Cauſes of mens Ruin. And this likewiſe is implyed in the Text; and the Reaſon why God does ſo vehemently deſire that men would be wiſe and conſider, is becauſe ſo many are ruin'd and undone for want of it. This is the deſperate folly of Mankind, that they ſeldom think ſeriouſly of the Conſequence of their Actions, and leaſt of all of ſuch as are of greateſt Concernment to them, and have the chief influence upon their eternal Condition. They do not conſider what Miſchief and Inconvenience a wicked Life may plunge them into in this World, what Trouble and Diſturbance it may give them when they come to die, what Horror and Confuſion it may fill them withal when they are leaving this World, and paſſing into Eternity, and what intolerable Miſery and Torment it may bring upon them to all Eternity. Did men ponder and lay to heart Death and Judgment, Heaven and Hell, and would they but let their thoughts dwell upon theſe things, it is not credible that the generality of men could lead ſuch profane and impious, ſuch lewd and diſſolute, ſuch ſecure and careleſs Lives as they do.
Would but a Man frequently entertain his Mind with ſuch thoughts as theſe; I muſt ſhortly die and leave this World, and then all the Pleaſures and Enjoyments of it will be to me as if they had never been, only that the remembrance of them, and the ill uſe I have made of them, will be very bitter and grievous to me; after all Death will tranſmit me out of this World, into a quite different State and Scene of things, into the preſence of that great and terrible, that inflexible and impartial Judge, who will render to every Man according to his works, and then all the evils which I have done in this Life, will riſe up in Judgment againſt me, and fill me with everlaſting Confuſion, in that great aſſembly of Men and Angels, will baniſh me from the preſence of God, and all the Happineſs which flows from it, and procure a dreadful ſentence of unſpeakable Miſery and Torment to be paſt upon me, which I can never get reverſt, nor yet ever be able to ſtand under the weight of it: if men would but enter into the ſerious Conſideration of theſe things, and purſue theſe thoughts to ſome Iſſue and Concluſion, they would take up other Reſolutions; and I verily believe, that the want of this hath ruin'd more than even infidelity it ſelf. And this I take to be the meaning of that queſtion in the Pſalmiſt, Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? that is, no Conſideration; intimating that if they had, they would do better.
All that now remains, is to perſwade men to apply their hearts to this piece of wiſdom, to look before them, and to think ſeriouſly of the Conſequence of their Actions, what will be the final Iſſue of that Courſe of Life they are engaged in; and if they continue in it, what will become of them hereafter, what will become of them for ever.
And here I might apply this Text, as God here does to the People of Iſrael, to the publick Condition of this Nation, which is not ſo very unlike to that of the People of Iſrael: for God ſeems to have choſen this Nation for his more peculiar People, and hath exerciſed a very particular Providence towards us, in conducting us through that Wilderneſs of Confuſion, in which we have been wandring for the ſpace of above forty years, and when things were come to the laſt extremity, and we ſeemed to ſtand upon the very brink of Ruin, Then (as it is ſaid of the People of Iſrael, ver. 36. of this Chapter) God repented himſelf for his ſervants, when he ſaw that their Power was gone, that is, that they were utterly unable to help themſelves, and to work their own deliverance. And it may be ſaid of us, as Moſes does of that People, Chap. 33.29. Happy art thou, O Iſrael, O people ſaved by the Lord, the ſhield of thy help, and who is the Sword of thy excellency! Never did any Nation ſtruggle with, and get through ſo many and ſo great difficulties, as we have ſeveral times done.
And I fear we have behaved our ſelves toward God, not much better than the People of Iſrael did, but like Jeſurun, after many deliverances and great mercies, have waxed fat and kicked, have forſaken the God that made us, and little eſteemed the Rock of our Salvation, by which we have provoked the Lord to jealouſie, and have as it were forc'd him to multiply his Judgments, and to ſpend his arrows upon us, and to hide his face from us, to ſee what our end will be; ſo that we have Reaſon to fear, that God would have brought utter Ruin and Deſtruction upon us, and ſcatter'd us into corners, and made the remembrance of us to have ceaſed from among men, had he not feared the wrath of the enemy, and leſt the adverſaries ſhould have behaved themſelves ſtrangely, and leſt they ſhould ſay Our hand is high, and the Lord hath not done all this; that is, leſt they ſhould aſcribe this juſt vengeance of God upon a ſinful and unthankful Nation, to the goodneſs and righteouſneſs of their own Cauſe, and to the favour and aſſiſtance of the Idols and falſe Gods whom they worſhip'd, to the Patronage and Aid of the Virgin Mary and the Saints, to whom, contrary to the Will and Command of the true God, they had offer'd up ſo many Prayers and Vows, and paid the greateſt part of their Religious worſhip: but the Lord hath ſhewn himſelf greater than all Gods, and in the things wherein they dealt proudly, that he is above them: for our Rock is not as their Rock, even our enemies themſelves being Judges.
And we have been too like the People of Iſrael in other reſpects alſo, ſo ſickle and inconſtant, that after great deliverances we are apt preſently to murmur and be diſcontented, to grow ſick of our own Happineſs, and to turn back in our hearts into Egypt; ſo that God may complain of us, as he does of his People Iſrael, that nothing that he could do, would bring them to Conſideration and make them better, neither his mercies nor his Judgments. Iſa. 1.2, 3. Hear, O Heavens! and give ear, O Earth! For the Lord hath ſpoken; I have nouriſhed and brought up Children, but they have rebelled againſt me. The Ox knoweth his owner, and the Aſs his Maſters Crib: but Iſrael doth not know, my People doth not conſider. And ſo likewiſe he complains, that his Judgments had no effect upon them, ver. 5. Why ſhould ye be ſmitten any more? Ye will revolt more and more. Well therefore may it be ſaid of us, as it was of them in the Verſe before the Text, They are a Nation void of knowledge, neither is there any underſtanding in them. And the wiſh that follows in the Text, is as ſeaſonable for us as it was for them, O that they were wiſe, that they uaderſtood this, that they would conſider their latter end!
And by parity of Reaſon, this may likewiſe be applyed to particular Perſons, and to perſwade every one of us to a ſerious Conſideration, of the final Iſſue and Conſequence of our Actions. I will only offer theſe two Arguments.
I. That Conſideration is the proper Act of reaſonable Creatures, and that whereby we ſhew our ſelves men. So the Prophet intimates, Iſa. 46.8. Remember this, and ſhew your ſelves men; bring it again to mind, O ye tranſgreſſors! that is, conſider it well, think of it again and again, ye that run on ſo furiouſly in a ſinful Courſe, what the end and iſſue of theſe things will be. If ye do not do this, you do not ſhew your ſelves men, you do not act like reaſonable Creatures, to whom it is peculiar to propoſe to themſelves ſome end and deſign of their Actions; but rather like Brute Creatures, which have no underſtanding, and act only by a natural inſtinct, without any Conſideration of the end of their Actions, or of the means conducing to it.
II. Whether we conſider it or not, our latter end will come; and all thoſe diſmal Conſequences of a ſinful Courſe, which God hath ſo plainly threatned, and our own Conſciences do ſo much dread, will certainly overtake us at laſt; and we cannot, by not thinking of theſe things, ever prevent or avoid them. Death will come, and after that the Judgment, and an irreverſible Doom will paſs upon us, according to all the evil that we have done, and all the good that we have neglected to do in this Life, under the heavy weight and preſſure whereof we muſt lie groaning, and bewailing our ſelves to everlaſting Ages.
God now exerciſeth his Mercy and Patience and Long-ſuffering toward us, in expectation of our amendment; he reprieves us on purpoſe that we may repent, and in hopes that we will at laſt conſider and grow wiſer; for he is not willing that any ſhould periſh, but that all ſhould come to Repentance: but if we will trifle away this day of God's Grace and Patience, if we will not conſider and bethink our ſelves, there is another day that will certainly come, That great and terrible Day of the Lord, in which the Heavens ſhall paſs away with a great noiſe, and the Elements ſhall melt with fervent heat, the Earth alſo and the works that are therein ſhall be burnt up.
Seeing then all theſe things ſhall be, let us conſider ſeriouſly what manner of Perſons we ought to be in all holy Converſation and Godlineſs, waiting for and haſtning unto the coming of the Day of God. To whom be glory now and for ever.