Eighteen Sermons, Sermon 7
ROM. 6.23.
The wages of sin is death
THe last day I entred on the Declaration of the cursed effects and consequents of sin, and in general shew'd that it is the wrath of God; that where sin is, there wrath must follow. As the Apostle in the Epistle to the Galathians, As many as are under the works of the Law, are under the curse. Now all that may be expected from a God highly offended, is comprehended in Scripture by this term Death. Wheresoever sin enters, death must follow, Rom. 5.2. Death passed over all men, forasmuch as all had sinned: If we are children of sin, we must be children of wrath, Eph. 1.3. We are then children of wrath even as others. Now concerning death in general, I shew'd you the last time, that the state of an unconverted man is a dead and desperate estate: He is a slave. It would affright him if he did but know his own slavery, and what it is that hangs over his head: that there's but a span betwixt him and death, he could never breath any free aire, he could never be at any rest, he could never be free from fear. Heb. 2.15. the Apostle saith that Christ came to deliver them that through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage. This bondage is a deadly bondage, that when we have done all that we can doe, what's the payment of the service? Death: And the fear of this deadly bondage, if we were once sensible, if God did open our eyes and shew us, as he did Belshazzar, our doom written, did we but see it, it would make our joynts loose, and our knees knock one against another. Every day thou livest, thou approachest nearer to this death, to the accomplishment and consummation of it: death without, and death within; death in this world, and in the world to come.
Not onelyonly death thus in gross and in general, but in particular also.
Now to unfold the particulars of death, and to shew you the ingredients of this bitter cup, that we may be weary of our estates, that we may be drawn out of this death, and be made to fly to the Son, that we may be free indeed. Observe, that Death is not here to be understood of a separation of the soul from the body only, but a greater death then that, the death of the soul and body, We have mention made of a first resurrection, Rev. 20.6. Blessed and happy is he that hath his part in the first resurrection, for on such the second death hath no power. What is the first resurrection? It is a rising from sin. And what is the second death? It is everlasting damnation. The first death is a death unto sin, and the first resurrection is a rising from sin.
And so again for all things the judgments or troubles that appertain to this death, all a man suffers before. It is not as fools think, the last blow that fells the tree, but every blow helps forward. 'Tis not the last blow that kills the man, but every blow that goes before, makes way unto it. Every trouble of mind, every anguish, every sicknesse; all these are as so many strokes, that shorten our life, and hasten our end; and are as it were so many deaths: Therefore however it is said by the Apostle, It is appointed for all men once to die, yet we see the Apostle to the Corinthians of the great conflicts that he had, in 2 Cor. 11.23. saith, that he was in labours abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons frequent, in deaths oft. In deaths often? what's that? That is, however he could die but once; yet these harbingers of death, these stripes, bonds, imprisonments, sicknesses, &c. all of them were as so many deaths, all these were comprehended under this curse, and are parts of death; in as much as he underwent that which was a furtherance to death, he is said to die. So we read Exo. 10.17. Pharoah could say, Pray unto your God that he would forgive my sins this once, and intreat the Lord that he will take away from me but this death onelyonly. Not that the locusts were death; but are said to be so, because they prepared and made way for a natural death. Therefore the great judgments of God are usually in Scripture comprised under this name Death. All things that may be expressions of a wrath of an highly provoked God, are comprehended under this name: All the judgments of God that come upon us in this life, or that to come; whether they be spiritual and ghostly, or temporal, are under the name of death.
Now to come to particulars, look particularly on death, and you shall see death begun in this world, and seconded by a death following, the separation of body and soul from God in the world to come.
1. First, in this life he is alwayes a dying man: Man that is born of a woman, what is he? He is ever spending upon the stock, he is ever wasting like a candle, burning still, and spending it self as soon as lighted, till it come to its utter consumption: So he is born to be a dying man, death seizeth upon him as soon as ever it findeth sin in him, Gen. 2.1. In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die, saith God to Adam, though he lived many years after. How then could this threatning hold true? Yes, it did, in regard that presently he fell into a languishing estate, subject and obnoxious to miseries and calamities the hasteners of it. If a man be condemn'd to die, suppose he be reprieved and kept prisoner three or four years after, yet we account him but a dead man: And if this mans mind shall be taken up with worldly matters, earthly contentments, purchases, or the like, would we not account him a fool or a stupid man, seeing he lightly esteemes his condemnation, because the same hour he is not executed? Such is our case, we are while in our natural condition in this life dead men, ever tending toward the grave, towards corruption, as the gourd of Jonah, so soon as ever it begins to sprout forth, there is a worm within, that bites it, and causes i… to wither. The day that we are born there is within us the seed of corruption, and that wasts us away with a secret and incurable consumption, that certainly brings death in the end: So that in our very birth begins our progresse unto death: A time, a way we have, but it leads unto death. There is a way from the Tower to Tyburn, but it is a way to death. Until thou comest to be reconciled unto Christ, every hour tends unto thy death; there's not a day that thou canst truly say thou livest in, thou art ever posting on to death: death in this world, and eternal death in the world to come.
And as it is thus with us at our coming into the world, so we are to understand it of that little time we have above ground, our dayes are full of sorrow. But mark, when I speak of sorrows here, we must not take them for such afflictions and sorrows as befal Gods children, for theirs are blessings unto them: chastisments are tokens of Gods love: For as many as I love I chasten (saith God.) Affliction to them is like the dove with an Olive-branch in her mouth, to shew that all is well. But take a man that is under rhe Law, and then every crosse, whether it be losse of friends, losse of goods, diseases on his body, all things, every thing to him is a token of Gods wrath, not a token of Gods love, as it is to Gods children; but it is as his impress-money, as part of payment of a greater summe, an earnest of the wrath of God, the first part of the payment thereof.
It's the Apostles direction, that among the other armour, we should get our feet shod, th…t so we might be able to goe through the afflictions we shall meet withall in this life, Eph. 6.15. Let your feet be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. What, is the shooing of the feet a part of the armour? Yes. For in the Roman discipline there were things they called Caltrops, which were cast in the way before the Army, before the horse and men; they had three points, so that which way soever they threw them, there was a point upwards. Now to meet with and prevent this mischief, they had brazen shooes, that they might tread upon these caltrops and not be hurt: As we read of Goliah, amongst other armour he had boots of brasse. To this it seems the Apostle had reference in this metaphorical speech: The meaning is, that as we should get the shield of faith, and sword of the Spirit, so we should have our feet shod, that we might be prepared against all those outward troubles that we should meet with in the world, which are all of them as so many stings and pricks: all outward crosses I say, are so: And what is it that makes all these hurt us? what is it that makes all these as so many deaths unto us but sin? If sin reign in thee and bear rule, that puts a sting into them. It is sin that arms death against us, and it is sin that arms all that goes before death against us. Hast thou been crossed in the losse of thy wife, children, good friends, &c. why the sting of all is from sin, sin it is which makes us feel sorrow. What shall we then doe? Why, get thy feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. Prepare thy self, get God at peace with thee; and if God be at peace with thee, thou art prepared, and then whatsoever affliction cometh, howsoever it may be a warning-piece to another that Gods wrath is coming, yet to thee it is a messenger of peace. Now these outward troubles are the least part of a wicked mans payment, though all these are a part of his death so long as he remains unreconciled, whatsoever comes upon him whereby he suffers either in himself, or in any thing that belongs unto him, they are all tokens of Gods wrath, and are the beginnings of his death. In the 26th. of Levit. and the 28th. of Deut. the particulars of it are set down. But this is that I told you the last time, how that the law of God is a perfect law, and nothing is to be added to it, yet the variety of the curses belonging unto a man unreconciled are so many, that the ample book of God cannot contain them, Deut. 28.61. All the curses which are not written, &c. We read v. 27. The Lord shall smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with Emralds, and with a scab, and with itch. See the diversities of plagues: All these are made parts of the curse. The very itch and scab is a part of the payment of Gods wrath in hell, Lev. 26.26. I will send a sword amongst you, which shall avenge the quarrel of my Covenant, the sword which shall destroy you, that when you shall hear of war, of the coming of the sword, (which the children of God need not fear, all is alike unto them) it shall be to avenge the quarrel of Gods Covenant. The Book of God comprehends not all the curses that are to light on the wicked. And therefore we find in Zachary, a Book, a great Folio-book, every side whereof was full of curses, Cap. 5.2. He said unto me, what seest thou? And I said, I see a flying roll, the length whereof is 20 cubits, and the breadth thereof is 10 cubits. Here's a big Book indeed; but mark what is in it. Sure it is not for nought that the Holy Ghost sets down the dimensions of it: there is something questionlesse in it, the length thereof is 20 cubits, and the breadth 10 cubits: a huge volume. Nor is it a Book, but a Roll, so that the crassitude goeth into the compasse, and this is written thick within and without, and is full of curses against sin. Now for the dimensions of it, compare this place with 1 Kings 6.3. and you shall find them the very dimensions of Solomons Porch: A great place, where the people were wont to come for the hearing of the Word: and not onelyonly in that time, but it was continued to the time of Christ and the Apostles: For we read how our Saviour walked in Solomons Porch, and the Apostles were in Solomons Porch, Acts 5. So large then was this Roll, that it agreed in length and breadth with Solomons Porch, and so many curses were written in it as were able to come in at the Church door. It is as if we should see a huge book now, coming in at the Churchdoor, that should fill it up. Such a thing was presented unto him, and it was a Roll full of curses, and all these curses shall come on those that obey not all the Commandements, all shall come upon them and overtake them. Cursed shalt thou be in the City, and cursed shalt thou be in the field, cursed in thy basket and in thy store, cursed when thou comest in and when thou goest forth, Deut. 28. Till a man come to receive the Promises, till he come to be a son of blessing, till he be in Christ, he is beset so with curses, that if he lie down to sleep there is a curse on his pillow; if he put his money in his cofer, he lays up a curse with it, which as rust eats it out and cankers it; if he beget a child, he is accursed; there's a curse against his person, and his goods, and all that belongs unto him, there's still a curse over his head.
The creditor in this world by the Laws of the Realm may choose whether he will have his debtors person se…zed on, or his goods and chattels: But not so here, this writ is executed against his person, and goods, and all that belongs unto him. So that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God If this be the condition of a wicked man, that his very blessings be curses, what a woful case is it! There's nothing till he be reconciled to Christ but hath a curse at the end of it.
Consider that one place in the Prophesie of Malachy, where the very blessings are accurs'd: not onelyonly when God sends on him the itch, or botch, or scab, or sword, but in blessings, cap. 2.2. he's accursed. If you will not hear, and if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name, saith the Lord, I will even send a curse upon you. But how? See how this curse is threatned: I will curse your very blessings, yea I have cursed them already, because you doe not lay it to heart. Mark, is it not a great blessing that God yet affords the Word, that we yet enjoy it; but if we come to hear but formally, to hear it onelyonly, and lay it not to heart, God curseth this blessing, yea I have cursed it already, saith the Lord. When thou prayest in hypocrisie, thy prayer is a curse to thee. If thou receive the Sacrament unworthily, the cup of blessing is a cup of poyson, a cup of cursing to thee. Stay not therefore one hour longer quietly in this cursed condition, but fly unto Christ for life & blessing: run to this City of refuge, for otherwise there is a curse at the end of every outward thing that thou enjoyest. I have cursed these blessings already. It is as sure as if already pass't on thee. What a woful thing then is it (think you) to be liable to the curse of God!
2. But what's become of the soul now? why, if thou didst but see the cursed soul that thou carriest in thy body, it would amaze thee. These outward curses are but flea bitings to the blow that is given to the soul of an unregenerate man, that deadnesse of spirit that is within: didst thou but see the curse of God that rests upon the soul of this man, even while he is above ground, it would even astonish thee.
1. Consider there are two kinds of blows that God gives unto the soul of an unregenerate man. The one is a terrible blow. The other, which is the worst of the two, is an insensible blow. The sensible blow is when God lets the conscience out, and makes it fly into the face of a man, when the conscience shall come and terribly accuse a man for wh…t he hath done. This blow is not so usual as the insensible blow; but this insensible is f…r more heavy. But as it falls out, that as in this world, sometimes before the glory in heaven, the Saints of God have here a glimpse of heaven, and certain communion with God and Christ, certain love tokens, a white stone, a new name in graven, which no man knoweth but he that receiveth it: And this is the t…stimony of a good conscience, which is hidden joyes: Privy intercourse is between Christ and them, secret kisses: And as Gods children doe as it were meet with a heaven upon earth sometimes, and are, as we read of Paul, caught up into the third heaven, which to them is more then all the things in the world besides: So the wicked have sometimes flashes of hell in their consciences. If you had but seen men in the case that I have seen them in, you would say they had an hell within them; they would desire rather, and they have expressed it, to be torn in pieces by wild horses, so they might be freed from the horrours in their consciences. When the conscience recoyles and beats back upon it self, as a musket o're charged, it turns a man over and over: And this is a terrible thing. This sometimes God gives men in this world: And mark, where the word is most powerfully preacht, there is this froth most rais'd, which is the cause many men desire not to come where the word is taught, because it galls their consciences, and desire the Masse rather, because they say the Masse bites not: They desire a dead Minister, that would not rub up their consciences, they would not be tormented before the time: They would so, but it shall not be at their choise, God will make them feel here the fire of hell, which they must endure for ever hereafter. This is the sensible blow, when God lets loose the conscience of a wicked man; and he needs no other fire, no other worm to torment, nothing else to plague him: he hath a weapon within him, his own conscience, which if God lets loose, it will be hell enough.
2. But now besides this blow which is not so frequent, there is another more common and more insensible blow. God saith he is a dead man, and a slave to sin and Satan, and he thinks himself the freest man in the world. God curses and strikes, and he feels it not. This is an insensible blow, and like unto a dead palsie: Thou art dead, and yet walkest about, and art merry, though every one that hath his eyes open seeth death in thy face. O this deadnesse, this senselesnesse of heart is the heaviest thing as can befal a sinner in this life. It is the cause the Apostle speaks of in the Rom. when God delivers up a man foreign, to a reprobate mind: And so in the Epistle to the Ephes. 4.19. declares such a man to be past feeling: Who being past feeling, have given themselves over to lasciviousnesse to work uncleannesse even with greedinesse. Although every sin, (as I told you before) is as it were the running a mans self on the point of Gods sword, yet these men being past feeling, run on, on, on to c…mmit sin with greedinesse, till they come to the very pit of destruction, they run a main to their confusion. When this insensibleness is come upon them, it is not Gods goodnesse that can work upon them. Who art thou that despisest the riches of Gods goodnesse, not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth unto repentance. It is not Gods judgments that will move them, they leave no impression, as Rev. 9.20. And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship Devils, &c. brass, nor stone and wood, which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk. They repented not, though they were spared, but worshipped Gods which cannot see, not hear no… speak, so brutish were they to be led away by stocks and stones: I think the Papist Gods cannot doe it unlesse it be by couzenage; yet such is their senselesnesse, that though Gods fury be revealed from heaven against Papists, such as worship false Gods; yet are they so brutish, that they will worship things which can neither hear, nor see, nor walk: They that made them are like unto them, and so are all they that worship them, as brutish as the stocks themselves: They have no heart to God, but will follow after their Puppets and their Idols, and such are they also that follow after their drunkennesse, covetousnesse, &c. Who live in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of riot, 1 Pet. 4.2. that run into all kind of excess, and marvel that you do not so too. They marvel (that ye that fear God) can live as ye do; and speak evil of you that be good; call such hypocrites, dissemblers, and I know not what nick-names. This, I say, is a most woful condition; it's that dead blow. When men are not sensible of mercies, of judgments, but run into all excesse of sin with greedinesse: and this is a death begun in this life, even while they are above ground.
But then comes another death, God doth not intend sin shall grow to an infinite weight, His Spirit shall not always strive with man, but at length God comes and crops him off, and now cometh the consummation of the death begun in this life: Now cometh an accursed death.
3. After thou hast lived an accursed life, then cometh an accomplishment of curses.
First, a cursed separation between body and soul, and then of both from God for ever, and that is the last payment. This is that great death which the Apostle speaks of, Who hath delivered us from that great death. So terrible is that death. This death is but the severing of the body from the soul: This is but the Lords Harbinger, the Lords Serjeant to lay his Mace on thee, to bring thee out of this world into a place of everlasting misery, from whence thou shalt never come till all be satisfied, and that is never.
First, Consider the nature of this death, which though every man knoweth, yet few lay to heart. This death, what doth it?
First, It takes from thee all the things which thou spentst thy whole life in getting. It robs thee of all the things thou ever hadst: Thou hast taken paines to heap and treasure up goods for many years, presently when this blow is given, all is gone: For honour and preferment, it takes thee from that; pleasure in idle company keeping, it barrs thee of that. Mark, this is the first thing that death doth, it takes not onelyonly away a part of that thou hast, but all: it leaves thee quite naked, as naked as when thou camest into the world: Thou thoughtst it was thy happinesse to get this and that. Death now begins to unbewitch thee, thou wast bewitcht before, when thou didst run after all worldly things: thou wast deceived before, and now it undeceives thee; it makes thee see what a notorious fool thou wast, it unbefools thee. Thou hadst many plots, and many projects, but when thy breath is gone, then all thy thoughts perish, all thy plottings and projectings goe away with thy breath: A strange thing, to see a man with Job, the richest man in the East, and yet in the evening (we say) as poor as Job: He hath nothing left him now. Now though death takes not all things from thee, yet it takes thee from them all; all thy goods, all thy books, all thy wealth, all thy friends thou mayst now bid farewel: now adieu for ever, never to see them again. And that is the first thing.
2. Now death rests not there, but cometh to seize upon thy body. It hath bereaved thee of all that thou possessedst of all thy outward things, that's taken away: Now it comes to touch his person, and see what then. It toucheth him, it rents his soul from his body: those two loving companions that have so long dwelt together, are now separated. It takes thy soul from thy body: This man doth not deliver up his spirit, as we read of our Saviour, Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit, or deliver their spirits as Stephen did: But here it's taken from them; it's much against his mind, it's a pulling of himself from himself. This it doth.
3. But then again, when thou art thus pulled asunder, what becomes of the parts separated?
1. First, The body as soon as the soul is taken from it, hastens to corruption; that must see corruption: yea, it becomes so full of corruption, that thy dearest friend cannot then endure to come near unto thee. When the soul is taken from the body, it's observed, that of all carkasses that are, mans is most loathsome, none so odious as that. Abraham loved Sarah well; but when he comes to buy a monument for her, see his expression, Gen. 23 8. He communes with the men, and saith, if it be your mind to sell me the field, that I might bury my dead out of my sight. Though he loved her very well before, yet now she must be buried out of his sight. It is sown in dishonour, and it's the basest thing that can be: Therefore when our Saviour was going near to the place where Lazarus lay, his sister saith, Lord, come not near him, for he smells. Job 17.14. I have said to corruption, thou art my father (saith Job) and to the worm, thou art my mother and my sister: As in the verse before, The grave is my house, I have made my bed in the darkness. Here then he hath a new kindred; and though before he had affinity with the greatest, yet here he gets new affini…y: He saith to corruption; thou art my father, and to the worm, thou art my mother and my sister. The worm is our best kindred here; the worm then is our best bed; yea worms thy best covering, as Esay 14.11. Thus is it thy Father, thy mother, and thy bed: nay, it is thy consumption and destroyer also, Job 26. Thus is it with thy body, it passeth to corruption, that thy best or dearest friend cannot behold it, or endure it.
2. But alas! what becomes of thy soul then? Thy soul appears naked, there's no garment to defend it, no Proctor appears to plead for it: It is brought singly to the bar, and there it must answer. It is appointed for all men once to die. But what then? And after that to come to judgment, Heb. 9.27. Eccles. 12.7. The body returns unto the earth from whence it was taken, but the Spirit to God who gave it. All mens spirits, assoon as their bodies and souls are parted, goe to God to be disposed of by him, where they shall keep their everlasting residence. Consider when thou hearest the bell rung out for a dead man, if thou hadst but the wings of a dove to fly, and couldst fly after him, and appear with him before Gods Tribunal, to see the account that he must give unto God for all things done in the flesh: and when no account can be given, what a state of misery and horrour wouldst thou see him in! and this is a silent kind of judging: The last day of judging shall be with great pomp and solemnity. This is a matter closely carried between God and thy self; but then thou must give an account of all that thou hast received: And then when thou canst not give a good account, then is thy talent taken from thee. Why, saith God, I gave thee learning, how didst thou use it? I gave thee other gifts of mind, how didst thou imploy them? God hath given thee wisedome, and wealth; Moral vertues, meeknesse, and patience, &c. these are good things: But mark, whatsoever good things thou hadst in this world, is now taken from thee. If a man could but see the degrading of the soul, he should see that those moral vertues in which his hope of comfort lay, even these, though they could never bring him to heaven, yet they shall be taken from him. As when a Knight is degraded: First his sword is taken from him, then comes one with a hatchet and chops off his golden spurs, and then go Sr. Knave: This is the degrading of the soul before the judgment is received: the moral vertues are taken from him, and then see what an ugly soule he hath: he had hope before, now he's without hope: he had some patience in this world, but he made no good use of it, and now his patience is taken from him: And when thou shalt come to a place of torment, and thy hope and patience be taken from thee, what case wilt thou be in then? Patience may stay a man up in trouble, and hope may comfort a man up in torment; but both these are taken away. This is a thing we very seldome think; but did we seriously consider of this first act of the Judgment before the sentence, we would not be idle in this world.
3. Then lastly, he is put into an unchangeable estate: So soon as ever death lays Gods Mace upon him, he's put into an estate of unchangeblenesse. Such is the terriblenesse of it, that now though he yell, and groan, and pour out rivers of teares, there is no hope of change.
Consider now what a woful case this is. If some friend of this mans should now come to him, would he not tell him, we have often been very merry together, but didst thou but know the misery that I am in, thou wouldst be troubled for me: Half those teares that I now pour forth, would have put me into another place, had I taken the season, but now it is too late. Oh therefore doe thou make use of teares, a little may doe it now, hereafter it will be too late.
That's the thing we should now come to speak of, the second death: But think not that I am able to speak of it now, no, that which is everlasting deserves an hour in speaking, and an Age in thinking of it. Therefore that everlasting torment, horror, and anguish which God hath reserved for those that make not their peace with him (which is easily done God knows) I shall speak of the next time.