The Conversion of a Sinner Explained, Sermon · Application 2 – Application 3
Uſe II. Of Terror.
Whoever thou art, high or low, rich or poor, male or female, that readeſt theſe lines, and waſt never turned. I am ſent to thee from God with heavy tydings; ſuch, as if thou wert not a bruit, a ſtock, would make thee like Belſhazzar, when upon the view of the hand-writing upon the wall, his countenance was changed, his thoughts troubled him, the joynts of his loyns were looſed, and his knees ſmo…e one againſt another, Dan. 5. 6. I am to prophecy not good concerning thee, but evil. I have a roll to deliver thee, but 'tis written within and without with lamentation, and mourning and wo. Thou art perhaps jolly and ſecure, but this is like the mirth and laughter of a ſick man out of his ſenſes, which argues his diſtemper to be the ſorer. Alas! ſinner, Thou haſt not reaſon ſo much as once to ſmile while in a ſtate of nature. How many threatnings are denounced againſt thee? And ſuppoſe thou wert ſurrounded with Cannons, all ready at once to be diſcharged at thee, theſe would be nothing neer ſo dreadful as the threatnings and curſes which the juſt and jealous God has uttered. Open thy eyes and look which way thou wilt, enough may be perceived to cauſe thy heart to meditate terror; above, an angry God; below, a flaming Hell; behind, an innumerable hoſt of ſins purſuing thee; before, Satan and the world leading thee along in the broad way to deſtruction.
But more particularly, I would have theſe following Truths laid to heart.
1. Whilſt thou art unconverted thou art alſo unpardoned. Thou ſtandeſt indebted many thouſand talents, and not ſo much as one mite of all that debt is paid. The leaſt tranſgreſſion does make thee liable to the curſe of the Law, and gueſs then what an accurſed wretch thy many and thy mighty ſins have made thee? Upon thy returning & acknowledging of thy iniquity, God has engaged to do it away, he will lay the load upon the back of a Mediator; but if thou wilt not conſent to be turned, thou alone muſt bear it. Sin is another kind of thing than thou imagineſt. Adams firſt tranſgreſſion in eating the forbidden fruit, which was aggravated becauſe he would have been as God; and he believed the Serpent, and made God a lyar, and which was indeed a rejecting of the whole Covenant of life made with him: Oh! how did it make himſelf to ſmart? and not only himſelf, but his whole progeny are the worſe for it. And if one ſin has brought a curſe upon all the children of men; think, O ſoul, how thou wilt be able to ſtand under all the ſins thou haſt committed. Sin does make the whole Creation groan, it makes the damned to lament and to deſpair, and will be an intolerable load for ever; ſin was found heavy by our Lord, this cauſed his Agony, and made his ſoul exceeding ſorrowful even unto death. Nay, God himſelf complains, that he is preſſed with iniquity, as a Cart is preſſed, which is full of ſheaves. And wilt thou ſinner make light of it? Oh! how heavy wilt thou one day feel it?
2. Whilſt unconverted thou art treaſuring up more and more wrath againſt the day of wrath. Thy ſcores are large already, but every day thou runneſt on the ſcore afreſh; every day thou makeſt new wounds, though conſcience now be ſo ſtupid that it feels nothing. As thy ſin abounds, proportionably the vials of divine indignation grow fuller, which will at laſt be all emptied upon thy head. Unnatural cruelty to be a Devil to thy ſelf! to be thy own ſouls murderer! Thou art continually ſetting thy ſelf at a greatter diſtance from God, and engaging him more and more againſt thee, who alone can be a refuge and ſalvation to thee. Thou wilt perceive at laſt, thou haſt been thy own foe, and acted to thy own confuſion, Jer. 7. 19. Do they provoke me to anger, ſaith the Lord, do they not provoke themſelves to the confuſion of their own faces?
3. Whilſt unconverted, thou rendereſt thy ſelf more and more unmeet for glory and bleſſedneſs. The more impure thou art, the more unfit alſo to ſee God. The abominations which are loved and wrought by thee, do make thee an improper inhabitant for the new Jeruſalem. The inheritance above is an inheritance of Saints, 'tis, as an incorruptible, ſo an undefiled inheritance, 1 Pet. 1. 4. The company is all holy, and ſo are the employments. There is not a vain or ſinful word ſpoken there; nor an impure deſire or thought to be found in any that are above. And what wouldſt thou do there among them, unleſs a change be wrought in thee.
4. If thou turneſt not thou art ſure to die: As life is far off, ſo death is neer. The Pſalmiſt tells us, That God is angry with the wicked every day; and if he turn not, he hath wh…t his ſword, he hath bent his bow and made it ready, Pſal. 7. 11, 12. And when the inſtruments of death are thus▪ prepared, 'tis a ſign God will make quick work, and ſuddenly cut the offender off. Death is called a King of Terrors; and it well deſerves that name, in reſpect of the ungodly. Then their good things are all received, and the evils come upon them, which will never be removed; their torments begin, which will never know an end. So long as God is God, to have God their enemy; ſo long as God is happy, to lye in extreameſt miſery! What tongue can utter, or heart imagine the horror of this? An angry ſin-revenging Lord will lay load upon thee, and yet keep thee from ſinking into nothing; he will uphold thee in thy being, that thou mayeſt be for ever plagued. He will ſhew his mighty power, in holding thee up with one hand, that he may laſh thee with the other, unto all eternity.
Uſe III. Of Conſolation.
You who have obeyed the Call of God to turn, I am commanded to ſpeak peace and comfort to you, Iſa. 40. 1. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, ſaith your God. The unconverted are not more accurſed than you are bleſſed. I have ſeveral things to tell you, which are enough to make your hearts leap for joy.
1. God hath had thoughts of love towards you before the foundation of the world was laid. He did predeſtinate and chuſe you unto the adoption of children, Eph. 1. long before you were. From everlaſting he did deſign to make you his Heirs, and jointheirs with Chriſt unto that Kingdom and Glory, with which the ſufferings of this preſent time are not worthy to be compared. And ſince the love of God towards you is from everlaſting, is co-eternal with himſelf, ſurely it can never in time be changed.
2. God hath juſtified you freely by his grace, through the redemption of Jeſus Chriſt, Rom. 3. 24. As far as the Eaſt is from the Weſt, ſo far are your iniquities removed from you, Pſal. 103. 12. and ſurely that's as far as you can deſire. They are caſt into the depth of the Sea; which argues, when they come to be ſought for, they ſhall not be found; juſt as thoſe things which are caſt into the depth of the Sea, we deſpair that ever they ſhould be recovered. Chriſt has been wounded for your tranſgreſſions, he has been bruiſed for your iniquities, Iſa. 53. 5. And as the▪ Imputation of your ſins to Chriſt did cauſe him to undergo real ſufferings; ſo, the imputation of his righteouſneſs to you, will cauſe a real exemption from that wrath and puniſhment which by ſin you have juſtly merited. Be of good cheer Converts, your ſins are forgiven, and conſequently the curſe of afflictions, and alſo the ſting of death is taken away.
3. You that are Converts it won't be long e're you are all glorified, Rom. 8. 30. Moreover, whom he did predeſtinate them he alſo called, and whom he called them he alſo juſtified, and whom he juſtified them he alſo glorified. The Lord has promiſed, that thoſe who overcome ſhall ſit with him on his Throne. You ſhall not only overcome, but be more than conquerors through him that has loved you. Manſions are already prepared for you, and when you are prepared for thoſe Manſions, you ſhall be received into them. Then, neither the fury nor the favour of the world will be a temptation. Satans fiery darts will not be able to reach you, when once you are gotten into the third Heaven. When you are juſt entring into the new Jeruſalem, you will ſhake hands both with ſin and miſery at the door, and neither of theſe will be able to follow. Tears will be wiped away, and all cauſe of ſorrow will be gone; there will be a clear view of God, without the leaſt cloud; the Sun of righteouſneſs will ſhine for ever without any eclipſe, there will be intire joy without grief, perfect peace without any trouble, compleat holineſs without the leaſt remainder of corruption, a full bleſſedneſs without period▪