A Heaven or Hell Upon Earth, Conclusion – Poem
The Concluſion.
THus have I finiſhed all the Doctrines which I raiſed from the words of my Text. I hope I have not been all this while beating the Air, or Plowing upon a Rock, and loſing my Labour. My Hearts deſire and Prayer to God for this whole Congregation, is, that they may be Awakened, Converted, Built up, and Saved! I have ſpoken many words to you.
Now I ſhall addreſs my ſelf unto Conſcience within you, and deſire it to ſpeak all my words over again. Satan be dumb and tempt no more! Or if he will not be dumb, be you deaf to his Temptations. Be ſilent, O thou Fleſh, and perſwade no more unto that which is unto the Souls Ruine! But let Conſcience be heard in what it ſpeaks in the Name, and from the Word of God.
O Conſcience, rouze up thy ſelf, underſtand thy Power, know thy Office, lift up thy Voyce, and do thy Duty. Tell this Congregation thou haſt ſomething to ſay to every Mothers Child of them, and command them to hear thee, or elſe threaten to Reproach them in Hell for ever for their refuſing to hearken.
1. Then ſpeak unto the Ignorant. Cauſe a dreadful ſound in their Ears, (l)Hic conſentiamus mala facinora conſcientia flagellari; multos fortuna liberat poenâ, metu neminem; quia infixa nobis ejus rei averſatio eſt quam natura damnavit; ideo nanquam fides latendi fit etiam latentibus; quia coarguit illos conſcientia & ipſos ſibi ostendit. Seneca. Epiſt. 97.Tell them that their danger is greater, becauſe they do not apprehend their danger; and that if they are Ignorant of God and Chriſt, they have none of that Knowledge, which is Life Eternal, John 17. 3. Say, How long ye ſimple ones will ye love ſimplicity! and Fools hate Wiſdom! Turn you at my Reproof; and uſe the means to obtain Underſtanding, and eſpecially ask it of God, that he may pour out his Spirit unto you, and make known his Words unto you, Prov. 1. 22, 23.
Tell the Ignorant that the Devil is the Ruler of the darkneſs of this World, and therefore thoſe that are in darkneſs are under the Devils power; bid them look unto Chriſt Jeſus for Light, and for Redemption, that they may be reſcued out of Satans hand, and made free indeed.
2. Speak, O Conſcience, to the Profane, tell them that 'tis not more certain that God is Holy than that he is their Enemy; they Declare themſelves open Rebels againſt the great and glorious Majeſty of Heaven and Earth: And he has threatned to break ſuch with a Rod of Iron, and to daſh them in pieces like a Potters Veſſel, Pſal. 2. 9. Tell the Notorious Drunkards and Swearers, and Whore-mongers, and Sabbath-breakers, that their ſins at laſt will find them out, that wickedneſs will be found, and felt to burn as the fire, and that God muſt needs be infinitely too hard for all that harden themſelves againſt him.
Oh, call unto theſe Frantick, ſelf-deſtroying ſinners to ſtop preſently, leſt the very next ſtep be into the bottomleſs Pit of woe, out of which there can be no Recovery. Roar in the Ears of thoſe Ranting, Roaring Fellows, and let them not Eat, or Drink, or Sleep, much leſs ſin in quiet, for thee; tell them that there is but an hairs breadth between them and Death, between them and Hell; and inform them that 'tis poſſible, even for the moſt Profane to be ſaved, if they come and ſubmit to the Lord Jeſus, and break off their ſins by Righteouſneſs.
3. O Conſcience, ſpeak unto the Civilized ſinners that truſt in their own Righteouſneſs. Tell them that the Prophet counted his Righteouſneſſes as filthy Rags, Iſa. 64. 6. And ask them how they dare to truſt in theirs? Convince them, that 'tis not enough to eſcape the more ſcandalous wickedneſſes, for the Phariſee was not an Extortioner, nor Ʋnjuſt, nor an Adulterer, he Faſted and Prayed, and gave Tithes of all that he Poſſeſſed, and yet all this could not Juſtifie him.
Tell them that they are not ſo whole, but they need Chriſt the Phyſitian, and muſt needs die without him as well as others: Tell them that their very Hearts muſt be renewed, and taken off from ſin and the Creature, and turned unto God, elſe they muſt of Neceſſity periſh.
4. Speak, O Conſcience, unto Hypocritical Profeſſors, tell them that that which is highly eſteemed among Men is abomination many times in the ſight of God: Say to them in the words of the Apoſtle, and be ſure to ſpeak home, Gal. 6. 7, 8. Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatſoever a Man Soweth, that ſhall he alſo Reap: He that ſoweth unto the Fleſh, ſhall of the Fleſh Reap Corruption.
Tell them that their Secret ſins, their ſecret Intemperance, and Uncleanneſs, and Diſhoneſt dealing is ſet in the Light of Gods Countenance, and though they may ſhut their own Eyes, and not ſee God, yet they cannot ſhut Gods Eyes, nor hinder him from ſeeing them: Tell them that Hypocriſie is moſt hateful, and that as Hell is prepared for the Devil and his Angels, ſo in a ſpecial manner for the Hypocrite and the Unbeliever.
5. O Conſcience, ſpeak unto the Rich in this world, and tell them how hard 'tis for them to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, and as long as they love the World, and deſire it more than Communion with God, 'tis utterly impoſſible.
Bid them to think of the Rich Man in the Goſpel, that went from a great Eſtate, and from a full Table, and a brave Houſe, and ſumptuous Fare, unto a place of Torment: Put them in mind that the Love of Money is the root of all evil, and that wealth has proved unto Millions, onelyonly like a weight to ſink them into Deſtruction and perdition. Bid them mind a Treaſure in Heaven, which is infinitely better than Gold and Silver which are Corruptible.
6. Speak, O Conſcience, to the Poor, and tell them 'twill be ſad for them to be miſerable in both Worlds; 'twill be ſad to receive evil things here, and ten thouſand times worſe hereafter. Bid them take heed of Lying and Stealing, and truſting in any ſinful courſe for a Livelihood, but perſwade them to ſeek firſt the Kingdom of God and his Righteouſneſs, that all other things which are needful may be added to them, Mat. 6. 33.
Charge them to be Poor in Spirit, to be contented with their Condition without murmuring againſt God, or envying at thoſe who have more than themſelves; and above all things to endeovour that they may be rich towards God; Rich in Faith, and then they will be Heirs of the Kingdom, which the Lord has promiſed to them that Love him, James 2. 5.
7. O Conſcience, ſpeak unto Traders of all ſorts, tell them, that falſe Weights, and Meaſures, and Balances are an abomination in the ſight of God. When they are about to Cheat, give them a check, and aſſure them that an Eſtate gotten by fraud is attended with a Curſe.
Be with them in their Shops, and at the Exchange, obſerve how they Buy and Sell, and examine all their gains; bid them to mete the ſame meaſure unto others, that they would have mete unto themſelves; and to do as they would be done unto, Mat. 7. 12.
Tell them that 'tis the height of Madneſs to venture the loſing of their Souls for a pound, or for a ſhilling, or for Six-pence unjuſtly gained, ſince Chriſt, who knew the value of Souls, ſays, that a Soul is more worth than the World, and all the Wealth of it put together.
8. Speak, O Conſcience, unto Back-ſliders, tell them that it had been better for them never to have known the way of Truth and Righteouſneſs, than after they have known it to turn from the Holy Commandment delivered to them, 2 Pet. 2. 21.
Call them Dogs for returning to their Vomit, and Swine, for wallowing again in their former Mire. Tell them that where there was but one unclean Spirit before, they are likely to be poſſeſſed with ſeven now; and the latter end will be worſe with them than the beginning.
9. O Conſcience, ſpeak unto them that are truly humbled for ſin, and are willing to have Chriſt upon any terms, and tell them that God is rich in Mercy, ready to forgive freely the Debt of many thouſand Talents.
Theſe are the Sons of Peace, and therefore let thy Peace, and thy Lords Peace come and abide upon them. (m)Futurae beatudinis non eſt certius teſtimonium quam bona conſcientia; mundus enim volubilitate circumvoletur, ploret, ridea pereat, tranſeat; nunquam conſcientia merceſſit. Bernard. lib. de Conſcen. c. 4.Thoſe that mourn for their Iniquities, and hate every falſe way, and are deſirous to be waſhed and Sanctified by the Spirit of Chriſt, as well as Juſtified and reconciled by his Blood: oh, be ſure to comfort them, tell them that the Lord will not break the bruiſed Reed, nor quench the ſmoaking Flax, untill he ſend forth Judgment unto Victory, Mat. 12. 20. Bid them not to be caſt down, not to be diſquieted, but to hope in the Lord, and praiſe him, who is ſo nigh to them that are of broken Heart, and ſaveth ſuch as be of a contrite Spirit.
10. Laſtly, O Conſcience, ſpeak one word to the Preacher himſelf; and ſpeak effectually. Thou that Teacheſt others, be ſure to Teach and Learn thy ſelf. Practice not the ſins thou cryeſt out againſt, neglect not the Duties thou urgeſt others to perform. Be not like thoſe who dig in Mines, and enrich others, but are poor themſelves: Or like that Statue in Greece, which ſhewed the way to Thebes and Athens, but it ſelf ſtirred not. Oh, take heed, leſt after thou haſt Preached Chriſt and Conſcience unto others, thou thy ſelf be found a caſt-away.
FINIS.
A Poem out of Mr. George Herbert, Called Longing, pag. 142, 143, 144, 145.
WIth ſick and Famiſht Eyes,
With doubling Knees and weary Bones,
To thee my cries,
To thee my groans,
To thee my ſighs, my Tears aſcend▪
No end?
My Throat, my Soul is hoarſe;
My heart is wither'd like a ground
Which thou doſt curſe.
My thoughts turn round,
And make me giddy: Lord, I fall,
Yet call.
From thee all pity flows.
Mothers are kind, becauſe thou art,
And doſt diſpoſe
To them apart:
Their Infants them, and they ſuck thee
More free.
Bowels of pity, hear!
Lord of my Soul, love of my mind,
Bow down thine ear!
Let not the wind
Scatter my words, and in the ſame
Thy Name!
Look on my ſorrows round!
Mark well my Furnace! O what flames,
What heats abound!
What griefs, what ſhames!
Conſider Lord; Lord, bow thine ear,
And hear!
Lord Jeſu, thou didſt bow
Thy dying head upon the Tree:
O be not now
More dead to me!
Lord hear! Shall he that made the ear,
Not hear?
Behold, thy duſt doth ſtir;
It moves, it creeps, it aims at thee:
Wilt thou deferr
To ſuccour me,
Thy pile of duſt, wherein each crumb
Says, Come?
To thee help appertains.
Haſt thou left all things to their courſe,
And laid the reins
Upon the horſe?
Is all lockt? hath a ſinners plea
No key?
Indeed the World's thy book,
Where all things have their leaf aſſign'd:
Yet a meek look
Hath interlin'd.
Thy board is full, yet humble gueſts
Find neſts.
Thou tarrieſt, while I die,
And fall to nothing: thou doſt reign,
And rule on high,
While I remain
In bitter grief; yet I am I ſtil'd
Thy child.
Lord, didſt thou leave thy throne,
Not to relieve? how can it be,
That thou art grown
Thus hard to me?
Were ſin alive, good cauſe there were
To bear.
But now both ſin is dead,
And all thy promiſes live and bide:
That wants his head;
Theſe ſpeak and chide,
And in thy boſome pour my tears,
As theirs.
Lord JESU, heal my heart,
Which hath been broken now ſo long,
That ev'ry part
Hath got a tongue!
Thy beggers grow; rid them away
To day.
My love, my ſweetneſs, hear!
By theſe thy feet, at which my heart
Lies all the year,
Pluck out thy dart,
And heal my troubled breſt, which cries,
Which dyes.
End of the text · Nathanael Vincent, A Heaven or Hell Upon Earth (1676)