Religion Our True Interest, Chapter 20
CHAP. XX. Containing the Epiphonema, or shutting up of the Chapter.
MAL. III. 18.
Then shall ye return, and discern between the Righteous and the Wicked, between him that Serveth God, and him that Serveth him not.
HEre follows the close of the Chapter, which I shall little more than Paraphrase upon. These words are spoken to the wicked, as Piscator, Calvin, Grotius, and other learned Expositors assert: for though the Godly shall at last discern what a difference God makes between them and the Wicked, how Indulgent he is to the one, and how Severe to the other; yet this Text is chiefly spoken to the Wicked, vers. 14. Ye have said it is vain to Serve God; and vers. 15. Now we call the Proud happy, yea they that work Wickedness are set up: Well saith God, though now ye call the Proud happy and the Godly indiscreet, yet when I have made up my Jewels, then you Wicked ones shall see clearly what a Difference I make between the Righteous, and the Wicked, between him that Serveth God and him that Serveth him not.
Then, when it is too late, when the day of Grace is past, and the Draw-bridge of Mercy is pulled up, then shall ye discern a difference between the Holy and the Prophane.
The Wicked at present have their Eyes shut, Deut. 29.4.1 Doct▪ The Lord hath not given you an Heart to perceive, and Eyes to see, and Ears to hear unto this day. Natural men have the Sword upon their right Eye, Zach. 11.17. They see no difference between the Pious and the Impious, they see not but it fares as well with the Wicked as the Righteous; nay, it seems to fare better, the wicked flourish, Psalm 73.12. These are the ungodly who prosper in the World, they increase in riches; whereas they that Pray and Fast, are Oppressed. The Wicked bless themselves, and think they are now in a better condition than the Righteous; the matter is not to be wondred at, for the God of this World hath blinded the minds of Sinners, 2 Cor. 4.4. But at last their eyes shall be opened: and that brings me to the second;
2 Doct.That there is a time shortly coming, when Impious flagitious Sinners shall see a sensible difference between the Godly and the Wicked. Vertetur alea, the Tables will then be turned: Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked.
Quest.When is the time when the Eyes of Sinners shall be opened, and they shall see a difference between the Righteous and the Wicked?
Answ.There are two times when Sinners shall see a manifest difference between the Righteous and the Wicked.
1. At the day of Judgment.
2. At the hour of Separation.
1. At the day of Iudgment; That will be a day of Discrimination *Videbitis in die iudicii quantum diversa sit sors pii & impii, Grotius.. Things will then appear in their proper colours; the difference will easily be seen between good and bad; the one being Absolved, the other Condemned.
2. At the hour of Separation; When God shall Eternally Separate the Reprobate from the Elect, as a Fan separateth the Chaff from the Wheat, then shall there be a visible discerning between the Righteous and the Wicked, Mat. 25.32. Before him shall be gathered all Nations, and he shall separate them one from another, as a Shepheard divideth the Sheep from the Goats. Jesus Christ will take his Saints up with him into Glory, and will cast the Wicked down to Hell: He will make up the Godly as Iewels, and make up the Wicked in Bundles, Mat. 13.30. Bind them in Bundles and burn them *Impii exoriuntur ut exurantur. Austin.. Now Sinners shall be convinced with a Vengeance, that the State of the Righteous and Wicked is different: They shall see the Righteous advanced to a Kingdom, and themselves cast into a Fiery Prison. O the dreadfulness of that place of Torment! — Et vox et verba deficiunt— Could men lay their Ears to the Infernal Lake, and but for one hour hear the Groans and Shrieks of the Damned, they would tell us that they now see what before they would not believe, the infinite difference between the Righteous and the Wicked *Spelaea nefarij intrant, ardenti Phlegetonte natant.. In Hell is Torment upon Torment, Blackness of darkness, Jude 13. Bonds and Chains, 2 Pet. 2.4. These Chains are Gods Decree ordaining, and his Power binding men under Wrath; and that which doth accent and put a Sting into the Torments of the wicked is, that they shall be always Scorching in the Torrid Zone of Gods Wrath, Revel. 14.11. The Smoak of their Torment ascendeth up for ever and ever. Christ said of his Suffering on the Cross, It is finished; But Sinners shall never say of their Sufferings in Hell, they are finished: no, imagine so many thousand Years the Damned have lain in Hell as there are drops in the Sea, Eternity is yet to begin.
1 Vse.This may inform all wicked men, that (how Blind soever they are now, yet) at last the Vail shall be taken from their Eyes: They now count themselves the only happy men, and look upon the People of God with Derision, they load them with Invectives, and Curse them with their Excommunications: Well, the time is not far off, when the Wicked shall clearly discern who belong to Christ, and who belong to the Devil; as Moses said to Korah and his Company, Numb. 16.5. To morrow the Lord will shew who are his: So at the day of Judgment the Lord will shew who are his, and who are not; nay, sooner than so; at the day of Death the Wicked shall guess how it is like to be with them to Eternity.
O that the Eyes of Sinners may be speedily opened, that they may in time see the difference of things, the Beauty that is in Holiness, and the Prodigy of madness that is in Sin.
Consolation to the Righteous. Though at present they are slighted,2 Vse. and have the Odium of the World cast upon them, yet shortly God will make a Visible difference between them and the Wicked; as it was with Pharaohs two Officers, the Butler and the Baker; at first there seemed to be no difference between them, but within a while there was a difference made; the chief Butler was advanced to Honour, but the chief Baker was Executed, Gen. 40.21. So though now Gods People are low and despised, and the Wicked Insult over them, yet when the Critical-day comes, there shall be a final Separation made between the Righteous and the Wicked: the one shall be Dignified, the other Damned, Mat. 25.46.
Be encouraged therefore, O ye Saints of God, to persist in a course of Holiness; though now ye seem to be lower-most, yet in the Resurrection ye shall be uppermost, Psalm 49.14. The Righteous shall have Dominion over them in the Morning; They shall have Dominion over the Wicked in the Morning of the Resurrection. They shall then Laugh the Wicked to Scorn, Psalm 52.6. Then shall the difference be seen between the Righteous and the Wicked, between him that Served God and him that Served him not.