The Last Judgment, Tract · Doctrine 16
Ver. 35, 36. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat, &c.
Doct. XVI. is this, That works of Mercy and Bounty will be highly accounted of, and rewarded by Chriſt at the day of Judgement.
For opening of which, let me ſhew, 1. What theſe works of Mercy and Bounty be, that ſhall be ſo highly accounted of and rewarded. 2. Why they ſhall be ſo accounted of and rewarded. 3. The Uſes.
For the firſt: Thoſe works of Mercy and Bounty muſt be
1. For their Riſe, Fruits of the Spirit, which is the principal Efficient of them; and Fruits of Faith, the inſtrumental Efficient of them, Gal. 5.22, 6.
2. For the Perſon that works them, he muſt be a righteous and good man, Mat. 7.17, 18. & 12.34, 35. otherwiſe all the ſeeming good wor…s that others do, are but ſhining ſins.
3. For the Ground of them, 1. They muſt be done with reſpect to the commandment of God; for if that be not eyed and regarded, that we do what we do out of obedience to the commandment of God, all is nothing, 2 Cor. 9.13. Heb. 13.16. 2. Out of love to Chriſt in his Saints: ſo the Text. 3. Out of love to the Saints, 1 Cor. 13.3. 4. Out of humility, for our fruit is from him, not from our ſelves, Hoſ. 14.8. John 15.5. 5. With reſpect to the Pattern, Luke 6.36.
4. For the manner of Performance of them, 1. They muſt be performed with readineſs of minde, 1 Tim. 6.17, 18. 2. With a willing heart, ibid. 3. With cheerfulneſs, 2 Cor. 9.7. Rom. 12.8. 4. With ſimplicity, Rom. 12.8. 5. With liberality, 1 Tim. 6.17, 18. Prov. 11.24, 25. Iſa. 32.8. 2 Cor. 8.1, 2. Eccleſ. 11.1, 2, 3. 6. With ſpeed, 1 John 3.17. Gal. 6.10. Prov. 3.27, 28. 7. With unweariedneſs, Gal. 6.9. 8. With abundance of compaſſion, Iſa. 58.11. 9. With ſecrecy, Mat 6.3, 1.
5. For the End of them, 1. They muſt be performed with an holy aim at the glory of God, John 15.8. Mat. 5.16. Philip. 1.11. we muſt not aim at our own glory in them, Mat. 6.1, 2. 2. They muſt be performed with an eye to their good that we ſhew mercy to, 1 Tim. 6.18. Luke 6.36. Tit, 3.8 3. They muſt be done with an eye to the honour of the Goſpel, Tit. 3.14. 4. They may be done with an eye to our own good, 1 Tim. 6.17, 18, 19. Eccleſ. 11.1. Luke 6.38.
Q. 2. Why ſhall they be ſo highly accounted of, and rewarded at that day?
Anſ. 1. From the Promiſe of Chriſt, Mat. 6.4. 2. From the Lords love that he beareth to ſuch, 2 Cor. 9 7. 3. From the delight he takes in ſuch ſervices, Heb. 13.16. 4. From the nature of them, they are ſacrifices, ibid. 5. From the honour and glory he has by them, 2 Cor. 9.11, 12. 6. From the reſemblance that ſuch have to him, Pſ. 119.68. Luk. 6.35. 7. From the Saints nearneſs to him, who are relieved: ſo the Text. 8. From that in Mic. 6.8. to love mercy is good in Gods account.
Ʋſe 1. for Information: 1. We ſee that Popiſh works, that were not qualified as we have ſpoken, for Riſe, Perſon, Grounds, Manner, Ends, cannot be called Good Works, not ſhall have any acceptance with God, or reward from him at that day. 2. We ſee what a great grace it is to be of a truly merciful and bountiful ſpirit, for the time will be, that the works that ſuch perform ſhall be highly accounted of, and rewarded at that day. 3. We ſee that on the contrary, unmerciful ones ſhall be of no account, nor have any reward at that day, Jam 2.13. 4. We ſee what high account we ſhould have of the works of mercy, for Chriſt will have them in high account at the great day. 5. We ſee what great reaſon we have to be forward in works of Mercy and Bounty, for he will highly account of them, and reward them at that day. 6. We ſee why we ſhould provoke one another to love and to good works, Heb. 10 24. 7. We ſee what an high price the Lord ſets upon Faith, when as he accounts ſo highly of the fruits of it, 2 Pet. 1.1. 8. We ſee what an high account we ſhould have of what Chriſt hath done for us, in that Bountiful, Charitable, and Merciful work of his, in giving his life for us; we can never enough prize it and admire it, 1 John 4.9, 10. 9. We ſee the marvellous grace of the Lord Jeſus, that he will ſo highly account of any thing we do this way: Alas! we deſerve that he ſhould loath us, and all we do. 10. We ſee, that if our works of mercy be ſo accounted of by him; Oh what account ſhould we ſet upon his Mercy in Spiritual, Temporal, and Eternal things!
Ʋſe 2. for Humiliation: 1. That we are ſo hardly drawn to come off with works of Bounty and Mercy to his poor ones, 1 John 3.17. 2. To thoſe that conſider not the loſs of merciful men, Iſa. 57.1.
Ʋſe 3. for Terrour: 1. To thoſe that are cruel to them. 2. To thoſe that are Hypocrites, Jam. 2.14, &c.
Ʋſe 4. for Exhortation: 1. To be of a merciful ſpirit, and to love mercy, Luke 6.36. Micah 6.8. we ſhall not be loſers by it. 2. To encourage others in a way of mercy. 3. To hope the beſt of merciful men, though we cannot ſee ſo much in other things as we deſire. 4. To thoſe that are merciful, to long for that day, for it will be then well with them. 5. To grow up in works of mercy more and more, 1 Theſſ. 4.9, 10. 6. To be unwearied in works of mercy, Gal. 6.9. 7. To be patterns of Bounty and Mercy, Job 31.16-22. 8. To admire the Lords mercy, that he ſhould ſo farre reſpect any thing that we do.
Ʋſe 5. for Conſolation: 1. Againſt our many failings in our beſt works. 2. Againſt the want of clear apprehenſions of Gods love and favour: Works of Mercy are fruits of Faith, and will be highly prized at that day. 3. Againſt others hard conceits of us: look we to a ſpirit of Bounty and Mercy, and if we be ſincere therein, Chriſt will own us.