The Last Judgment, Tract · Doctrine 24
Ver. 40. And the King ſhall anſwer, and ſay unto them, &c.
Doct. XXIV. is this, That the meaneſt and pooreſt Saints, and moſt deſpicable, and thoſe that are of leaſt reckoning and account with men, are of great eſteem with Chriſt Joſus. He ſpeaks honourably of the leaſt, and counts them his Brethren, as well as the greateſt.
Reaſons. 1. From the Lord Jeſus himſelf. 2. From the Elect Saints which are of leaſt account.
From the Lord Jeſus. 1. He has Choſen them, and more of them then he has of greater perſonages, 2 Cor. 1.26, 27. Jam. 2.5. 2. He has taken their Nature upon him, as well as the greater; the meaneſt that are of the ſeed of Abraham, as well as the mightieſt, John 1.14. Hebr. 2.16. 2. He has died for them, as well as the greateſt, John 10.11. Heb. 2.9. 1 Ti…. 2.5, 6. 4. He has … them with Faith, and made them heirs of the Kingdome, Jam. 2.5. 5. He has undertaker to plead their Cauſe as a …ighty Redeemer, againſt thoſe that deal injuriouſly with them, Prov. 23.10, 11. 6. He has made them all, they are all the works at his hands, leaſt and greateſt; and therefore they are not one preferred above another, but the leaſt of Saints are of as much account as the greateſt, Job 34 19. 7. He humbleth himſelf to behold theſe, and to raiſe them ſometimes out of a low condition, Pſal. 113.5, 6, 7. 8. He has uſed them in the greateſt ſervices: David a Shepherd, Amos an Herdſman, the Apoſtles that were ſome of them Filbermen, in theſe great works. 9. He has remembred them in their low eſtate, Pſal. 136.23. 10. He has rebuked Kings for their ſakes, Pſal. 105.12, 13, 14.
2. From the leaſt and pooreſt Saints themſelves. 1. They have the Goſpel preached to them, and they receive it, Mat. 11.5. Zech 11.11. 2. They are commonly ſuch as are poor in Spirit, Mat. 5.3. with Luke 6.20. 3. They are they that truſt in the Name of the Lord, Zeph. 3.12. 4. They are they that bear his Image, as well as the greateſt. 5. They ſometimes by their wiſdome deliver the places where they live, though they be not regarded for what they …o, Excleſ. 9 14, 15. 6. They are cared for, and looked after, as well as the greateſt, Pſal 68.10. 7. They are taken into Heaven when they die, whereas others, though great, are caſt into Hell, L…k. 6.22, 23. 8. They are called to have fellowſhip with him in his Supper, to the participation of his Ordinances, that others refuſe to partake of, Luke 14.21. 9. They are ſuch as in common Calamities finde more favour then others do, Jer. 39.10. 10. They are they that prize the Lord Jeſus more, and the mercies held out by him more then others. 11. They are commonly moſt humble, and 1 Pet. 5.5. he gives grate to the humble. 12. They are the care of Angels, living Heb. 1.14. and dead, Luke 16.22.
Ʋſe 1. for Information: 1. We ſee that the meaneſt and pooreſt of the Saints need not be diſcouraged with their condition, for however men eſteem of them, Chriſt Jeſus has them in great eſteem. 2. We ſee the ſinfulneſs of thoſe that underv…lue and deſpiſe the poor… Jam. 2. 1-6. they are not of the Spirit of Chriſt Jeſus, for he has them in high eſteem. 3. We ſee that the leaſt of Saints are better and more honourable in their condition, then the greateſt among ſinners. Prov. 12.26. for Chriſt Jeſus highly eſteems of them. 4. We ſee the truth of that John 6.39. for he has the ka… in high-eſteem. 5. We ſee how exceedingly the Lord hambleth himſelf, in that he had in his eye the loweſt of Saints. Oh who is like to him in ſo doing! Pſal. 113.5, 6. 6. We ſee how little the leaſt ſhould be in their own eyes, for they are highly eſteemed of Chriſt Jeſus; and who are they that he ſhould make any reckoning of them? 2 Sam. 7.18, 19. Gen. 32.10. 7. We ſee how unworthily they carry it that oppreſs the poor Saints, and beat them to pieces, and grinde the faces of the poor, Iſa. 3.15. He that thinks highly of them will be highly diſpleaſed with it. 8. We ſee what cauſe theſe poor and leaſt ones of the Saints have to ſet an high price upon Chriſt Jeſus, and highly to eſteem of him that has them in that high eſteem, 1 Pet. 2.7. 9. We ſee how full of holy admirings the leaſt and meaneſt of the Saints ſhould be, that are had in ſuch high eſteem with the Lord, how ſhould they wonder at the Lords grace towards them? Pſal. 113.5, 6, 7. 10. We ſee the truth of that in 1 Sam. 16.7. He ſeeth not as man ſeeth, &c. 11. We ſee what high eſteem we ſhould have of the leaſt of Saints, for Chriſt hath them in high eſteem, and counts them his Brethren, 1 Pet. 2.17. Phil. 2.3. 12. We ſee that it is no matter though we be mean, and deſpiſed of men, for if we be his Elect ones, Chriſt highly eſteems of us.
Ʋſe 2. for Humiliation: 1. That the poor among Saints are ſo little eſteemed. 2. That Chriſt himſelf is no more in price with us, Iſa. 53.3. 3. That we covet ſo after worldly greatneſs, Jer. 45.5.
Ʋſe 3. for Exhortation: 1. To bleſs and magnifie the Lord, Luke 1.46, 47, 48. 2. To do as the Lord does, and to eſteem of the poor as of our Brethren. 3. To come off bountifully to them, as being the Lords Brethren. 4. To bear our poor eſtate contentedly, Phil. 4.11, 12. patiently, Jam. 5.7, 8. and chearfully, Heb. 10.34. for the Lord highly eſteems of us. 5. To admire the Lords mercy, that he will have any regard to ſuch as we, that are leſs then the leaſt of all Saints, Eph 3.8. & chief of ſinners, 1 Tim. 1.15. 6. To prize him above all other beloveds, Cant. 5.10. Pſal. 73.25. 7. To deſpiſe worldly greatneſs without godlineſs, for the poor mans caſe is better, Prov 19.1. 8. To be very humble, for he condeſcends to us herein much. 9 To long for the time of our advancement from Chriſt. 10. To behave our ſelves as thoſe whom Chriſt will thus advance.
Ʋſe 4. for Conſolation: 1. Againſt the worlds contempt of us: what need we care for that? 2. Againſt the meanneſs of our eſtate, that hinders not, but Chriſt eſteems us highly for all that. 3. Againſt the great eſteem other men have in the world: what's that to the eſteem of Chriſt? 4. …gainſt Satans whiſperings, the old Serpents hiſſings, and the Devils perſwaſions that Chriſt regards us not.