The Last Judgment, Tract · Doctrine 26
Ver 41. Then ſha… be ſay alſo unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye curſed, into everlaſting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels.
Doct. XXVI. is this, That wicked men and Reprobates ſhall be caſt out of Chriſts Preſence, and be bid to Depart from him at the laſt day: Matth. 7.23. Luke 13.27. 2 Theſſ. 1.9.
Reaſons. 1. They have ſaid to t…e Lord Depart from …, Job 21.14, 15. and theref…r… … ſay to them … me, what wonder is it? See Mal. 3.14. 2. They are wor… …f iniquity, Mat. 7.23 Luke 13.27. and what …ould … in his prefence? they are n… for nothing but to be c…t out. 3. They are Curſed: ſo the …ext. And what ſhould t…y do in the preſence of that Bleſſed One? 4. They have departed from his O…dinances, Mal. 3.7. and what then c…n they ex…ect, but that …e ſhould b…d them depart from him at that day? 5. They have been … to hi… in his Members and Brethren: ſo the Text; and h…ve troubled them, 2 Theſſ 16, 9. 6. They …ave had no fellowi… with … in any of his holy Inſtitutions here: they have been at his Houſe, at his Word, at his …, at private Meetings it may be, have drawn near with their lips, and eats, and outward man, but their hearts have been f…rre from him, Iſa. 29.13. Jer. 12.2. and how can they expect any other, but that he ſhould put them …arre from him at that day? 7. They have turned their backs of him, and of … way…s, Jer. 2.27. & 32 33. and if …e turn them ou… of his …e…ence at that day, what wo…der is it? 8. They … been rebellious to h…m, and never well, but …en t…y were conſpir…g and plotting ſo…e … him, and ſindying ſo…e de…ign or ot…er agai…ſt H…, his Crown a…d … g…ity, and harching one rebellion or other …gainſt him, Iſa. 30 9. Jer 4.17. & 5.23 Eze… 2.7. Deut. 9 7. and …f this King …urn ſuch R…bels out or his …, it is …o other then …ey might e…p…t. 9. The would not …ve …im to rule over them, Luke 19 27. and therefore …f this King turn them out of …is Pr…ence, what wonder is it? …. T…ey have departed from is people J…e ver 19. and have ſ…parated them from their company, Luke 6 22. and … it any marvel that be bids them de…art at that day? 1…. T…ey have ſome of the… departed from the Pr…f… on …f Rel… gion that they have m…de, gone backward, Zeph. 1.6. Heb. 10.38 39. and what can ſuch …k for, but to …ear hi… ſay, De…art …rom …e? 12. They have … of them … ande to …rooked wayes, (ſubtile wayes, S…rpentin… way…s, curious wayes, wayes that they cannot …et on of) P…al. 125.5. and if he turn them going, what wo…der is it? 13. They have turned away their …, from their Brethren, and hid themſelves from their own …, contrary …o I…a. 58.7 ſent Widows away empty. J…. 22.9. … T…y have gone away from ſo much as a form of godlineſs have been openly …a…e and ſcandalous ſo…e …f them, Iſa. 3 …, 15. They have departed from the truth of Chriſt, 2 …et. 2.2, 16. They have abhorred his holy dayes, wherein (if …ver) Communion is to be had with him.
Ʋſe 1. for Information: 1. We ſee how righteous the Lord Jeſus is to the Reprobates and wicked men, and how equal his wayes are: they would none of him, and he will none of them at that day; they bid him Depart, and he does the like to them. 2. We ſee that evil men, though they brave it and flouriſh it here, yet will be in an evil caſe at that day: for this departing from Chriſt has all evil in it, Iſa. 3.11. But of that more hereafter. 3. We ſee that the Lord Jeſus regards them not, nor any thing they do now in the beſt of their performances; for if he did, he would not ſay Depart from me, at the laſt day, Iſa. 1.10-15. Hoſ. 5.6. 4. We ſee that the Preſence of the Lord Jeſus is of greateſt worth, the Heaven of Heaven it ſelf; for it is the firſt and chief thing that wicked men are deprived of, Luke 23.43. Phil. 1.23. 5. We ſee how loathſome and deteſtable wicked men are to Chriſt, in that he will not have them in his preſence. We uſe to ſay of thoſe things we abhor, that we would have them gone out of our preſence: and ſo thoſe perſons we loath, Get you out of my company. Oh how does Chriſt then abhorre all ſuch, to whom he will ſay, Depart from me, at that day! Prov. 15.8, 9, 26. 6. We ſee what need we had to beware that we be not of that number. 7. We ſee how dangerous it is to be of their company, for they muſt all be turned out of Chriſts Preſence, Prov. 13.20. 8. We ſee what great cauſe we have to make ſure of our Union and Communion with Chriſt here. 2 Pet 1.10. 1 John 1.5. that we be not for ever caſt out of his preſence at that d…y. 9. We ſee what great difference the Lord will put between his Elect, and Reprobates; the one ſort ſhall be for ever with him, the other for ever abdicated from his preſence. 10. We ſee what difference we ſhould make between them, for Chriſt will. 11. We ſee what great diſhonour he will put upon theſe at that day: it's a great diſhonour and diſgrace to be turned out of a Kings Preſence, Eſth. 7.8. 2 Sam 14.24. Oh! but what is it to be turned out of Chriſts Preſence! 12. We ſee how ſevere Chriſt will be to the wi…ked.
Ʋſe 2. for Terrour: 1. To all openly profane ones, that have deſpiſed his Ordinances, wherein they ſhould have had Communion with Chriſt here, they ſhall be turned out of his Preſence for ever, 2 Theſſ. 1.9. 2. To all ſecret and cloſe Hypocrites, they are to have the like portion allotted to them. Ma… ….23.
Ʋſe 3. for Ex…rt…ion: 1. To evill men. 2. To the Saints.
To Evil men. 1. To repent, that if it be poſſi…le they may not have this diſgrace put upon them. 2. … ſure portion in Chriſt, and get admittance into his fe…wſhip here, Prov. 1.22, 23. 3. To caſt off their ev… …ompany. 4. To tremble to think of this day, while in their ſins. 5. To love the fellowſhip of Gods people. 6. To weep for the miſery that is to come upon them, Jam. 5.1, 2.
2. To the Saints. 1. To beware of company with evil men, as ever we would eſcape this evil. 2. To be content to ſuffer any diſgrace, rather then to have this. 3. To pity evil men, and be patient towards them; they have evil enough coming upon them. 4. Not to envy them their honour here, Pſal. 73. 5. To make ſure that we are none of theſe. 6. To keep up fellowſhip with Chriſt here.
Ʋſe 4. for Conſolation: 1. Againſt the Lordly Authority that the wicked have here. 2. Againſt the trouble we ſuffer from them. 3. Againſt the evil that we have by their being with us in our ſocieties. 4. Againſt their contempt of us.