The Last Judgment, Tract · Doctrine 37
Ver. 44. Then ſhall they alſo anſwer him, ſaying, Lord, when ſaw we thee an hungred, or ath…rſt, or a ſtranger, or naked, or ſick, or in Priſon, and did not miniſter unto thee?
Doct. XXXVII. is this, That wicked men would fain excuſe their Ʋnmercifulneſs to the Saints, but their encuſing of themſelves ſhall be of no avail for them.
Reaſons. 1. VVhy they would excuſe their unmercifulneſs at that day. 2. VVhy their excuſing themſelves ſhall be of no avail for them.
For the firſt: They would Excuſe themſelves 1. From the Pride of their hearts, whereby they think better of their eſtate then it is: for Pride will frame excuſes; as it was with Saul, he had a good conceit of his doings, and therefore made one excuſe after another, to juſtifie himſelf before the Lord and Samuel, in the matter of deſtroying the Amalekites, 1 Sam. 15.13, 14, 15, 20, 21. So it will be with theſe at the laſt day. 2. From the Boldneſs and Audaciouſneſs of their Spirits. A bold audacious fellow, though he be guilty of ſome foul fact, yet will frame many excuſes, to do what he can to clear himſelf before men… ſo theſe, from a bold ſpirit, will frame excuſes before the great Judge. 3. From that wiſdome that is in them to do evil, Jer. 4.22. they have a natural ſubtilty in them, to have ſomething to ſay in way of excuſe for themſelves, and this ſubtilty they will uſe at that day. 4. From the ſhifting ſpirit that is and will then appear in ſuch; they would fain flee out of his hand, and ſhift off the blowes that are coming upon them, Job 27.22. 5. From that want of underſtanding that is in them, of the nature of their ſin of unmercifulneſs to the Saints: they know not that it reacheth ſo farre as to Chriſt himſelfe. So the Text. 6. From the ſelf-flattery that is in them, Pſal. 36.2. 7. From the hardening of themſelves againſt that ſhame that their f…ces will be filled with, Dan. 12.2. 8. From the dreadfulneſs of the Judgement that is paſſed upon them, they would fain ſay ſomething to excuſe themſelves. 9. From the ſtifling of their Conſciences; for then Conſcience will accuſe. 10. From their Hypocriſie, which makes them feign excuſes.
Q. 2. Why ſhall their excuſing of themſelves be of no avail to them at that day?
Anſw. 1. From the Judge. 2. From the Wicked.
From the Judge. 1. He is Wiſe, and knows how to takes off their filly Excuſes, Prov. 8.1. Jude ver. 25. 2. He is Juſt, 2 Tim 4.8. and therefore will not be put off with trivial Excuſes. 3. He is True in his Threatnings, as well as in his Promiſes, Rev. 3.7. and will fulfil them; and therefore their vain Excuſes ſhall not profit them. 4. He is a Great King: ſo the Text; and Excuſes that Malefactors make, will not take with Kings. 5. He is no Reſpecter of perſons, Acts 10.34. 1 Pet. 1.17. I …ev. 22.12. and therefore cannot take their Excuſes to juſti…fie the wicked. 6. He knows all things, John 21.17. is a… All-ſeeing Judge, and therefore ſe…s through all their v…in Excuſes, and knows that there's nothing in them.
2. From the Wicked. 1. They are Workers of iniquity, Mat. 7.23. Luke 13.26, 27. 2. They have …een ſlothful Servants, Mat. 25.24-27. 3. They are unprofitable Servants, Matth. 25.30. and no Excuſe will ſerve their turn. 4. They bring ſuch Excuſes as are againſt themſelves, Luke 19.22. 5. They are Hypocri…es; and if God will not hear the cry of ſuch in their times of trouble here, Job 27 9. then ſure he will not hear them ſpeak for themſelves at that day. 6. They ſpeak too late; for the Sentence being given, cannot be called in again: and therefore no Excuſe ſhall ſerve their turn. 7. Their Excuſes are a kinde of challenging the Judge for untruth.
Ʋſe 1. for Information: 1. We ſee the greatneſs of the folly of wicked men, that think that their poor Excuſes will ſtand them in any ſtead at the great day, after the Sentence is paſſed: What folly like this? 2. We ſee that wicked men will take hold of, and catch at any thing, though never ſo feeble, to ſhift off and avoid puniſhment. A man ready to drown, will catch hold of ſticks and ſtraws, that can no way help them: So here. 3. We ſee how loth wicked men are to come to puniſhment, they would fain eſcape it and fly from it. 4. We ſee that there's no dallying with Chriſt at that day: Men may ſometimes be put off with Excuſes, but the great Judge will not. 5. We ſee that wicked men's Confidence will deceive them, Job 18.14. it will be a broken Reed to them in that day. 6. We ſee how neceſſary it is to get the Judge to be our friend now in the day of Grace, for no Excuſe will ſerve the turn at that day. 7. We ſee how vain it is to make Excuſes for ſin here, for the day is coming when no Excuſe will ſtand in ſtead before the great Judge. 8. We ſee the Impudence of wicked men, that dare charge the Judge himſelf with untruth at that day. 9. We ſee what miſchief there is in ſin, when no Excuſe will exempt men from puniſhment. 10. We ſee how dreadful it will be to ſee the face of the Judge at that day, who will not be put off with vain Excuſes 11. We ſee how good it is here to make Supplication to our Judge. 12. We ſee how inexorable the Judge will be at that day; it will be too late then to ſpeak.
Ʋſe 2. for Terrour: 1. To all Reprobates: VVoe to them, none of their Excuſes will then be taken. 2. To all Unmerciful ones to Chriſts Members; their Pleas for it will no way help them. 3. To thoſe that deviſe Excuſes now; they may paſs with men to ſave them from temporal evils, but not with Chriſt at that day.
Ʋſe 3. for Exhortation: 1. To abhorre that which is evil, Rom: 12.…. 2. To take heed of Unmercifulneſs, for no Pleas will paſs for that, Iam: 2.13. 3. To Repent of former unmerciful dealings in our unregenerate eſtate, for the Judge will take no Excuſes for want of Mercy: ſo did Zacheus, Luke 19 8. 4. To beware of making Excuſes here for Unmercifulneſs, for they will not paſs for currant at the great day. 5. To Judges in Courts, to imitate the great Judge, and to hear no …eas for mercileſs ones. 6. To us all, to love Mercy, Micah 6.8. for ſuch may look the Judge in the face with comfort, Iam. 2.13. 7. To make ſure work for our Souls, for the Judge will not be put off with vain pretexts 8. To Pray alwayes, that we may eſcape the Judgement that will ſurely paſs upon the wicked.