The Last Judgment, Tract · Doctrine 39
Ver. 45. Then ſhall he anſwer them, ſaying, Verily I ſay unto you, In as much as ye did it not to one of the leaſt of theſe, ye did it not to me
Doct. XXXIX. is this, That the Lord Jeſus at the laſt Day, will fully ſtop the mouthes of Wicked men, and have the laſt word, after which they ſhall ſpeak no more. This is plain here in the Text.
Reaſons. 1. From Himſelf. 2. From the Wicked. 3. From the Sentence paſſed.
From Himſelf. 1. From his Wiſdome and Knowledge, Col. 2.3. Jude 25. they are not able to grapple with him; he will eaſily Non-plus and ſilence them, that they ſhall not have a word to ſpeak after him. 2. From his Majeſty and Glory; his words will daunt them and confound the m… Look as the words of Kings have power going a long with them, Eccleſ. 8.4. ſo his words much more. 3. From the Rightneſs and Integrity of his words, Prov. 8.6, 7, 8. and right words are of great force: How forcible are …right words when men ſpeak them? Iob 6.25. much more his right words, which he will ſpeak at that day. 4. From his Throne of Judgement that he ſits upon, Prov. 20.8. A King ſitting on the Throne of Iudgement, ſcattereth away all evil with his eyes: ſo doth this King much more. 5. From that in Prov. 16 10. A Divine Sentence (ſaith Solomon) is in the lips of the King; his mouth tranſgreſſeth not in judgement: And if ſo, then ſurely this Kings mouth tranſgreſſeth not in Judgement: and ſuch a mouth ſpeaking to them, muſt needs ſtop all their mouthes. 6. From the End of his Coming to Judgement, which is a thorow Conviction of all ungodly men, Iude ver. 14, 15. 7. From his power in his Ordinances, Matth. 22.11, 12.
2. From the Wicked. 1. From the feebleneſs of their pleas: weak Arguments and pleas are eaſily overturned; and ſuch will be theirs at that day. So the Text. 2. From their Conſciences, which will be their Accuſers, and Witneſſes againſt them, and Condemn them, for if their Conſciences do all this ſometimes here, much more at that day, 1 Iohn 3.20 Rom. 2.15, 16. 3. From the guilt that is upon them: for guilt will ſtop any mans mouth. A guilty Malefactor has nothing to ſay for himſelf: ſo here, Rom. 3 19. 4. From the Terrour and fear that then will be upon them, 2 Cor. 5.10, 11. now fear will ſtop any mans mouth. 5. From the ſhame that will then be upon them, Dan. 12.2. and that will ſtop their mouthes. 6. From the contempt that will be then upon them, ibid. and when a mans perſon is contemned here, he will have little liſt to ſpeak.
3. From the Sentence paſſed. 1. It is Righteous, Acts 17.31. 2. It is Irrevocable, and cannot be reverſed; much more Irreverſible then that of the Perſian Kings, Eſth. 8.8. 3. It is that that cannot be found fault with, Rev. 22.12. 4. It is fair and open before all, that the Equity of it may be diſcerned: ſo the Text. 5. It is unanſwerable, Iob 9.3. and backed with ſtrong Reaſon.
Ʋſe 1. for Information: 1. VVe ſee how miſerably wicked men will be foiled and worſted, in all that they thought would ſtand them in ſtead at the great day. Alas! they ſhall not have a word to ſpeak for themſelves, after the Lord has ſpoken to them: as Job ſays, Job 29.22. After my words they ſpake not again. So, much more will it be at that day. 2. VVe ſee what great Confuſion of face will be upon the wicked at that day, in that they ſhall be Non plus'd, and not be able to ſpeak for themſelves. Men are confounded in their own ſpirits, when in a Diſpute they are baffled, and mated, and laid upon their backs, and ſo Non plus'd, that they have not a word to ſay: Oh then what ſhame will this be! 3. VVe ſee that the greateſt among wicked men ſhall not be able to lift up their faces at that day; as Job ſayes of himſelf ſitting in Judgement, Iob 29.9, 10. ſo much more will it be when Chriſt ſits in Judgement. 4. We ſee how vain a thing it is to deviſe Arguments to diſpute againſt Chriſt at that day; for he will be ſure to have the laſt word, and put to ſilence all that oppoſe him, Iſai. 45.9. 5. We ſee the bottomleſs depth of the Wiſdom and Knowledge that is in Chriſt Jeſus, that will be able to foil the whole World at that day. 6. We ſee what need we all had to take words to our ſelves in a way of Confeſſion, and Humiliation, and Repentance, Ho…. 14.2. forotherwiſe we ſhall want words to ſpeak for our ſelves at the great d…y. 7. We ſee what an amazing day the day of Judgement will be to Reprobates, in that their mout…es will then be ſtopped 8. We ſee how dreadful their condition will be, that have opened their mouthes againſt Heaven, and the God of Heaven; for if others ſhall have their mouthes ſtopped, that have only omitted ſome Duties, and have not been ſo vile in Commiſſions; Oh how will their mouthes be ſtopped, that have opened them in Blaſphemy, and all manner of wickedneſs againſt the Lord! 9. We ſee the greatneſs of the guilt of wicked men, and …ow it will ſtare them in the face at that day. 10. We ſee that they that have been ſo forward to Argue with God, and to reply againſt his Righteous Diſpenſations, Rom 9.20. ſhall then have nothing to ſay again him, or for themſelves.
Ʋſe 2. for Terrour: 1 To all b…d faced talkers againſt God, and his Wayes, and Saints. 2. Againſt all the vain Pleas and Arguments that men think will bear them out in their Wickedneſs 3. Againſt the deſpiſers of Chriſt and his Grace now.
Ʋſe 3. for Exhortation: 1. To open (1) Our hearts to receive him here, that our mouthes may not be ſtopped at that day, Pſal 24.7, 9. (2) To open our hands to his Members. (3) To open our houſes to them. (4) To open the Priſon doors, and look in to them. (5) To open our wardrobes to his naked ones. (6) To open our bowels to his ſick ones. (7) To open our mouthes for the Dumb Prov. 31.8. (8) To open Heaven doors by our Prayers. 2. To beware of ſpeaking a word againſt Chriſt here. 3. To let Chriſts word take place here 4. To repent of our too bold ſpeeches againſt him, Iob 42.3-6. 5. To ſpeak all we can againſt our ſins here. 6. To beware of having a thought that our Words and pleas ſhall be heard then, if we be wicked. …. To inſt…y the Lord in all he ſayes and does to us here, Lam 1.18. for we ſhall do it then. 8. To take heed of wickedneſs, for it will ſtop their mouthes that are given to it, at that Day.