The Last Judgment, Tract · Doctrine 5
Ver. 32. And he ſhall ſeparate them as a ſhepherd, &c.
Doct. V. That Chriſt Jeſus will at the laſt day ſeparate the Elect and Reprobate one from another: They are mingled together here in Town-Societies, in Countrey-Societies; in Church-Societies, in Family-Societies, in all kinde of Relations, but then they ſhall be ſeparated.
For the opening of which, let me ſhew 1. How he will ſeparate them. 2. Why. 3. The Uſes.
For the firſt: He will ſeparate them as a Shepherd ſeparateth his ſheep from the goats.
Q. 1. How is that?
Anſw. 1. Prudently, making a difference between the one and the other: here they are not ſo eaſily diſcerned to have ſuch a difference made, the one is taken for another, and we cannot ſo well diſtinguiſh between them, but at that day there ſhall be a diſtinction made, Mal. 3.17, 18. 2. Warily and carefully, ſo that there ſhall not be ſo much as one of the Elect among the Reprobate, nor one Reprobate among the Elect: he knows all his Elect by their names, Job. 10.3. 3. Diligently, as the Shepherd looks up diligently all his ſheep, that not one of them may be loſt, or miſſing, or mingled with the goats: ſo will the Lord Jeſus in this ſeparating work look that none be wanting, John 6.39. For elſe there could not be a due ſeparation made. 4. Exactly and exquiſitely: here an exact ſeparation cannot be made, no not in the beſt ſocieties that are, let officers in Churches be never ſo vigilant, let bretheren be never ſo careful who they admit into their Fellowſhip and Communion, yet ſome Hypocrites will ge… in and trouble Churches and defile and leaven them, 1 Cor. 5.6. but at that day Chriſt will be exact in ſeparating the one from the other, no wicked perſons ſhall thruſt in among the elect ſaints: there will be an exquiſite ſeparation then made, Pſal. 1.5. 5 Particularly one by one, he ſhall ſhew that this is a ſheep and this a goat for every ma… muſt be Judged one by one, 2 Cor. 5.10. & therefore ye ſeparation ſhall be one by one in a perſonal and particular way. 6. Evidently and manifeſtly, ſo that it may be known which are which; there is no ſheep ſhall ſo much as ſeem to be a goat, nor no goat ſo much as ſeem to be a ſheep, they ſhall be evidently manifeſted what they are. Eſau ſhall not ſeem to be Jacob, nor Jacob Eſau, it ſhall be as conſpicuous as the Sun at noon day who they are both of one kind and of another. 7. Openly before all, ſo that though the wicked ſhould be… and plead never ſo hard to be as the Righteous, yet a ſeparation muſt be made between them and all ſhall ſee it, for this ſeparation muſt not be made in ſecret or done in a corner, but every eye ſhall ſee it.
Q. 2. Why will the Lord Jeſus make ſuch a ſeparation as that day? Anſ. 1. For the Terrour and Amazement of the wicked, that they that abhorred the Saints company in their life time, and would goe with none but ſuch as were like themſelves, may not ſo much as be admitted into the Saints company at that day, they ſcorned the Saints fellowſhip when time was, & now they ſhall have none of it, and this muſt needs amaze, & be a terrour to them. 2. For ye ſhame of hypocrites who were ſometimes in company with the Saints, but not caring for them, but ſecretly deſpiſing them in their hearts, are now to be for ever removed from them, and this muſt needs fill their faces with ſhame, and cover them with confuſion as with a mantle before the whole World. 3. For the comfort of the Saints, that they that have been troubled that they have been among the wicked to hear and ſee their wickedneſs as Lot was, 2 Pet. 2.7, 8. and glad of the fellowſhip of Godly Pious ones, Pſal. 16.3. may now be for ever ſeparated from all the wicked, and have the fellowſhip of the Elect for ever: this muſt needs rejoice their hearts. 4. For the welcome of the Saints together, ſome whereof have known one another and ſeen one another, faces and ſ…eetly converſed together upon Earth, and others of them never knew nor ſaw each other: when they all meet together, Oh the ſweet acquaintance they will take of one another, the Bleſſed welcome they will give one to another, it will be a comfortable meeting when they all thus meet together. 5. For the Augmentation of the miſery of the Reprobate who when they all come together ſhall be torture and torment one to another, eſpecially they that have been companions in wickedneſs together when the whole Maſs and pack of them come together and have none but ſuch as themſelves are, Oh what a wofull condition wil they then be in, its unſpeakable what their miſery will be, inconceiveable what the torment of their Soules will be, when they all come together at the time that this ſeparation ſhall be made between the Elect and them 6. For the glory of the Lords mercy and Juſtice in the diſcovery of thoſe who are Elect and of thoſe that are reprobate, for as his mercy is Glorified on the Elect veſſels of mercy, Ephe. 1.6. ſo his Juſtice is Glorified on the veſſels of wrath, Pro 16.4. and both will be manifeſt in the day of this ſeparation. 7. For the manifeſtation of them, 2 Tim. 2.19. for he had need know thoſe that are his, that makes ſuch a ſeparation. 8. For the incouragement of the Lords people now in a way of well-doing, for though at preſent there ſeem to be little difference in ſome reſpects between them and others, Eccl. 9.2. yet then there will be a difference made.
Ʋſe 1 For information: 1. We ſee that wicked men ſhall not all wayes be an amiction to the Saints, they ſhall not allwaies be thornes in their eyes, and pricks in their ſides, by being in company with them, for at the Judgment day they ſhall never be troubled with them more, the Lord Jeſus will make a perfect ſeparation between one and the other, they may trouble them here, and fret and grieve their Spirits, but when the ſeparation is once made, then they ſhall never afflict them more. 2. We ſee how patient the Saints ſhould be in all the tribulations that they ſuffer for Righteouſneſs ſake from evil men, for there will be an end of them in the day of ſeparation, when neither they ſhall come to us nor we to them, Jam. 5.7, 8. 3. We ſee how juſt the Lord is in his diſpenſation of himſelfe to evill men, they could never abide to keep company with the Saints on Earth, and at that d…y they ſhall be ſeparated from them and never come at them more. It was a trouble to them to be with them at any time, and they were never well till they were out of their company, and God is juſt in parting them aſunder for ever from them. 4. We ſee that though falſe-hearted and hypocritical Profeſſors cannot alwayes be diſcovered here, yet they cannot be hid then, when the day comes wherein Chriſt will ſeparate between the Elect and Reprobate, Some are more groſs, and cannot be hid here, 1 Tim. 5.24, 25 but ſome are more cloſe, and they are left to be diſcovered at that day, as Mat. 7.22, 23. Luke 13.26. 5. We ſee that ſeparation from true Churches, where the Ordinances are, though ſome not ſo purely diſpenſed, where many Saints are, and where the Lord is bleſſing, aſſiſting, and breathing in thoſe Ordinances and Saints, is certainly not of God, if we can with freedome injoy them: for, if God be there, Shall mortal man he more juſt then God? ſhall a man be more pure then his Maker? Job 4.17. The ſeparation of Elect and Reprobate is reſerved to the great day, and who of us know who they be? ſee Jude ver 19. 6. We ſee that though Hypocrites may get into Churches, and may be thought as good as the beſt, and who but they: yet they ſhall not be able to get into the Church of the Firſt born, into the Congregation of the Righteous: They, as well as others, muſt be ſeparate from the Elect of Chriſt at that day. 7. We ſee what need there is that we ſhould ſeparate our ſelves what we can from the courſes and company of evil men, that we know to be ſuch, Num. 16.26. 2 Cor. 6.17. 8. We ſee how tender we ſhould be in cenſuring and judging others, for they may be better then we think they are; till the day of ſeparation we cannot tell what they may be, Matth. 7.1. Jam. 3.1, 2. 1 Cor. 4.4, 5. 9. We ſee that it is not ſafe in time of temptation to conclude againſt our ſelves, or paſs a raſh ſentence againſt our ſelves, for we may be deceived. It is Chriſt that muſt make the ſeparation, and not we, Lam. 3.18. Pſal 31.22. 10. We ſee how dangerous it is to forſake the aſſemblies of the Saints, and the company of Believers: for if we do, God may juſtly ſeparate between us and them another day, Heb 10.25, 26. ſo Pſal. 122.1. & 26.8, 9. 11. We ſee how bleſſed a thing it is to converſe with Saints, and to be delighted in their fellowſhip, for they ſhall all be together at the ſeparation day. 12. We ſee that good men have no cauſe to envy evil men, becauſe outward things proſper to them, & themſelves are ſometimes in adverſity; for though the condition of evil men ſeem better for the preſent, in the day of ſeparation, it will appear farre otherwiſe, Pſal. …7.1, 2. & 73.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 19, 20. Jer. 12.1, 2, 3.
Ʋſe 2. for Terrour: 1. To thoſe that deſpiſe the Saints, and will have none of their fellowſhip here; they ſhall for ever be ſeparated from them at the laſt and great day. …. To thoſe that ſeparate themſelves from Church-aſſemblies where the Saints are, and Ordinances duely adminiſtred and held up in their Purity, had rather be at home, or in corners, with ſome of their own faction and erring way, Jude, ver. 19. ſuch may well fear that they ſhall never come in company with the Saints at that day.
Ʋſe 3. for Exhortation: 1. To have no fellowſhip with the workers of iniquity, Prov. 1.10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. & 4.14, 15. Pſal. 1.1. for there muſt be a ſeparation made between the Saints and theſe, 2 Cor. 6.17. 2. To long for the time when this ſeparation ſhall be made, for here evil men are a great burthen to all Societies and places where they are, Apoc. 22.20. 3. To ſubmit to the will of God, if we be caſt upon ſuch places where evil men be; for the day of ſeparation is haſting, when we ſhall be never troubled with them more. 4. To make ſure that we be not of that number that ſhall be ſeparated from the Elect Saints at that d…y, 2 Pet. 1.10. 5. To converſe with good men, and walk in their way, Prov. 2.20. 6. To us Miniſters, to ſeparate between precious and vile, Jer. 15.19. Ezek. 44.23. 7. To make a difference between men and men, in our diſcharge of our duty to them, Jude, v. 22, 23. 8. To put a difference between them in our beneficence to their outward man, Gal. 6.10. 9. To think charitably of our brethren, 1 Cor. 4.4, 5. for we know not who they be that are to be ſeparate. 10. To take heed of Hypocrifie, Luke 12.1, 2.
Ʋſe 4. for Conſolation: 1. Againſt the diſturbances that Saints meet with from the company of evil men, they ſhall not alwayes be a trouble to them, but be for ever delivered from them, as Moſes ſaid, Exod. 14.13. So here. 2. Againſt that ſmall difference that the Lord ſeems to put between his own and others, as Eccleſ. 9.2. he will put a difference at that day. 3. Againſt all the Slanders that are caſt upon them, it will be well enough known what they are, when the ſeparation day comes. 4. Againſt the hypocritical cenſures of falſe ones againſt the righteous, Jam. 3.1.