The Privilege of the Saints on Earth, Part 1 – Part 2
Application.
If there are opportunities of ſervice to be performed to God in this life, which are not to be enjoyed after death; and, that the Saints may do that for God in the world, which they cannot do in Heaven; we are then 1. Informed,
That Heaven is the place of the Saints reward, and not of their work. When they dye,Rev. 14. 13. they ceaſe from their labours, and their works do follow them. They do not follow the Saints, as if the Saints were there to follow their work, but they follow them to be rewarded and crowned.2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. For their courſe is now finiſhed, their race is run, and henceforth is laid up for them a Crown of Righteouſneſs. Heaven therefore is not their working-place, but their reſting-place; they reſt from their labours; there is much to be received there, but nothing to be done there, but to live in the high praiſes of God and the Lamb to Eternity.
If our opportunities dye together with us, then we are further informed, That (as there is no working in Heaven, ſo) there is no returning after death to work again in this world.Job 14. 14. If a Man dye, ſhall he live again? No, ſaith Hezekiah (ver. 11.) I ſaid in the cutting off of my days, I ſhall go to the Gates of the Grave; I ſhall nor ſee the Lord, even the Lord in the Land of the living, I ſhall behold Man no more with the inhabitants of the world. That is, I ſhall no more appear before the Lord in his Sanctuary, to perform any more ſervice there to him.
As if he ſhould ſay, I ſhall ſee the Lord in Heaven, but I ſhall ſee him & ſerve no more in the Land of the living, which I deſire to do. For when Iſaiah brought him the welcome tidings of his recovery, one of firſt things that he ſaith to him is, what is the ſign that I ſhall go up to the Houſe of the Lord?Ver. laſt. For a King to go to the Houſe of the Lord, and to lead the way to the Worſhip of God, was a very glorious ſervice. He looked upon it as a very great mercy, to ſee and ſerve the Lord in the Land of the living; but he thought he ſhould ſee him ſo no more, nor behold Man any more with the inhabitants of the world; and therefore he ſhould return no more.
Men have but one Soul, and but one opportunity to act for the eternal ſalvation of it; Job 7. 8, 9, 10.when they are dead, the Eye that hath ſeen them, ſhall ſee them no more, and he that goeth down to the Grave, ſhall come up no more.
And therefore it was not Samuel riſen from the dead,1 Sam 28. Chap. but the Devil that appeared and ſpake to Saul in the houſe of the Witch at Endor. For the appearance aſcended out of the Earth in the houſe of the Woman, which was in the Tribe of Iſſachar, 1 Sam. 25. 1.whereas Samuel was buried at his houſe at Ramah, which was in the Tribe of Benjamin. Beſides, he was buried in his Grave-clothes, whereas he is deſcribed riſing in his Mantle. And he was (as all the Saints are after death) at reſt; where…s he that is there called Samuel ſaith to Saul, 1 Sam. 28. 15.Wherefore haſt thou diſquieted me to bring me up? And it is not in the power of all the Devils in Hell to diſquiet the Saints after death. Other Reaſons I might urge, but theſe may ſuffice.
The dead return not again; as David ſaid of his Child,2 Sam. 12. 23. when dead, I ſhall go to him, but he ſhall not return to me. Opportunity is a part of time, and hath nothing to do in Eternity. Neither is there any regreſs or returning, but by miracle from the Land of forgetfulneſs.
2. Inſtructed in matter of Reproof,
To ſuch as live long, and do but little; whereas we may reckon our lives by the good that we do in this world. For as for loſt time, it cannot come into the account of our lives; and it is a pitiful thing to be old only in time: And all the good of many ſtricken in years will lie within a very little compaſs; and to be an ancient Man or Woman of two or three years old, ſounds like a Contradiction.
So teach us (ſaith Moſes) to number our dayes, Pſal. 90. 12that we may apply our hearts to wiſdom. And ſurely this is one ſpecial way of numbring our days; to know how long we have lived in ſerving our Generation, and what time we have ſpent that way: and he never applyed his Heart to Wiſdom, who hath not learned ſo to number his dayes.
There are but two lives, that can be lived in this world, viz. a Natural, and a Spiritual; and all live the firſt, but few the ſecond: whereas it is our wiſdom to live ſpiritually; and ſo to live, is to live, Firſt, for the Generations that ſucceed us, ſo as Hezekiah here deſired to live. Secondly, To live for Eternity. To live only a natural life; is for Brutes, and not for Men.
And therefore you that are entred into years, and have done but little, are juſtly reprehended, as having lived more like Fools than wiſe Men.
Secondly, What ſhall we ſay to ſuch as have lived to no purpoſe at all? All that they have done, hath been to eat and drink, and make a number. And there are multitudes of theſe, who have profaned their lives, in not anſwering the end of them. They are meer Earth-cumberers, and ſuch who have lived only to themſelves.
Thirdly, But (which is worſe) ſome have lived to wicked purpoſes, having ſpent their days in ſin, and been offenſive both to God and Men, who as laſt will come to dye like Jehoram, 2 Chr. 21. laſt.without being deſired.2 Chr. 28. laſt. And ſuch another was Hezekiah's Father, even that King Ahaz, who when he died, was buried like Jehoram, and not brought into the Sepulchres of the Kings of Iſrael. And ſuch another was that perſecutor Jehoiakim, for whom they lamented not, ſaying,Jer. 22. 18, …. Ah Lord, or ah his glory. Oh! theſe are to be exploded out of the Land of the living;Job. 27. laſt For Men ſhall clap their hands at them, and hiſs them out of the world; he never did good work while, he lived, and he ſhall have never a good word when he dieth. So much for Reprehenſion.
This Point inſtructs us in matter of Humiliation. What hath been ſaid, ſhould humble even the very beſt of God's people, in that they have done no more ſervice for Jeſus Chriſt in their Generation. You have (poſſibly) done ſomething for him, but you might have done more: You might have praiſed him more, declared the Truth more to your Children; you might have projected and deſigned more for the glory of God, and the good of Poſterity; you might have deviſed liberal things, & lived more exemplarily, been more zealous of good works, more edifying in your converſation; you might have adventured more for Chriſt; and whereas you have gained two Talents for him, you might have gained five. Truly (for my part) I might have done more, and it humbleth me that I have done ſo little. I remember it is ſaid of Doctor Ʋſher in the Narrative of his Life and Death, that when he was a dying, he was humbled for his omiſſions. And indeed they are great ſins, and the judgment of Chriſt, at his appearing, will paſs much upon good works on the one ſide,Mat. 25. 35—end. and omiſſions of them on the other. And therefore we had need to ſit in judgment upon our ſelves for our omiſſions before we dye. For it is not enough to do good ſometimes, but we ſhould be rich in good works,1 Tim 6. 18. …. 1 and prepared unto every good work, always abounding in the work of the Lord,2 Tim. 2. 21. giving a portion to ſeven, and alſo to eight,1 Cor. 15. 58. going about as Chriſt did, doing good. And he that is thus exerciſed,Eccl. 11. 1. is fit to live, and fit to dye.Act. 10. 38.
But let us be humbled this day for our neglects. For have not our hearts ſometimes checked us, upon reviews of the loſs of our opportunities to do ſuch or ſuch a good work? Saith a gracious and tender heart, when he is come from ſuch a perſon, or ſuch a place, or ſuch a company, or occaſion; Alas! what have I omitted? I might have put in ſuch a word for Jeſus Chriſt, I might have reproved ſuch a ſin, or given ſuch or ſuch counſel, or ſtopt ſuch a vain diſcourſe, or given ſuch an example, or moved for ſuch a good work, &c.
Alas! who knows the errors of his life this way? and therefore this conſideration calls for deep Humiliation, and ſelf-judging at this time.