A Vindication of Godliness, Sermon 2 · Part 7
VII. Head concerning Eternitie, or the World to Come.
THere is a two-fold Eternity: Of Bleſsedneſſe, and of Miſery: The ones the portion of the Saints: the other, the reward of all the ungodly of the Earth.
Direct. 1. Conſider what the Scriptures ſpeak,
1. Concerning the Eternity of Bleſſedneſſe; Heb. 4. 9. There remaineth therefore a Reſt to the People of God? Pſal. 16. ult. At thy right hand there are pleaſures for evermore, 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory. Whence note, that the ſtate of the Godly in another World, is, 1. A State of Reſt. 2. A State of Joy. 3. A State of Glory. 4 That the Joy of this Reſt is unſpeakable and unconceivable; Therefore called the Reſt of God, the Joy of the Lord; When a King makes a Feaſt, he makes a Royal Feaſt; When a King gives Gifts and Favours, he gives like a King. God will ſave like a God, reward like a God; ſuch ſhall be the reward of the Righteous, that men ſhall ſay, Verily he is a God that Judgeth, Pſal. 58 11, 5. that this Joy is Eternal, 2 Cor. 4 18. The things which are not ſeen, are Eternal.
2. Concerning the Eternity of Miſery; Iſa. 30. 33. For Tophet is ordained of old. Tophet is a place lying in the Valley of Hinnom, near Jeruſalem, where the Idolatrous Jewes burnt their Children in Sacrifice to Molock. And it is uſed as a Type to ſignifie Hell, or the place and Puniſhment of the Damned hereafter: Whereof this is the Deſcription; He hath made it deep and large, the Pile thereof is Fire and much Wood; the breath of the Lord, like a ſtream of brimstone, doth kindle it, Matth. 8. 12. But the Children of the Kingdome ſhall be caſt into utter darkneſſe, there ſhall be weeping and gnaſhing of Teeth, Mark 9. 44. Where their Worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Whence note, That the torments of the ungodly in another world ſhall be,
1. Intollerable. It is the wrath of the Lord that will lie upon them; the breath of the Lord ſhall kindle and feed their flames. As the Lord will ſave like a God, ſo he will puniſh like a God. The Wiſdome, Power, Severity, and Juſtice of God ſhall be exerciſed in compounding ſuch a deadly Draught, ſuch exquiſite Torments, that the ungodly World ſhall feel, that he is a God with whom they have to do.
2. Eternal. That ſhall never have an end. This makes Hell to be Hell indeed, a Pit without bottome, a night that hath no day following it, a Grave from which there is no Reſurrection. Oh the heighth and depth, and length, and breadth of this one word Eternity.
Direct. 2. Ask thy Heart,
Queſt. 1. Who ſhall aſcend into the Holy hill?
Shall the unclean enter in thither? Or the Ignorant, or unbelievers, or adulterers, or drunkards? doth not the Scriptures tell me who they are? Pſalm 15. throughout, He that walketh uprightly, and worketh Righteouſneſs, and ſpeaketh the truth in his heart; he that back-biteth not with his Tongue, nor doth evil to his Neighbour, in whoſe eyes a vile perſon is contemned, &c. Matth. 5. 3. to the 12. The poor in Spirit, they that mourn, the meek, they which do hunger and thirſt after righteouſneſs, the merciful, the poor in heart, the peace-makers. Theſe are they that ſhall aſcend into the Holy hill.
Queſt. 2. Who ſhall deſcend into the Deep?
Rev. 20. 15. And who…oever was not found written in the Book of Life, was caſt into the lake of fire. Chap. 22. 15. For without are Dogs, and Sorcerers, and Whoremongers, and Adulterers, and Idolaters, and whoſoever loveth and maketh a lie. 2 Theſ. 1. 8. 9. In flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Goſpel of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who ſhall be puniſhed with everlaſting deſtruction from the preſence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.
Queſt. 3. Am I in the way to this reſt of God?
Queſt. 4. Is my Title to this reſt ſure?
Is my name written in the Book of Life? am I ſealed with that Spirit of promiſe, which is the earneſt of my inheritance? have I gotten an aſſurance that Chriſt is mine and Heaven is mine? is not this aſſurance to be had? is there not a promiſe left unto me of entring into the Reſt? May not this promiſe, by my believing and accepting, and adventuring upon it, be made ſure to me? what mean I to ſit down ſo quietly, ſhort of this aſſurance? am I content to leave my earthly inritance under ſuch uncertainties, that I cannot tell what to call my own, I cannot tell whether I have any thing or nothing? Do I refuſe any labour, coſt, counſel that may ſecure my worldly intereſt? and what is it onelyonly Heaven and everlaſting glory, this is not worth the ſecuring?
Queſt. 5. What if I ſhould fall ſhort of this Reſt?
If at laſt I ſhould ſee Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, and all the Prophets, ſit down in the Kingdome of Heaven, and my ſelf be thruſt out? I have made profeſſion of Religion, I have ſome good will to the waies of God, born ſome affection to the People of God, had ſome communion and fellowſhip with them, had a nam… …nd good opinion amongſt them; I have gone to the Houſe of God with them, joyned in Prayers, Faſtings, Sacraments with them, I have attained to ſome probable Evidences of Grace: But what if notwithſtanding all this I ſhould be found at laſt to be ſhort of ſincerity and of true ſaving Grace? I have complained often of an carthly heart, of a ſlothful heart, of a careleſſe heart, of a lingring delaying heart, I have had ſome motions and ſtirrings in me to ſhake my ſelf out of this ſloth, to awaken and rouze my ſelf out of theſe delayings and triflings; I have been thinking often of taking more care and pains; I have been wiſhing often for a diligent heart; I have been hoping that it will not be thus alwayes with me: but that one time or other I ſhall attain to more life and ſeriouſneſs: But what if after all this complaining, and thinking, and wiſhing, and hoping it will be better, I ſhould ſtill run on thus from one day to another, from one year to another, till I be ſurprized, and ſhould be taken away before I have gotten my heart to a thorow cloſing with God in Chriſt?
Queſt. 6. How joyful will my ſtate be when that day comes, if I may then be counted worthy to enter into this Reſt?
When the voice ſhall ſound in mine ears, Well done good and faithful Servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord, When all theſe filthy garments and ragges of the Fleſh ſhall be but off, when all theſe bitter teares ſhall be wiped a…ay, when all the clouds of darkneſs, doubts, feares, ſorrows, afflictions ſhall be blown over, when I ſhall be brought into the preſence of the King of Saints, and ſee all thoſe glorious things that have been ſpoken of the city of God: When mine head ſhall wear that Immortal Crown, and my heart ſhall taſte and drink of thoſe everlaſting pleaſures at Gods right hand: When I ſhall be brought into that general aſſembly, and Church of the firſt-born which are written in Heaven, to an innumerable company of Angels, to God the Judge of all men, to Jeſus the Mediator of the New Teſtament, to the Spirits of juſt men made perfect; when my heart ſhall acknowledge, Now I know indeed whom I have believed, and ſee for what I have laboured: When this poor Soul, that in its travel towards Sion hath paſſed through a Wilderneſs, lyen among the Pots, been fed with Tears, cloathed with Reproaches, clog'd with Infirmities, diſcouraged with fears and diſmayings, ſhall after all this be ſet down in the Kingdome of God, and be lodged in the armes and boſome of the Lord of Glory, and bear a part in thoſe everlaſting praiſes and Hallelujahs before the Throne of God for ever, when mine eyes ſhall come to ſee all this, and my heart to poſſeſs it, will it not be a joyful day?
Queſt. 7. Can mine heart endure to think of being ſhut out from this bleſſedneſs forever?
Can I burn? Can I endure the vengeance of Eternal fire? VVill boyling Oyl, burning Brimſtone, ſcalding Lead, a glowing Oven, a ſcorching Furnace, be an eaſie Lodging for me? Thou wilt not (oh my ſoul) be perſwaded to repent, there is too much pain in that: Thou canſt not bear a croſs, or an affliction, a ſcoffe, or a reproach, talk to thee of crucifying the fleſh, of denying thy ſelf, of parting with thy fleſhly Inſts, thy worldly companions, of entring in at the ſtrait gate, of walking strictly and preciſely according to the Goſpel, thou cryeſt out, Oh theſe are hard ſayings who can bear them? But how wilt thou do to dwell with the devouring fire? How wilt thou dwell with everlaſting burnings? Whatſoever it ſeems to thee now, think what Hell will be to thee when the day comes that thou muſt deſcend into it: Now thou lookeſt at it as a ſcare-crow, or a bug-bare; thou canſt drink away, or laugh away the fear of it; but what will it be to thee, when thou feeleſt thy ſelf wrapt up in the flames of it, and not a drop of water left to cool thy tongue? Think on Hell, oh my ſoul, and then think on Chriſt, and confider, if a Redeemer from ſuch miſery, be not worth the accepting; think on Hell, and then think on Sin, then think on thy carnal pleaſures and delights, and conſider how they will reliſh with thee, when thus ſalted with everlaſting fire. Are theſe the things, for which I dye? Are theſe the price for which I ſell my ſoul to Hell? Away, away from me all my luſts and pleaſures, away from me my companions in ſin, I confeſs I love you too well, but I muſt not burn for you, I muſt not damn my ſoul to pleaſe my fleſh.
Touching the practice of this Duty, take theſe two further Directions.
1. Every day, morning and evening; ſet apart ſometime for ſecret prayer; and when you go to pray, do not ruſh inconſiderately upon it, but firſt ſit down and take one of thoſe Heads, meditate on what the Scriptures ſpeak upon them, and then propoſe the ſeveral queſtions to your hearts, and when you find your hearts affected and warmed by theſe Meditations, then fall to prayer.
2. Let each mornings Meditation be ordinarily matter for your thoughts, to work on, and for diſcourſe that day, unleſs providence caſt in, and calls you to ſome other profitable ſubjects.
The matter of Meditation is purpoſely divided into ſeven Heads, to the end you may take one of the Heads for each dayes Meditation, and ſo in every week you may go over the whole, being the chief things of Religion: And thus continuing from day to day, from week to week, you will be both more thorowly acquainted; and more deeply affected with the things of God, and will find, through his bleſſing, more livelineſs and enlargement in Prayer, and more comfortable ſucceſſe.
Only take heed of formalitie, of reſting in the work done, of going on in a round of Duty, without a due regard to the end of Duty: Let this be your aim in all, to get your hearts more fixed upon, and affected with the things of the world to come, more enlarged and quickned, and more effectually carried on in that courſe of holy and heavenly walking, the end whereof is everlaſting life.
But now, leaſt any ſhould complain that this courſe is too tedious, and that which they cannot have time daily for; or that by reaſon of ignorance, or want of helps, they cannot perform it: I ſhall adde this, that ſuch perſons who are weaker in their underſtandings, and thence unable to go through with this courſe, and all others at ſuch ſeaſons as they are unavoidably ſtraitned for time, nay, inſtead of the larger, take this ſhorter courſe.
When ever thou ſetteſt upon the Duty of prayer, ſit down, and ask thy heart theſe Queſtions.
Queſt. 1. What am I? am I a Believer or an unbeliever, converted or unconverted? do I think in my Conſcience I belong to God, or do I not fear I am yet the child of the Devil?
Queſt. 2. What do I? what are my wayes, are they ſuch as pleaſe the Lord, and tend to the Salvation of my Soul, or are they the wayes of death and damnation?
Queſt. 3. Before whoſe preſence do I now ſtand?
Is it not before the Lord, the Almighty God, who is the rewarder of them that diligently ſeek him, and the avenger of thoſe that ſlight or rebel againſt him?
Queſt. 4. What am I come before the Lord about.
Is it not to plead with him for my ſoul, to beg my life at his hands, to beg my pardon, and redemption from everlaſting death, and to obtain grace for the ſalvation of my Soul?
This ſhort and … courſe would be ſome advantage, thou … that are able, and can redeem ſo much … would commend the conſtant uſe of … …rections
THe third ſpecial Duty I ſhall direct you in is, Self-examination:
It is of great uſe to the carrying us on in an holy courſe, to know our ſtate. For,
By the knowledge of our ſtate we ſhall the better know our work, when we know what we are, we ſhall the better know what we have to do. If the queſtion be, What muſt I do to be ſaved? The anſwer of that will depend upon another queſtion, How far forth am I come already? Am I converted or unconverted, in a ſtate of ſin, or in a ſtate of grace? Let that queſtion be firſt anſwered, and the anſwer of the other will be eaſie.
2 By the knowledge of this, that we are in a good eſtate, we ſha…l have much encouragement to haſten on. Aſſurance will quicken and encourage us on in the way of holyneſs: Thoſe that a… firm, that the Doctrine of aſſurance is a licentious Doctrine, and ſerves for nothing, but to maintain men in a looſe, lazy, and idle life, underſtand not what they ſay, nor whereof they affirm. 'Tis all one as if they affirmed. That the more aſſurance any perſon hath of the love of God, the leſs he will love God, or that the more he loves God, the leſs care he will take to ſerve or pleaſe him. Thoſe that know no other motive to Duty, but fear, may preach ſuch Doctrine; but thoſe that have found the quickning and conſtraining power of love, muſt lay down both their reaſon and ſenſe too, before they can believe it.
The way to know our ſelves, is, to ſearch, and examine our ſelves, 1 Cor. 13. 4. Examine your ſelves, prove your ſelves, know ye not your own ſelves?
Now to help you in this duty of Self-examination, I ſhall give you theſe two Directions:
1. When you ſet to examine your ſelves by any marks or ſigns: In the firſt place, examine your Marks that you would try your ſelves by. If you would prove your ſelves, whether you have true grace or no, by any mark that's given, examine that Mark by the Scriptures, whether it be a certain and infallible ſign of grace, ſo that you may be bold to conclude, that if you can find this Mark in you, you are undoubtedly in the ſtate of grace. That's a proper mark of true grace, which, whoſoever hath it, hath grace, and whoſoever hath it not, hath not grace. If you take that for a mark of true grace, which is common to Saints and Sinners, you may take your ſelves to have grace, when you have none. And if you take a mark to try your ſelves by, which is proper to Saints, but is not common to all Saints, you may take your ſelves to have no grace, when you have. The former miſtake may loſe you your peace; this may loſe you your ſouls; therefore Chriſtians, be wary here; try your marks, before you try your ſelves by them.
2. For the matter of your enquiry, let it be,
1. Whether you are gotten into the way of life, or not; or, whether you are tranſlated out of a ſtate of ſin and death, into a state of grace and ſalvation? And if ſo, then,
2. Whether you be in a thriving or flouriſhing ſtate; or in a languiſhing or decayed ſtate?
To help you in the former tryal, I might only ſend you back to thoſe directions formerly given, concerning your cloſure with Chriſt, whence it will not be difficult to gather ſome certain marks to try your ſelves by; but I ſhall add two or three more, wherein, let it not be offenſive to any, that I follow that light which I have received from the worthy labours of that faithful Servant of Chriſt, Mr. Baxter; whence I confeſs my ſelf to have, through mercy, grown into the fuller acquaintance with mine own heart, and which I ſhall therefore the rather make uſe of, for the help and benefit of others.