The Hypocrites Ladder, Treatise · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. The firſt Application is of Terror to unſound Profeſſors.
I Could produce many more reaſons to ſet out more fully the truth of this ſo weighty a point, but I haſten to the uſe to bee made of it, which is various: And I ſhall firſt begin with an uſe of Terror, to all unſound Profeſſors, un-Goſpel lived Goſpel-hearers. Luther wiſht once that hee could ſpeak thunder and lightning againſt the Pope to conſume him: Oh that I could ſpeak terror and deſtruction to theſe, to humble them and warn them to flye from the wrath to come! and that every word might bee a nayl or goad to ſtick faſt in their hearts, as Luther wiſht every word a Thunderbolt.
The Text is nothing but Terror, Woe to Chorazin, Woe to Bethſaida, Woe to Capernaum; nothing but Woe, Woe, Woe, as the Angel in the Apocalyps cryed, and Jeſus Christ pronounceth them not againſt Infidel-Heathens, but againſt Infidel-Chriſtians, impenitent hearers, unſound Profeſſors. Here is nothing but Terror, Terror, Terror (the ſword doubled the third time, Ezek. 21. 14. the ſword of Chriſts mouth with which hee doth ſlay the wicked) and it denounced by Chriſt againſt the Chriſtian, the Pſeudo-Chriſtian, the Profeſſor, the eminent Saint. Here is Chriſt entring into his Temple with his Refiners fire, and Fullers ſope, and who may abide the day of his coming, and who can ſtand when hee appeareth? Here wee ſee Jeſus Chriſt taking the Vials into his own hand and pouring them out, not, on the Antichriſtian Synagogue, but on the moſt famous Chriſtian viſible Church, and the heavieſt Vial of all is poured on them who were next the Tabernacle, neareſt heaven, lifted up thither. How ſad is the condition of unſound beleevers! It was a ſad day when the Lord rained fire and brimſtone out of heaven from the Lord upon Sodome; much more ſad that the Lord ſhould rain fire and brimſtone from the Lord out of heaven, upon Goſhen, out of the Goſpel, upon ſuch as have, and profeſs the Goſpel. The Gen. 19 24.Goſpels-Sermon is the ſinking Sermon, not the preaching of the Law, and Terror, and hell; but the preaching Chriſt, and Goſpel, and Promiſe, and Grace to deſpiſers. theſe are the damning Sermons, The ſavour of death to death. I have read of a Roman Lady preſſed to death by the Jewels that ſhee deſired to bee given her for betraying a Caſtle, no death, or damnation ſo bad as to bee preſſed to death with Goſpel-Jewels. Chriſt Jeſus the moſt precious foundation-ſtone is the heavieſt preſſing-ſtone, on whomſoever hee ſhall fall, hee grindes them to powder. It was ſad that Elias ſhould intercede againſt Iſrael, more ſad, that Chriſt (whoſe office is to intercede) ſhould become a Sollicitor and Informer againſt thee. Mee thinks when I read of Hamans ſtory, how after all his high preferment, and royal entertainments, hee fell into diſgrace, and in a moment even when hee was in the higheſt confidence, was accuſed by the Queen that had feaſted him, and caſt off by the King, upon whoſe favour hee had ſo much preſumed, and all ſubmiſſions to the King, and interceſſions to the Queen are in vain; the King ſaith, Let h…m go, let him dye, I have not a word to ſay for him; Zereſh his wife had read his doom at home, and all his friends had given him for a loſt man, Eſth. 6. 13. And Harbonah an officer ſtanding by, Eſt. 7. 9ſpeaks an ill word for him in an ill hour when hee had little need of it, Behold, ſaith hee, the Gallows which hee ſet up for Mordecai, little did hee expect ſuch a diſmall change, to ſee all turned on ſuch an inſtant, ſuch a charge, and ſo many endictments brought againſt him, ſo heavy adverſaries, ſo clear proofs, and never a friend to open his mouth for him. Little ſure did hee expect ſuch a word at the Eunuchs hands, leſs at the Queens, who brought in the charge, and leaſt of all at the Kings hands, who gave the ſentence, Hang him up, and hee was preſently hurried out to execution. Mee thinks, I ſay it repreſents to mee the doleful caſe of many hearers and profeſſours of the Goſpel, who have been even lifted up to heaven, as our Text ſpeakes; They have been at the Banqueting-houſe with Chriſt, have enjoyed higheſt favours, but abuſed all, at length they are brought to the Bar, and then they are accuſed by ſin and Satan firſt, who had before feaſted and flattered them; then by Law and Juſtice charged further, then heavier Indictments brought in by Grace and Mercy; and when hee is not able to anſwer a word for himſelf, ſhall look upon Chriſt, and fall down at his feet, and take hold of his skirt, and ſay, Lord Jeſus thou waſt wont to offer mee thy grace and mercy, now help, or never, Chriſt ſhall ſay nay, Let him go, I have not a word to ſpeak for him, let Juſtice proceed, Hee hath deſpiſed mercy, let him have judgement without mercy: his damnation is juſt.
Oh what a ſad taking is the poor condemned ſoul in this caſe! Zereſh his wife (his own conſcience) had read his deſtiny before, all his friends fail him, Satan accuſeth, Miniſters accuſe, Ordinances accuſe, Grace accuſeth, Goſpel condemns, Chriſt condemneth, God condemneth, no body pities, all agree to his condemnation; little did hee expect all ſhould thus bee changed, every one againſt him; Little did hee expect it from Satans hand, leſs from the Goſpel, and Miniſters much leſs from God, whom hee alwayes reckoned his God, a God of mercy, but leaſt of all from Chriſt, whom hee ever looked upon as his Saviour, to ſave him, not from his ſins, but from the Fathers wrath, and in his ſins. If I intended, ſaith Luther, to wiſh one all bitter plagues and curſes, I would wiſh him the contemning of Gods word, for then hee would have them all at once come tumbling upon Luth. Coll.him.
The blood of Chriſt ſpeaketh better things than the blood of Abel, when it is ſprinkled upon the conſcience, but when trod under-foot, it ſpeaks worſe things than the blood of Abel. Sodomy is not ſo bad as Goſpel-contempt, or unfruitfulneſs. Sodome ſhall be in the upper Region of Hell, and in a better condition than theſe of Capernaum. Wee obſerve our Thunder-claps are greateſt, and ſhowres in the heat of Summer, and eſpecially after hotteſt gleams. The dreadfulleſt thunders, and ſpouts are near the Line, Propius Jovem, propius fulmen. The nearer heaven, the nearer hell, when gratia gratis data, is ingratis data, or gratis data (in the Apoſtles ſenſe, Gal. 2. 21. foreign gratis fruſtra) or doth inſtead of gratum facere, ingratum invenire, when men receive the grace of God in vain, or turn it into wantonneſs, grace will bee turned into vengeance.
The Scripture ſpeaks of many Manſions in heaven, and of three heavens; ſo there are many Manſions in hell. The Papiſts ſpeak of three partitions in hell, Joh. 14. … 2 Cor. 12. …Limbus Infantum, Purgatory, and the place of the damned, a very fiction. But I finde the Scripture ſpeaks of a threefold hell, after this life.
1 Of ſuch as ſin without Law who ſhall periſh without Law, Rom. 2. 12. the hell of Sodome.
2 Of ſuch as ſin under the Law, who ſhall periſh by the Law, ibid. the hell of the diſobedient Jew.
3 The hell of ſuch as ſin againſt the Goſpel, theſe ſhall bee judged by the Goſpel, Rom. 2. 16. Theſe are in the loweſt and moſt dreadful hell, Heb. 10. 29. It was a ſad word when Chriſt ſaid to the Jews, Think not that I will-accuſe you to the Father, there is one that accuſeth you even Moſes in whom yee truſt, Joh. 5. 45. So I may ſay to ſome; do not think wee poor deſpiſed Miniſters ſhall accuſe you, whom you take to bee your enemies, becauſe wee tell you the truth, but Chriſt, and Goſpel, and Grace, and Promiſe, whom you take for your beſt friends, and in whom you truſt. The Goſpel duſt, breeds as the duſt of Egypt in the hand of Moſes, very dreadfull plagues, worſe than thoſe Lice, and botches that followed thereupon, this is the Pulvis Tormentarius, and it burns Exod. 8. 17. & 9. 9.worſe than Sodomes brimſtone, Matth. 10. 14, 15. you may read, Numb. 5. That the bitter water, which cauſed the Curſe, and made the Thigh to rot, and the Belly to ſwell, and made the defiled woman ſuch a Curſe and Execration among her people, was made of the holy Num. 5. 17water in the Sanctuary, and of the duſt of the floor of the Sanctuary mixed with it. Oh what Curſes and Torments ſhall the Goſpel-waters of the Sanctuary, mixed with the duſt of the Sanctuary, the duſt of the feet of Goſpel-preachers, bring upon ſuch as are liveleſs, and graceleſs contemners of Grace and Goſpel! you may obſerve Num. 5. 17. it is called Holy water, verſ. 23. Bitter water, verſ. 24. Water that cauſeth the Curſe. How do holy, wholeſome, lively Ordinances become to the impure, ſinful, deſtructive, deadly, even a ſavour of death to death.