The Door of Salvation Opened by the Key of Regeneration, Treatise · Subject 1
The firſt ſubject of Conſideration, The miſery of the unregenerate, matchleſs, endleſs.
FIrſt, Conſider the miſery which thou lieſt under, or art liable to, whilſt thou art unregenerate.
And were I but able to charge and diſcharge this great gun fully, it might probably fire thee out of all thy ſinful holds, and force thee to ſeek unto Chriſt for help. But as the Roman ſaid of his fellow-Citizen, That he was beyond all expreſſions wicked; ſo may I ſay of thee, that thou art beyond not only all expreſſions, but all conceptions wretched. No ink is black enough to deſcribe thoſe diſmal clouds of fury under which thou liveſt in this world! But O, what tongue can tell the thouſandth part of thoſe fiery torments, to which thou art liable in the other world!
While thou liveſt thou art a curſed ſinner, and when thou dieſt, thou ſhalt be a damned creature.
While thou liveſt thou art a curſed ſianer; that roll of curſes twenty cubits long, and ten cubits broad, is thy right, Zach 5.4. Thou art a breaker of the Law, and out of Chriſt, and therefore an heir of the curſe and wrath of the Lord.
The curſe of God hangs every moment over thine head; like a Blood-hound it followeth thee where ever thou goeſt; as thy ſhadow it accompanieth thee whatever thou doſt; thou art continually under the dropings and ſpouts of the Almighty Gods indignation, and canſt as ſoon ſlye from thy ſelf as from it, till thou art regenerated.
Thou art curſed in all thou haſt; whether they are natural, civil, or ſpiritual enjoyments, they are all curſed to thee.
For thy natural parts, thy wit, memory, knowledge, head, heart, are all curſed to thee. They are employed in the ſervice of Satan, and with them thou fighteſt againſt God and thy ſoul. As Jehu againſt his Maſter, ſo thou marcheſt furiouſly againſt thy Maker with his own Soldiers. Thy Memory is Satans treaſury, thy Will an agent for hell, thy carnal mind enmity againſt God; the Handmaids of thy affections, like Hagar crow over their Miſtris, and make even thy Reaſon a ſlave and Lacquey to thy ſenſual luſts; all thy natural endowments are Satans ornaments; and as the more ſharp and keen the weapon is, the more miſchief the murderer doth with it; ſo the more witty thou art, the more wicked thou art, thy wiſdom being from below, earthly, ſenſual, deviliſh, Jam. 3.15.
For thy civil advantages, Thy wealth, credit, houſe-delights, friends are all curſed to thee. Thy riches make thee the greater rebel, and thereby further thine eternal ruine: Thy fulneſs breeds forgetfulneſs. Where the richeſt Mines are, the earth is moſt barren: Thy wealth is like fuel to feed thy wantonneſs.
Thine Honor like wind puffeth up the bladder of thine empty heart with pride: The more God lifteth thee up, the more thou caſteth him down; the reſpectful breath of thy neighbours, doth but blow the veſſel of thy ſoul towards Hell.
Thy pleaſures are prejudicial to thy precious ſoul; like the waſp thou drowneſt thy ſelf in thoſe pots of honey; and as the ſilly fiſh ſwimmeſt merily down the ſilver ſtreams of Jordan, till thou falleſt into the dead ſea and periſheſt.
Thy Relations and friends if wicked are curſed to thee; they breathe on thee; and thou takeſt the infection, wanting this preſervative of regeneration: They are actually what Michal was to David (intentionally in regard of Saul) ſnares unto thee.
Thy houſe is curſed. The curſe of the Lord is in the houſe of the wicked, Prov. 3.33. what ever coſt be there, there can be no true cheer, for there is Gods curſe which mars all; this will either rot the timber, and pull it down, or undermine the foundation and blow it up. Poſſibly there may be in thine houſe a loving wife, lovely children, many ſervants, ſtately rooms, coſtly furniture, dainty fare, great earthly delights: But man, The curſe of God is there; A ſpoonful of this like Copris will turn all thy wine into ink; thy ſea of honey into gall and wormwood: How can thy ſweeteſt diſh be ſavoury, when the curſe of God is thy ſauce? Or thy moſt ſugared cup be pleaſant, when the curſe of God lieth like a toad ſwel'd at the bottom? or thy fineſt rayment delight thee, when in every ſuit there is the curſe of God, like a plague ſore? or how can thy moſt beautiful building content thee, when this curſe of God on thee for thy wickedneſs turns it into a priſon to keep thee (who art in the bond of iniquity) till the hour of death, the time of thine execution?
There is a place which ſome ſpeak of in the Weſt-Indies, where there is extraordinary luſcious fruit growing, but the inhabitants are ſo ſcorched with the heat of the Sun by day, and multitude of gnats ſtinging them by night, that they cannot either eat or digeſt their ſweet meats with any comfort; for which cauſe the Spaniards call the place, Comfits in hell: Reader, what delight canſt thou take in thy table though it be ſpread with various earthly enjoyments when every diſh is ſerved in with the ſcorching wrath of God, and ſtingings of a guilty conſcience. As a feaſt to him that ſate under a naked ſword, as wine to a condemned malefactor, as Dives diſhes followed with the unquenchable fire, ſo are all the comforts of this inferiour creation to an unregenerate perſon.
Thou art a curſe to thy children; its ill to have relation to thee, who art under the indignation of God. The ſeed of evil doers ſhall never be renowned. Iſa. 14.20. ſo Job 5.3, 4. If thy children are good, thou art their grief; if wicked, thou wilt make them worſe. The beſt of them may ſmart temporally for thine iniquities. When the body of the tree faleth, the branches fall with it, Exod. 20.5. and O how much more is it to be feared, that thou wilt draw them after thee both to ſin and Hell!
It is not ſafe to be thy neighbour; if it be ill to dwell near him whoſe houſe is on fire; ſurely 'tis not good to be nigh him who is under Gods fury. When an overflowing ſtorm ſweepeth away the wicked, the tayle of it may daſh at their beſt neighbours: Though they ſhall not periſh with thee, yet they may ſmart for thee.
Thy name is curſed; The name of the the wicked ſhall rot, Prov. 10.7. Thou mayſt be honorable in the eſteem of thy graceleſs neighbours, but thou art contemptible in the account of Chriſt and his members; and when ever thou dieſt, thou wilt go out like a candle, leaving behinde thee a ſtinking ſavour in the noſtrils of the Saints.
Thy calling, what ever it be, is curſed! thine eathly imployment proves an heavenly impediment. Thou art curſed in the City, and curſed in the field; curſed in thy basket, and curſed in thy ſtore; curſed in the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, and increaſe of thy kine, and flocks of thy ſheep; curſed when thou comeſt in, and curſed when thou goeſt out: The Lord will ſend upon thee curſing, vexation and rebuke in all that thou ſetteſt thine hand unto, until thou be deſtroyed and periſh quickly, becauſe of the wickedneſs of thy doings, whereby thou haſt forſaken the Lord, Deut. 28. init. & per tot.
As thy natural parts and civil advantages, ſo alſo thy ſpiritual priviledges are curſed to thee, till thou turneſt from ſin.
…hou enjoyeſt Sermons, Sacraments, Sabbaths, ſeaſons of Grace, and like the Spider, ſuckeſt poiſon out of thoſe ſweet flowers: Roſes, ſome ſay, kill horſe-flies. Is it not ſad, that thoſe precious mercies ſhould haſten and increaſe thy miſery! Thine unregeneracy, like ſome deſperate diſeaſe, turneth thoſe medicines which are adminiſtred to cure it, into the nouriſhment and confirmation of the ſickneſs it ſelf; the word of God is the ſavour of death unto death unto thee, … Cor. 2.18. Thou ſurfeiteſt of that bread of life, then which no ſurfeit is more dangerous; thou groweſt black and wanzy in the ſunſhine of the Goſpel; the table of the Lord is to thee the table of devils; the leaven of thy unregeneracy turneth that paſſover into pollution; Chriſt himſelf is a ſtone of ſtumbling, and a rock of offence, 1 Peter. 2.8. This Sun of Righteouſneſs, which the ſound eye of the regenerate beholds with much pleaſure, is not beheld by thy ſore eyes without much pain. The Red-ſea of his blood, through which the true Iſraelites paſs ſafely into the celeſtial Canaan, is deſtruction to thee, being an uncircumciſed Egyptian. The very Grace of God is turned by thee into wantonneſs, Jude verſ. 4.
Thou makeſt ſowre vinegar of that ſweet wine, and makeſt uſe of thoſe gales to help thee to Hell, which were ſent to help thee to Heaven Ʋnto thee who art unbelieving and defiled is nothing pure, Tit. 1.15. As the Earth hath the greateſt cold in the bottom of it, when the Sun ſhineth on it with the greateſt heat to qualifie it; So is thine heart dead and cold under all the warm influences of ordinances.
What a dreadful condition art thou in, that thoſe priviledges which are choice bleſſings to others, ſhould be curſed to thee, and greaten both thy ſin and ſuffering. The fruit of thoſe trees which ſtand in the Sun, groweth greater, then of thoſe which grow in the ſhade; ſo do thy ſins under the Goſpel of Chriſt, wax greater, then of thoſe which want it, Matth. 11.21, 22, 23. Hebr. 10.28, 29. And as theſe ſacred advantages increaſe thy corruption, ſo alſo thy deſtruction: When the phyſick which ſhould remove the diſtemper cooperates with it, it brings death with the more ſpeed and pain. No creature more terrible then fire, and no fire ſo terrible as that which is taken from the Altar: Take fire from the Altar and ſcatter it over the City, Ezek. 10.2. they thought the fire of the Altar had been onelyonly for the expiation of ſin, Calv. in loc.but God makes them know, that twas for the deſolation of their City.
But thou art not onelyonly curſed in what thou haſt, but alſo in what thou doeſt.
All thine actions whether inward or outward, whether worldly or religious, are all ſinful and curſed; Like the Leper under the Law, thou tainteſt what ever thou toucheſt, and makeſt it unclean. Thy thoughts, the firſt-born of thy ſoul, and thy pureſt offſpring are all vain; thine heart is a ſink of ſin, an ocean of corruption; and therefore is ever ſending forth, and bubbling up mire and dirt; The imaginations and thoughts of thy heart are evil, only evil, and that continually, Gen. 6.9. Thy words are wicked, the inward wheels of thy ſpirit being diſordered, the clock of thy tongue cannot ſtrike true. The inward dunghil reaketh, and ſendeth forth its ſtench much this way, Rom. 3.13, 14. Thy mouth is full of curſing and bitterneſs; The poiſon of Aſps is under thy lips; thy throat is an open Sepulcre, like a grave, when opened, ſending forth noiſom and ſtinking exhalations.
Thy calling is not without its corruption; The ploughing of the wicked is ſin. Prov. 21.4. Thy very eating, drinking, ſleeping, buying, ſelling, what ever thou doſt is evil; though ſuch actions are indifferent in themſelves, (for all indifferency lieth in generals) yet, as done by thee from wicked principles, and for wicked ends, they are ſtark naught: Nay, thy very religious actions are ſinful and unacceptable to God: The ſacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, Prov. 15.8. Thine incenſe ſtinks of the hand that offereth it; therefore the heart of God cannot away with it, Iſa. 1.13, 14, 15. & 66.3. The veſſel of thine heart is not clean, and God will not taſte of the liquor which cometh out of it; becauſe thy perſon is not accepted, thy performances are all rejected; Thou art in the fleſh, and therefore canſt not pleaſe God, Rom. 8.8. Thy duties are done without heart or heat, and being dead carcaſes, without ſpiritual life, muſt needs be unſavory.
Thus, man, art thou miſerable, who art in a ſtate of nature; thine unregenerate heart being like ſome filthy fen (or as ſome write of the Lake of Sodom) which continually ſendeth up poyſonous vapors. O, into what dangerous Dilemmas doth thine unregeneracy bring thee! If thou enjoyeſt the means of Grace, by abuſing them thou increaſeſt thy miſery, Hebr. 10.28. If thou neglecteſt them, thou leaveſt thy ſelf without remedy, and periſheſt unavoidably, Prov. 29.18. Rom. 10.15. If thou art in proſperity, the ſunſhine thereof doth but ripen thee for ruine, (as the Sun the grape) for the wine-preſs of the Lords wrath, Prov. 1.31. Pſal. 69.22. If thou art in adverſity, the fire thereof doth but harden thine heart of clay, 2 Chron 28.22. Thy miſery (as Plutarch writes of drums to Tygers) maketh thee mad; Plutarch. lib. de uper ſat.thou fretteſt like one in a frenzy, 2 Kings 6.33. againſt the Lord; If thou rejoyceſt, thy laughter is from the teeth outward; Is not thine heart many a time heavy when thy looks are lively! Prov. 14.13. Doth not conſcience, when thou like Belſhazar, art carouſing in thy cups, ſpread forth an hand-writing before thee, a black Liſt of thy ſins, and Gods wrath, which turneth all thy mirth into mourning? at beſt thy laughter is but like the crackling of thorns under a pot, which maketh a ſhort blaze and buſling noiſe, and then vaniſheth into ſmoak and aſhes, Dan. 5.5, 6. Iſa. 57.21. If thou weepeſt, thy tears are puddle-water, and ſo thy worldly ſorrow here, but a pledge and earneſt of thy ſufferings hereafter: If thou liveſt long, thou heateſt Hell the hotter; every day treaſuring up wrath upon thine head againſt the day of wrath, Rom. 2.5. If thou dieſt ſoon, thou makeſt the more haſte to Hell, taking a ſhort cut to thy long and doleful home.
If thou lookeſt upward, thou maiſt ſee God frowning, and his wrath revealed from Heaven againſt thee, Rom. 1.18. thou mayſt behold (as it were) the Heavens and their Hoſt ready every moment, to diſcharge Gods curſe like a thunderbolt upon thee; if thou lookeſt downward, thou mayſt ſee hell gaping, (as the earth did to Corah) and opening its mouth wide, to ſwallow thee up quick; if thou lookeſt within thee, thou mayſt ſee conſcience, (which thou haſt abuſed (as the Philiſtines did Samſon) by putting out its eyes, cauſing it to grind at the divels mill, and making ſport with it) reſolving when it ſhall recover its ſtrength, to be avenged on thee, and to make thee periſh though it periſh with thee. If thou lookeſt without thee, there is no ſight but what may call thee to ſighs and ſobs. If thou lookeſt upon the creatures, are not they armed with ſtings and murdering Inſtruments, on the behalf of their Creatour, and alwayes ready to let fly at thee, who art a Rebel againſt his Majeſty? If thou lookeſt into Scriptures, there is a table richly ſpread (which they that are born of God ſit at) with Adoption, remiſſion, peace, love, the purchaſe of Chriſt, the comforts of the Spirit, which thou as the unbelieving Lord mayſt ſee, but ſhall not ſo much as taſte of. Thou mayſt ſee a Cherubim there with a flaming ſword, to guard that tree of life, and keep thee out of that pleaſant Paradiſe. Nay, thou mayeſt behold there the plagues and judgements, the pain and puniſhments which the righteous God threatneth againſt and will execute upon thee, and all in thy condition; In a word thou mayſt, as it were, find thy very ſelf mentioned in the forlorn hope for Hell, 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. Rev. 21.6, 7.
While thou liveſt, thou art fed like a beaſt by a common providence, and art a meer ſtranger to all the ſaving promiſes. If at any time thou fingereſt the unſearchable riches in Chriſt, like the riches which Solomon ſpeaks of, they make themſelves wings and flye away from thee; thou goeſt every day without thy guard, being turned naked into the wide world amongſt legions of Devils, and ſoul-damning luſts, to be rent and torn in pieces (like a ſilly Hare amongſt a pack of Hounds) and none to ſhelter thee, or call thee off: Many dangers attend thee every day, many miſeries every moment; when thou goeſt out or comeſt in, lieſt down or riſeſt up, ſtill are thoſe frightful hel-hounds watching for thee, and waiting only for leave from God (O that his long-ſuffering might be unto thee ſalvation!) to drag thy ſoul into the lake of fire. There is but an hairs breadth (as it were) between thee and hell.
And O when thou dieſt, man, what wilt thou then do? as ſoon as that Captain death ſtrikes the firſt ſtroak, whole Armies of woes will fall upon thee.
Reader, I have told thee ſomewhat of thy lamentable portion in this life; though none can give thee a full Inventory of thy perſonal wretched eſtate. One would think that every line under this head, ſhould be as a dagger ſtabbing thee at the heart, and that if there were nothing elſe but theſe ſmall guns (I call them ſo comparatively) of miſeries in this world, the fear of them ſhould cauſe thee to flie, as the diſtreſſed dove to the clifts of the rock, the wounds of a crucified Chriſt. But this is not all, the murdering-piece, the great Ordnance is yet behind: I muſt haſten to write of thy miſery in the other world, which thou poor wretch (though now without fear, yet) art haſtning to feel.
As while thou liveſt thou art a curſed ſinner, ſo when thou dieſt thou art a damned creature. Here I confeſs I ſhall fail much more then before; for no pen can deſcribe, no pencil can delineate, though both did it in blood, to the utmoſt of humane wit and Art, the thouſand thouſandth part of that pain which thou ſhalt there undergo. I have read of a Court, where it was made death to mention death. Surely the word Death muſt needs ſound dreadfully in thine ears, becauſe when it comes it will ſtrike and that home; 'twill both kill thee and damn thee, 'twill part thy body and ſoul for a time, and God and the ſoul to eternity; 'twill ſend thy body to the grave, and thy ſoul to hell: Thy condition now is lamentable and dangerous, but then, O then 'twill be irrecoverable and deſperate: Thy deaths-day will be thy doomſ-day, wherein the guilty priſoner of the ſoul ſhall be fetched out of the noiſom goal of the body, and appear before the Judge of the whole earth, and from him receive a ſentence of eternal death, and then be hurried by frightful Devils to execution. It is ſtoried of Charls King of Sweden, a great enemy of the Jeſuites, that when he took any of their Colledges, he would put the younger ſort of them into his Mines, ſaying, That ſince they had wrought hard above ground, he would now make trial how well they could work under ground: Truly thus Satan will ſerve thee, when thou haſt wrought hard for him on earth, he will pay thee thy wages in the dark vaults of hell, and make trial how well thou canſt work there: Ah, who would ſerve ſuch a Maſter! Look to it and remember that thou waſt warned of it: For if thou dieſt naturally, before thou liveſt ſpiritually, thou dieſt eternally.
Auſtins prayer was, Hack me, hew me, burn me HERE, but ſpare me HEREAFTER, Spare me hereafter. Alas, what will thy condition be? Thou art in hell upon earth, for thou liveſt without God, whoſe gracious preſence is heaven; and in hell after death; thou ſhalt never be ſpared here nor hereafter; now thou art a curſed ſinner, and then thou ſhalt be a damned creature; thy beſt is paſt, and thy worſt to come, though thy beſt portion is a poor pittance, a few brutiſh pleaſures.
I come now to thy miſery in the other world.
ETernal death will teach thee ſix leſſons, though now neither mercy nor miſery, neither fair means nor foul means can prevail with thee to learn them.
Firſt, It will teach thee the vanity of this world: Thou now ſeeſt it written with the finger of God in his word, in capital letters, Vanity of Vanities, all is Vanity, Eccleſ. ….3. yet thou wilt not believe it. As 'tis reported of a Gentlewoman, that being told ſo, anſwered, 'Tis true, Solomon ſaid ſo, but he tried the world firſt, and ſo will I: Thou wilt try the world alſo before thou wilt truſt the Word. But be confident, in the other world thou wilt find God true to thy coſt, when thine honor, which now is but the breath of thy neighbor (a thin cabinet of air which every one hath a key to but thy ſelf) ſhall be blown away: when thy wealth which hath great eagles wings to flie from thee here, ſhall not have ſo much as a ſmall Sparrows wings to follow after thee there; and when all thine earthly comforts, for which thou ſelleſt thy ſoul and thy Saviour, ſhall (as the Phariſees did Judas) leave thee in the greateſt extremity, and bid thee look to thy ſelf.
Then poſſibly thou wilt ſay as Cardinal Wolſey when he was out of favour with his Prince, and left by him to the rage of his enemies, If I had ſerved my God as faithfully as I have ſerved my King, he would not have ſerved me thus: So thou wilt think, If I had ſerved my God as faithfully as I have ſerved the world, he would not have ſerved me thus, to leave me in my greateſt need to the rage of ſcorching flames, to the fury of roaring lions, and tormenting devils; if I had ſerved my Saviour, as faithfully as I have ſerved my ſins, I ſhould have received other manner of pay.
But for all thy faithful ſervice to the world and thy fleſh, they will forſake thee: Thou mayſt then cry to the things of this world, which have ſo much of thy time, and heart, and truſt, and which are indeed thy god, as thoſe Idolaters did to their Idolgod, O Baal hear us: O riches hear me, O friends hear me, O pleaſures hear me, O merry-meetings, hear me, O relations hear me! yea, if thou ſhouldſt continue crying never ſo long, thou couldſt not have the leaſt help: Were it poſſible for them to ſpeak to thee when thou art in the other world, it muſt be the ſame anſwer which the King of Iſrael gave a poor widow in her diſtreſs; Help my Lord the King, ſaith ſhe: If the Lord help not, I cannot help, ſaith the King; ſuch would their anſwer be to thee, If the Lord help not, we cannot help. But friend, what will thy caſe be when they cannot help, and God will not help? what a poor helpleſs creture wilt thou be for ever.
Secondly, It will teach thee the ſeverity of the Lord. Now poſſibly thou knoweſt what the pain of the teeth is, or what the fury of a fevor, or what the violence of the gout, or what the wrack of the ſtone is, but not what the wrath of the Lord is; though theſe things ſpeak it ſomewhat, yet thou doſt not believe it at all; but then feeling will be believing. Suppoſe every part of thy body, were as much tortured as ever thou haſt felt any one part, and that for ten thouſand years, how heavy would it be to bear? This were but a fleabiting to what thy body muſt undergo in hell. And yet the torments of thy ſoul, will be the ſoul of thy torments; in the other world thou ſhalt know, what the worm that never dieth, what the fire that never goeth out, what blackneſs of darkneſs, what to be tormented day and night, what weeping and wailing, and gnaſhing of teeth, what deſtruction from the preſence of the Lord, what the wrath of the lamb meane. Mark 9.43, 44. 2 Theſſ. 1.7, 8.
O tis a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Heb. 12.31. His wrath is as the roaring of a lyon. Amos, 3.4. as a terrible earthquake, which makes the hils to quake, Pſal. 18.7, 8. as the rage of a bear robbed of her whelps. Hoſ. 13.8. It is a devouring fire, the moſt terrible of all Gods creatures. Tophet is prepared of old for unregenerate ones it is prepared; 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. Iſa. 3. ult. Fire which is ſo irreſiſtible, that thou art but ſtraw and ſtubble before it; ſo intolerable, that thou wilt moan and mourn, ſigh and ſob under it; ſo unquenchable that when it is kindled in Gods anger, it ſhall burn to the loweſt hell. Deut. 32.6. This fire I ſay, will ſpeak a little what that great fury is which thou ſhalt feel.
I have read that a frown of Queen Elizabeth kild Sir Chriſtopher Hatton, Cambden. Elizab.the Lord Chancellour of England What then will the frowns of the King of Nations do? If the rocks rent, the mountains melt, and the foundations of the earth tremble under his wrath, what wilt thou do?
When God ſhall with one hand, ſtrike thee according to his infinite anger, and with his other hand ſupport thee by his infinite power, to feel the ſtroak of that fury, who can expreſſe or conceive what thou ſhalt endure? When thou conſidereſt, that the wrath of God hath thrown millions of Angels our of heaven, drownd a whole world, deſtroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimſtone, opened a flood-gate of matchleſs miſeries, and let them in upon Adams poſterity, thou mayeſt conceive a little what it is: But when thou conſidereſt, that this cup of the Lords wrath, made Jeſus Chriſt, (who in his perſon was true God) when he did but ſip of it, to be all over in a bloody ſweat in a cold winters night, and that in ſuch abundance that the clods of blood trickled down from his face to the ground, and when he drank it off, to cry out in bitterneſs of ſoul, and anguiſh of ſpirit, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me! what apprehenſion wilt thou have of the indignation of the Lord? Well, all this muſt fall on thee, if thou dieſt in this eſtate: how dareſt thou any longer to provoke the Lord to anger? art thou ſtronger then he? 1 Cor. 10.22. The Roman would not conteſt with his Soveraign that could command Legions. Wilt thou by ſin contend with that God, Matth. 18.…, 18. and 21.13. Iude 6, 7, 12. ver. Mark 9.44.who can command fire to burn thee, chains to binde thee, brimſtone to choak thee, Lions to tear thee, Serpents to ſting thee, ſcropions to ſcourge thee, darkneſs to fright thee, Devils to wrack thee, Worms to gnaw thee, millions of woes to ſeiſe on thee, and Hell to hold thee to feel all this for ever? Ah! who knoweth the power of thine anger? according to thy fear, ſo is thy wrath, Pſal. 90.11.
3. It will teach thee the woful nature and fruits of ſin. Now thou canſt mock at miſchief, and ſport with ſin, as if it were nothing: but Good Lord! what thoughts wilt thou have of thy moſt pleaſureable wickedneſs, in the other world, when the ſenſual delightful ſtreams thereof ſhall be dried up with the ſcorching heat of Gods wrath, and nothing left but the mud of horror and vexation! Sin dogs thee up and down all the while thou liveſt, as the Fowler doth the flying bird, (conſcience will ever now and then give thee a gripe, have a fling at thee whether thou wilt or no) but when the bird ſettles, then the gun goeth off; ſo when thou art ſettled in thine own place, then expect the murthering piece. After thy death, the vermin of thy luſts will crawl in thee, and feed upon thee.
Thou ſhalt ſee all thy millions of ſins like an Army ſet in order, and marſhald in rank and file before thine eyes, and every one with their envenomed arrows, poyſonous bullets, and wounding weapons ſet in array againſt thee. Firſt, Original ſin, the Commander in chief, marcheth up in the front; after that, thine innumerable actual tranſgreſſions, thy carnal-mindedneſs, unbelief, pride, adultery, hypocriſie, drunkenneſs, ſwearing, lying, malice, hatred, envy, unrighteouſneſs, atheiſm, blaſphemy, profanation of the Lords-day, undutifulneſs to parents, unthankfulneſs for mercies, unprofitableneſs under the means of Grace, incorrigibleneſs under afflictions, thy ſecret, private, publick ſins; thy omiſſions, commiſſions, thy perſonal, relative ſins; all theſe, and many which thou now never thinkeſt of, ſhall let flie whole vollies of ſhot upon thee.
Then thou wilt know that 'tis ſin which hath made thee ſo like to Satan; that 'tis ſin which hath ſeparated God and thy ſoul; that 'tis ſin which hath ſhut heaven againſt thee; that 'tis ſin which hath brought thee into Hell; that though ſin be delightful in the act, yet tis dreadful, 'tis damnable in the end; O 'twill be ſin indeed there. Now thou walkeſt lightly under the weight of thoſe grievous ſins which make the whole Creation to groan, but then thou wilt feel ſin to be a burthen too heavy for thee to bear.
A maſſy piece of timber floating upon the waters and ſwimming, may be drawn this way or that way by one man; but when it is once grounded he cannot ſtir it, 'twill be ſo heavy: So now thou art born up with the ſtreams of worldly comforts, thy ſins are eaſie and light; but when thou comeſt once to touch at land, at thy long home, they will be ſo poyſonous for their nature, and ſo ponderous for their weight, that thou wilt cry out ſadly, and deſpairingly, (what Paul did ſorrowfully, yet believingly) O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from this body of death! Rom. 7.24.
The god of this world now blindeth thine eyes, that thou neither ſeeſt their number, nor colour; but in that long long night of blackneſs of darkneſs, all thoſe Ghoſts will walk, and then they will be gaſtly indeed. Thoſe arrows of ſin which now thou ſhooteſt out of ſight, will then fall down upon the head of the Archer.
4. It will teach thee the worth of a Saviour; when thou feeleſt the want of a Saviour, thou ſhalt know by woful experience the worth of a Saviour. Sickneſs now probably teacheth thee the worth of health and pain, the comfort of eaſe; truly, thoſe torturing pains, and wracking diſeaſes, with which thou ſhalt be eternally affected, will teach thee, (though 'twill be a miſerable learning) the great price and worth of the Phyſitian of ſouls.
Jeſus Chriſt is more worth to a Saint in this world, then the whole world: If all the rocks were rubies, and all the duſt gold, or the whole Globe a ſhining Chryſolite; yet he would count all but droſs and dung in compariſon of Chriſt; nay, of one hours, or moments communion with him. But thou ſeeſt here no ſuch vertue in his blood, no ſuch value in his paſſion, no ſuch beauty in his perſon, no ſuch excellency in his precepts: But when thou ſhalt feel the wrath of God, the curſe of the Law, the torments of Hell, the poyſon and ſting of ſin, then a Redeemer will be a Redeemer indeed.
Now the Son of the ever bleſſed God tendereth himſelf to thee with many entreaties, goeth after thee up and down, night and day knocking at the door of thine heart (with all his graces, comforts, and fruits of his death) by the miniſtry of his word, the motions of his ſpirit, multitudes of temporal and ſpiritual mercies; but thou unworthy wretch, ſlighteſt both him and his precious Attendants, and eſteemeſt thy ſhop and ſtock, thy corn and carnal comforts far before him: but when thou ſhalt ſee, what a weight of glory, what Rivers of pleaſures others enjoy, through the Saviour, and thy ſelf feel more torment and pain then thou canſt now poſſibly think or fear, for want of a Saviour; ſurely, thou wilt have other manner of thoughts of him then now thou haſt.
'Twould be as much worth to thee as Heaven, now to know Jeſus Chriſt and him crucified; but 'twill be the Hell of thine Hell to know him there. O, how deeply it will cut thine heart with horror to think that that Chriſt (whom thou ſhalt ſee at his Fathers right hand) waited on thee till his head was wet with the dew, and his locks with the drops of the night, called frequently, and fervently after thee, Turn, turn, O ſinner, why wilt thou die and run thus upon thy ruin! and yet thou wert as deaf as an Adder, and wouldſt not hear the voice of that ſweet Charmer.
5. It will teach thee the preciouſneſs of time: Eternity will learn thee the value of time; when in that long evening and night which ſhall never have a morning, thou ſhalt remember and conſider, that thou hadſt a day of Grace: O, Thou wilt think, Time was when I had the tenders and offers of all that love and life, mercy and merits, heaven and happineſs, of which yonder bleſſed ſouls are poſſeſſors; when mercy came kneeling to me for acceptance, Grace came a begging at the door of my heart for admittance, it followed me to bed and board, abroad and at home, beſeeching me for the love of God, for the ſake of my poor ſoul, to turn from lying vanities to the living God: how often did the Miniſter with many entreaties invite, exhort, beſeech me to pitty my dying ſoul, to leave my damning ſins, 2 Cor. 6.2.and heartily to embrace my loving Saviour with all ſpeed, aſſuring me, from the word of the Eternal God, that then was the onelyonly accepted time, then was the onelyonly day of Salvation! but I deſpiſed and deferred all, I thought I had time enough before me; and wo, and alas, it is now too late; the ſun of my life is ſet, the gate of mercy is ſhut; I did not work in my day, and now the things of my peace are for ever hid from mine eyes. Alas, ala…, poor creature, what wilt thou do in ſuch an hour?
Now thou wanteſt wayes to ſpend thy time; were it not for the Ale-houſe, or good fellowſhip, or ſome ſinful or vain ſports, thou couldſt not tell what to do with thy time: Now thou eſteemeſt it as a meer drug that hangs upon thy hand. How many a precious hour doſt thou throw away, though the revenues of the whole world cannot purchaſe or call back a moment! but then thou wilt cry, as that fooliſh Lady on her deathbed, who wantoned it away in her life time, Plutarch. in Pelopid.Call time again, Call time again, but all in vain. When thou art once entred upon thine Eternity, there can be no recalling of Time.
I have read of Archias the Lacedemonian, that whilſt he was carouſing in his cups, amongſt his jovial companions, one delivers him a letter purpoſely to acquaint him that ſome lay in wait to take away his life, and withal deſired him to read it preſently, becauſe it was matter of concernment; O, ſaith he, Cras ſeria, ſerious things to morrow, but he was ſlain that night: ſo whilſt thou art wallowing in the mire of ſenſual pleaſures, a meſſenger from God is ſent purpoſely to tell thee that Satan and Sin lie in ambuſhment to murther thy ſoul, and withal intreateth thee to minde it ſpeedily, that thou mighteſt prevent it; but thou cryeſt (at leaſt in thy heart and practice) Serious things to morrow, Repentance, Faith and Holineſs hereafter; but before that hereafter come, thou art in Hell; and then preſent time will be precious, when its paſt.
Thou wilt then remember how exceeding careful thou waſt to plough and ſow thy ground in its ſeaſon, and how mad and fooliſh to put off the ploughing up the fallow ground of thy heart, and ſowing to the Spirit, till the ſeaſon of Grace was paſt.
6. It will teach thee the knowledge of Eternity, though indeed this Leſſon will be ever learning by thee, and never learned: Thou ſhalt ſuffer the vengeance of eternal fire, Jude v. 7. and be tormented day and night for ever and ever, Rev. 14.10.
Thou wouldſt not burn an whole year, no not one day in one of thy Kitchin fires for a Kingdom. But O then thou ſhalt be in a ten thouſand times hotter fire, and for ever. Ah! Who can dwell in everlaſting burnings! who can endure unquenchable flame! Iſa. 33.14.
It is written of the Lord Chancellor Egerton, that going through Weſtminſter Hall in Terme time he ſaw written upon the wall (by one that was fearful he ſhould be oppreſſed by a potent Adverſary) Tanquam non reverſurus, as though he ſhould never return more: Truly, when thou art once caſt into that priſon, thou ſhalt never come out; As the cloud is conſumed and waſhed away; ſo he that goeth down into Hell returneth no more, Job 7.9. The worm there dieth not, and the fire there never goeth out; there is blackneſs of darkneſs for ever: The ſmoke of thy torments will aſcend for ever and ever, Matth. 18.10. Jude 7. Rev. 14.10, 11. O, Friend, didſt thou but know what this eternity of torment is, thou wouldſt howl and roar, and never reſt day nor night whilſt thou art unconverted. It is an age of ever living in death and pangs, and yet never expiring, a circle of ſorrows which knoweth no end, an extremity of pain which ſhall have no period: when thou haſt layn under thoſe unconceiveable torments as many millions of ages as there are creatures great and ſmall in Heaven, Earth, and the vaſt Ocean, thou ſhalt not be nearer coming out, then the firſt …oment thou didſt go in. Now thou thinkeſt Prayers are long, Sermons are long, and Sabbaths are long, and duties are long; But how long wilt thou think Eternity to be? Now thou ſayſt, The Preacher is long-winded; but, ah! how long-winded will Hell be when it ſhall hold thee ever, ever, ever to feel the ſtroke of infinite power and anger.
Thus, Reader, while thou liveſt, thou art a curſed creature, and when thou dieſt, a damned ſinner: In life thou art curſed in all thou haſt, in all thou doſt; after death thou ſhalt know the vanity of the world, the anger of the Lord, the woful nature and effects of ſin, the worth of a Saviour, the preciouſneſs of time, and what a boundleſs bottomleſs Ocean Eternity is. Conſider this ye that forget God, leſt he tear you in pieces, when there is none to deliver you, Pſal. 50.22.
But poſſibly, thou (Reader, though unregenerate) doſt not feel this curſe, nor fear this wrath; therefore thou thinkeſt all is falſe: But anſwer me this queſtion, Doth not the word of God ſpeak more of thy miſery, both in this and the other world, then I have or can ſpeak? And canſt thou imagine, that thine unbelief ſhall make God a lyar? I tell thee, the ſame Scripture of truth, which ſpeaketh of thy miſery, ſpeaketh of thy ſtupidity, 1 Theſ. 5.3, 4. That thou wilt even mock and ſcoff when thou art told of it, 2 Pet. 3.2. truly, thy ſottiſh ſenſleſneſs is the chain by which Hells Jaylor holds thee ſo faſt. The ſick Patient that feeleth his pain, is in an hopeful way of recovery, when he that is dangerouſly ſick and ſenſeleſs, is uſually given over for dead.
It is obſerved of thoſe that are taken with the frenzy (the diſeaſe being got into the cockloft of reaſon) that the more the diſeaſe doth affect them, Ariſt.ſo much the more ſecure they are, careleſs of any thing, preſumptuous in all things, fearful of nothing, as having loſt the uſe of comon ſenſe: So is it with thee; the more ſinful, the leſs ſenſible; the more the duſt of ſin flies up into thine eyes, the more blinde thou art now; but when death comes, 'twill clear up thy ſight. Pliny ſaith of the mole, Oculos incipit operire moriendo, quos clauſos habuit vivendo.that though ſhe be blinde all the time of her life, yet when ſhe cometh to die, ſhe openeth her eyes. Truly, though now thou ſhutteſt thine eyes, and art blinde in theſe things, yet within a few dayes thou ſhalt come to die, and then thine eyes will be opened, and thou wilt ſee all theſe things, and very much more as clearly as the Sun at noon-day.
Therefore, Friend, what doſt thou ſay now to this firſt ſubject of conſideration, The miſery which thou lieſt under, and art liable to whileſt thou art unregenerate! Would any man that were not mad continue quiet in ſuch an eſtate one moment! Ah, who would live one hour under ſuch a torrid Zone, for a world! Doſt thou believe, that as they whom God bleſſeth are bleſſed indeed: ſo they whom he curſeth are curſed indeed? When Chriſt curſed the fig-tree, how ſpeedy and effectual was it! the Diſciples ſay, How ſoon is the fig-tree withered away! Matth. 21.19, 20. So will it be to thee, as certain, though not ſo ſudden; like a moth, 'twill devour thee ſurely, yet (it may be) ſecretly, that thou ſhalt take no notice of it; Let conſcience ſpeak, Art thou contented to be night and day, where ever thou goeſt, and whatever thou doeſt, under Gods curſe in this world? if not, then acquaint thy ſelf NOW with God, and be at peace; and good (a bleſſing inſtead of a curſe) ſhall come to thee, Job 22.21. But if thou canſt bear Gods curſe ſo patiently here, not ſinking under it, being kept above water with the skin-deep bladers of common bleſſings; yet what wilt thou do hereafter, when all theſe ſhall be parted from thee? Canſt thou ſo quietly in the other world hear that voice, and feel the execution of that verſe, Go thou curſed into everlaſting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels for ever! Matth. 25.41. If thou canſt not, Agree with thy Adverſary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him, leſt at any time the Adverſary deliver thee to the Judge, and the Judge deliver thee to the Officer, and thou be caſt into Priſon. Verily I ſay unto thee, thou ſhalt by no means come out thence, till thou haſt paid the nttermoſt farthing, Matth. 5.25, 26.