The Greatest Sinners Exhorted and Encouraged, Part 4
For Direction here,
1. Think often on the DAY of JUDGMENT, and what will then become of thee. Often let the Thought of that come into thy heart. One of the Auncients hath such an Expression as this: Wherever I go, whether I am at home or abroad, alone or in Company, Meethinks I am still hearing the last Trump sounding, and that heaven-shaking voice of the Son of God, Arise you dead, and come to JƲDGMENT. Think what will then become of thee. Must I then goe to Heaven or Hell? If the Lord Jesus should come to Judge the world this night, what would He say to mee? what Answer can I give to Him concerning my Time in this world, how I have spent it? Would the Lord say to me, Come thou blessed! or will He not say, Go thou cursed.
2. Make through-work of it, in the matter of Repentance. Thoughts of the Day of Judgment should awaken hereunto. Act. 17. 30, 31. Now God commands all men evry where to repent, because he hath appointed a Day in which he will judge the world. As for impenitent sinners that live so, and dye so; the longer they live the worse it will be for them at the Day of Judgement. Rom. 2. 5. But after thy hardness, and impoenitent heart, treasurest up wrath against the Day of wrath.—An impenitent Sinner adds to the heap of Wrath by every sin which he does commit. Those Treasures of wrath which he has been heaping up for his miserable soul will never be spent. O therefore confess Sin: Enter into judgement with thy self now, if thou wouldst not have God enter into Judgement with thee at that Day. And forsake Sin: He that confesseth and forsaketh shall find mercy. Nor is it enough to forsake some sins only, but all known sin. If thou hast been a Swearer, confess that sin before God, and forsake it. If thou hast been a Drunkard, confess that sin and forsake it. Or if thou hast lived in Wantonness, Uuncleaness, Self-polution (the sin which young men are commonly damn'd for) confess it to God and forsake it. Or if thou hast lived in any other sin, O turn from it unto God with thy whole heart. If thou shouldst continue to live but in one sin, at the Day of Judgement thou wilt wish that thou hadst never been born. Repent and turn from all your Transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
3. Make sure of an Interest in Christ. When the Flood came, they in the Ark were safe, but all others perished: So at the day of Judgment, they that shall be found in Christ, will be happy, but all others must into the fire that never shall be quenched. Verily an interest in Christ will be thought worth more than a Thousand worlds in that day. Make sure of it then now. Let no man please himself, that he is of a civil-blamless Conversation; that may be, and yet thou a stranger to Christ: and then woe to thee at the day of judgment. Neither thy civility nor thy external Priviledges, nor thy performance of Religious duties can save thee without an interest in Christ. Therefore it was the Apostles greatest Care, that at the Judgment day, he might be found in Him. Phil. 3. 9. Let that be the greatest Care of every soul.
4. Be fruitful in every good mork. The more good any of us do with a sincere heart, the more comfort and glory shall we have in the Day of Judgement. Now sow plenplentifully in workes of Charity, and you shall reap the fruit of all at that Day. God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of Love, which you have shewed towards his Name, in that you have ministred to the Saints, and do minister. Heb. 6. 10. Not the least deed of Charity but shall be remembred and honourably rewarded. Whoever hath given but a cup of cold water, to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple, shall be rewarded for it in that Day: How much more shall great Services for GOD and for his People, be highly and Eternally recompenced! Be likewise abundant in works of Piety. O be much in prayer, especially in Secret prayer, and you shall be rewarded openly in the Day of Judgment. Alas, there's many a wretched man that will think with himself at that day, Oh if I had spent that time in secret prayer and Communion with God, which I mispent in vain Company, in unprofitable discourses, in Taverns, in mad merry meetings; my soul might have been saved, and my Reward great in Heaven; whenas now, because I have been an unprofitable Servant, I must be cast into outer and Eternal Darkness. Oh then, Let every man practise Now, as he will at that DAY wish he had done. Christians may live so, as that every thing they doe shall be Fruit, and so add to their Crown in the Day of Judgemnt: so it shall be, if they have respect to God and His Glory in every thing they doe. Let us then labour to become like unto Jesus Christ, who did alwaies the things that please the Father. And if as He was, so are we in this world; we shall have boldness in the DAY of JƲDGMENT.
Fruitful Christians glorifie God.
JOH. XV. 8.
Herein is my Father glorifyed, that ye bear much fruit.
THese Words are part of a Sermon preached by our Lord Jesus Christ to His Disciples. He does therein compare Himself to a vine, and Believers on Him to vine branches; shewing that they can no more bring forth fruits of acceptable Obedience unto God of themselves, than a branch that is separated from the Vine can bear grapes.
In the preceding verse, our Lord exhorts His Disciples to abide in him, i. e. to continue constant and stedfast in the way of Faith and obedience. And the Motive whereby he urgeth that Exhortation is, because then God will hear their prayers. If you abide on me, and my words in you, ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. which is to be understood with this Limitation, so farr as they should ask things agreable to the Will of God. The words now before us are a Confirmation of that Assertion. If Christians that bring forth much fruit glorifie God, then we may be sure that he will hear their prayers, I shall not insist on any Observation from the Contextural Consideration of the words, but from them as in themselves considered, the Doctrine is.
That fruitful Christians, especially such as are abundantly fruitful glorifie God.
For the clearing of the Truth before us, 3 Things may be enquired into. 1. What's implyed in this Fruit. 2. When Christians may be said to be abundantly fruitful, or to bear much fruit. 3. In what respect such are said to glorifie God