Exposition of the Apostles Creed, Part · Sermon 50
The life Everlasting.
Matth. 25.46.
But the Righteous into life Eternal.
A Good Conclusion, for it hath life in it, and will put life into us, if any thing will, to live a good life. The woman of Sam…ria heard our Saviour no sooner mention the water of life, but she petitions presently, Oh Sir, give me this water: John 4.14.And the Jewes had but intimation of that bread that should give life to the World,John 6.33, 34. but they become earnest Suiters for it, Lord, evermore give us this bread; for both knew, that this was the ready way never to hunger and thirst more.
Such bread at this time I set before you, with such water I now present you, living bread, and living water; and I dare say it will be the more welcome, because the bread I set before you the last day, was bread of tears. The former part of this verse guided me unto it, and I could not avoid it: These, saith our Evangelist, i. e. The Goats shall go away into everlasting punishment; this is panis lapidosus, bread of stones, that will make the teeth of all those ake and gnash, whose misfortune it is to grind it; such as feed upon it are in the depths of hell; God grant that none of us ere come thither to taste and eat it. At this time I present you with more pleasant bread, bread that will chear your countenance, and such as will glad your hearts; 'tis bread of life, and by occasion of the last words of our Creed, and the last of this Chapter, I shall set it before you.
From the 31. verse to this Chapter, a Description we have of the last judgment. The Judge, is the Son of man; the persons to be judged, call'd here Sheep and Goats, that is, good and bad; the good set in the best place, at the right hand; the worst in a worse, at the left hand; those absolv'd, these condemn'd; and in this verse we meet with the execution of the sentence upon the one, and the other: These shall go into everlasting punishment, but the Righteous into life Eternal.
My meditations then upon this whole Context, have been of Mercy and Judgment. 1 Cor. 3.13. 2 Thes. 1.8.Judgment to the Reprobate, Mercy to the Righteous. The judgment shall be without mercy; for it is to be revealed by fire; by fire that torments universally, uncessantly, everlastingly; and I list not to repeat what then with much horrour I spake of it. But the mercy shall be without any mixture of judgment; for it shall be life accompanied with joy, and joy increased by glory, and glory that never shall have an end; for it shall be everlasting.
In one word, here we have set down the exceeding reward of good men in another life; of which that we may take the fuller view, I shall hold out to you
1. The term under which this great reward is proposed and expressed, It is life.
2. The continuance and perpetuity of it; not like ours, short and fading, but long and lasting, nay everlasting.
3. To whom it is promised, and who shall inherit it, the Righteous.
1. Into life.
The gift is everywhere answerable to the giver;Col. 3.4. Acts 3.28. the Lord of life bestows that he is Lord of, life: A benefit of that great esteem, that men will do and suffer any thing to purchase and prolong it. Be it but this of nature, which is pester'd with so many discontents, sowr'd with so many troubles and diseases, yet I know not how we desire to protract it, and eeke it out. Is Davids life in hazard? he cries, O spare me: Psal. 39.13.Is Hezekiah threatned to leave the Land of the living, he mourns and prayes, and weeps, and petitions? It was a great truth proceeded out of the mouth of a great lyar, Skin for skin, Isa. 38.2, 3. Job 2.4.and all that a man hath will he give for his life. Go but to the Bed-sides of sick men, and judge of what I say; with what charge is the Physitian sent for, and retain'd! with what irksomness and loathing is many a bitter pill, and nauseous drug taken down! what cutting and launcing, and cauterizing, and dismembring is there undergone, and all to keep a poor mortal carkass alive for a few dayes longer! so sweet a thing is life; so that if any man voluntarily cast away this, as some discontented persons do, we esteem them as poor, miserable, abject, and seduced wretches, who so easily throw away that which the meanest worm desires to save. Under that then which is so dear to us, God hath thought good to set forth our felicity in another World; partly out of necessity, partly for our greater content.
1. A necessity there is in it; for necessary it is that every thing should be, before it can be capable of the least favour. To omit other instances, man must be before he can be blessed, to which every kind of being would not serve neither; not that of inanimate creatures, not that of plants, not that of a Beast; and therefore the Almighty, because he intended him the Subject of happiness, breathed into his nostri…s, spiraculum vitarum, the breath of lives; Gen. 2.7.of all life and perfection that could proceed from the vegetative, sensitive, or rational soul. The glory we expect, the joy, the rest, the Crown are but empty words, if man live not; or which is all one, be not; for vita est ipsum esse viventis; life is the very being of the living.
2. But to l…ve is not much, even the poorest Bugg that crawls on the Earth, enjoys that with the greatest Monarch. This may be besieged with so many pressures and sorrows, that it may prove foreign, vita non vitalis, a life that hath no life in it; and then a man had as good be under ground: Other appurtenances then it must have to bear it up, and sweeten it, or else by having life we can ne're be happy. A life the very damned souls in hell retain, and an eternal life too; but because it wants the accessories, we more usually and properly call it death. Men must be free from sorrow, trouble, pain, they must be endued with a reasonable portion of wealth, have some good society, liberty, health, with many other outward accoutrements; or else they will in a moody fit exclaim with Rebeccah, What good will this life do me? Gen. 27.46. 1 Kings 19.4.or break out with discontented Elijah, Lord take away this life from me.
— Mene Iliacis occumbere campis
Non potuisse? —
To give us then content, God hath provided for us in this life whatsoever may please. First, a freedom from whatsoever may disquiet us; and next, an enjoyment of whatsoever may advance our happy estate. In it all evils shall be removed, and we shall be setled in all good. The first of which we call a Privative, the second a Positivive Happiness.
1. The first part of our future blessedness is Privative or Nega…e, there being a total abolition and banishment of every thing that might aba…, allay, or retard our happiness;Rev. 22.3, 5. Chap. 21.4. Chap. 7.16. even so saith the Spirit, There shall be no curse, no night, no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; they shall hunger no more, nor thirst no more; neither shall the Sun light on them, no… any heat; and God shall wipe every tear from their eye, foreign, every tea… in singulari, not one left.
In this World, those that belong to Christ especially, have experience o… some,John 16.33. or all these; for our Saviours words must be verified, In the World yo… shall have affliction; but in heaven there is nor persecutor, nor persecution, nor afflicted, nor affliction; nothing to grieve, nothing to vex or torment: And then this blessing must needs be the more grateful, the experiences of sadnesses and dangers having this peculiar, that being escaped, it makes alwayes the present happiness to be more acceptable. Thus have I heard a Mariner with great content relate in the Harbour the storms at Sea, Billow encountring Bis…ow, and Wave mounting upon Wave, to the hazard of his life at every shock.
— Olim haec meminisse juvabit.
With what pleasure will a Shepheard point to the Lamb that he pulled out of the mouth of the Wolf, or paw of the Bear! An answer to the same purpose the Elder gave to John, Rev. 7.14.These are they that came out of great tribulation. After then so much trouble and sorrow, to come into a place of joy and rest, must needs be a great accession of content and happiness; and to make a long narration to his Fellow-Saints of the temptations and dangers they have escaped, and are sure to escape for ever.
2. But all this is not comparable to the positive happiness of that life; for as a clear Ayre follows a tempestuous, the day the night, and Summer succeeds a frosty Winter; so comfort follows those tears, and eternal happiness this misery. You must not expect that my tongue should express unto you that which nor ear hath heard, 1 Cor. 2.9.nor eye hath seen; I shall only entertain you with what the Spirit hath been pleased to teach.
1. The place in which this eternal life is enjoy'd, is heaven, the seat of Gods glory, Matth. 5.34.the Throne of his Majesty, the Paradise of delights; the dwellers in it are God, Christ, Angels Saints; and if each one of those blessed Spirits, be more beautiful to behold than this visible World; what a sight will it be to see thousand thousands of those beautiful Spirits,Colos. 1.16. Ephes. 1.21. and to understand the perfections and offices of every one of them? There be Angels to be sent on Embassages; Archangels to minister and serve; Principalities to triumph; Powers to rejoyce; Dominions to govern; the Vertues shine, the Thrones glister, the Seraphims abound in love, the Cherubims give light; and all together as in a Quire, sing land and praise to God: And if the company of good and vertuous persons be even among us amiable, and to be desired; what a felicity will it be to converse daily with so many blessed Angels, to sing praises with the Apostles, to speak with the Prophets,Hebr. 12.23. to communicate with the Martyrs, and to have a perpetual familiarity with all the Elect!
Farther yet, if it be so great a happiness to enjoy the company of the good, what shall it be to be in the presence, and see the face of him who is the Author of all goodness? to see him, who being but one, is all things, and comprehends in himself the perfections of all things? If to hear and see King Solomon were thought so great a matter, that the Queen of Saba said, Blessed …r… …he men, 1 Kings 10.8.and blessed are these thy servants that stand in thy presence, and hear thy …isdom: What shall it be to behold the Creator of Solomon, that eternal wisdom, that infinite greatness, that inestimable beauty, that exceeding goodness, and to enjoy the same for ever and ever? This is the essential felicity of the Saints, and o…ht to be the last end of our desires.
Man is of a curious, prying, searching disposition, ever inqulsitive into the nature of this or that; he reads much, and asks much, and tries many an experiment; and because he cannot be satisfied, he is anxious, discontented, restless. By that Beatifical Vision he shall have his full desires satisfied; in God see he shall what he desires to behold;1 Cor. 15.28. for God shall be to him all in all. He shall see here the power of the Father, the wisdom of the Son, and goodness of the Holy Ghost; Totam Trinitatem, licet non totaliter; he sha l apprehend the whole Trinity, though he shall never be able wholly to comprehend it. He shall behold all the goodness and perfect…ons of worldly things compacted and united in God, as in the first cause, beginning, and end of all. In him he shall behold all the Mysteries of Faith, all the Secrets of Nature, all the Administrations of Providence so far forth as may give any contentment to the soul, or add any help to our present happiness.
3. I descend now to the Accessories, being all those Consequents to this Beatifical Vision, without which, yet this life could not be a life of happiness; the first of which is love.
1. For upon this perfect knowledge which we shall have of God, and of all things in God, the will of man will be so affected, that it will love nothing but God, and what is his express. Our love is ever according to our knowledge; what we know not, we desire not; what we desire not, we love it little, and in a greater measure where we know more. In this world we know but in part, and therefore we love God but in part.2 Cor. 13.12. In heaven, because we know God perfectly, we shall love God perfectly: And this is Loves prerogative, that it lives,Ver. 13. when her other two Sisters are extinct; for Faith and H…pe have their periods, but Love never falls away: For when we are possessed of the truth of Gods promises, then faith is at an end; and when we are enstated in that we hoped for, then hope is of no use: But love lasts even then; in heaven the Saints love God, and they love one another; and this love sets such an extraordinary price upon what is loved, that they joy to have it alwayes in their sight, and would think it their greatest misery to be deprived of it.
2. So that the second Accessory to their happy life, is joy. The good servant in the Gospel is call'd to come and take it;Mat. 25.21, 23. Psal. 16.11. Enter into thy Masters joy; and because it is our Masters joy, this is it which makes it the fulness of joy; were it not our Masters, it would not be full: For all the joyes of our fellow-servants in this World have been, and are subject to their discontents; This World being at the best but the Region of the dead, in which there is crying and dying, and crosses, and diseases, all which will abate of our joy, and keep it from being full: But in that life all tears being wiped off, there shall be a merry heart, and a chearful countenance, joy, and fulness of joy to all the parts and faculties of soul and body.
What a day of joy will it be to the soul of man, when loosed from the prison of this body,Luke 16.22. it shall be conducted by the Angels unto the Tabernacle of heaven, received there by the honourable Citizens of that place, and presented there by that Princely company, before that Seat and Majesty of the blessed Trinity, with a large and full Declaration of all thy good works, thy prayers offered, thy labours and sufferings sustain'd, the houres and minutes spent in the love and service of this God!
3. No marvail then, if from clear knowledge, and perfect love, and excellent society, their souls being ravish't with joy, they labour with their tongues to express it;Rev. 4.10, 11. Chap. 5.13, 14 Chap. 11.17. Chap. 15.3. for this is another addition to their happiness, that they shall spend their time in sweet songs of praise and thanksgiving. In this World the Saints do nothing but weep; weep for their own sins, weep for other mens sins, weep for what they suffer: But in that life above they shall do nothing but sing, Hallelujahs and Holannahs shall be their Celestial Anthymns; and because they could not sing truly Peace on Earth, they shall sing Glory to God on High.
4. Now to these Hallelujahs they will be the more encouraged, when they shall look about them, and view their own glory, which also must needs add very much to their happy estate. What here on earth is more esteemed than glory? so precious it is to men of spirit, that it makes them prodigal of their blood. Without doubt thus ambitious were the blessed Martyrs, which made them lay down their lives in the flames! They were assured of the Crowns in heaven, and this made them gain-say the Crowns on earth; they believed the Robes and Scepters, and Thrones, and Palaces above, which so much raised their thoughts, that nor threats, nor blows, nor fire, nor tortures could hinder them from attaining this glory.
Wonder as much as you may at this honour, and in comparison thereof contemn this earth;Prov. 30.28. 'tis but a place of flies and fleas. In our Paradises the Gardens of our pleasure, we meet with worms; and in the Presence-chamber we take down the Spiders house; and when you meet with dust and Cobwebs, and the Lords of both, can you properly call this a place of glory? How you are blinded now I cannot tell; but sure I am, that if ever you come to have a shate of glory in heaven, you will have other thoughts. One day when you shall be set upon Thrones,Lucian. and cast your eyes from that height of glory, viewing the muck-worms here upon earth, creeping on this Mole-hill, as so many Ants, and digging so many holes in their Mothers bowels, to fetch thence her hidden treasures; how will you then laugh at and condemn your sometimes inglorious wayes? Then you will be apt to think, alas, how basely I once liv'd, how poorly I dwelt! what base Company I kept! how meanly I was esteemed! was yonder Dunghill the place I so much loved, and was so loth to leave! Think all this before hand; and since of heaven thou canst not, yet judge of earth as it is worthy; and of what is it worthy, except of thy contempt, except of thy neglect? esteem it as it is, an Inne, which no man yet did equal with a Palace: Hold it but for a Tabernacle, which no man hath …hought a glorious house: But of heaven make an higher account,Ephes. 5.5. John 4.2. Hebr. 13.14. Psal. 24.10. 1 Per. 5.4. 2 Cor. 4.17. think of it as of a Kingdom, as of a Mansion, a continuing City, where the King of glory, the Crown of glory, the Thrones of glory, the exceeding weight of glory only remains.
This is the glimps of our future life and happiness, where the joy is absolute, the glory excessive; you shall not meet with any distemper, any loss, any pressure, any complaint which may make that life unpleasant. You shall perfectly then know God, and be joyned to him in love, and what would you yet more to make your life happy? there can be but one thing wanting, and yet that you shall have, eternity; for such this is.
2. Eternal life.
Eccles. 11.7.The light is a pleasant thing, and it is good to the eyes to see the Sun; but when an Eclipse, or a dark night comes upon it, there is a general sadness. Than life nothing more pleasing; yet when temporal is added to life, I know not how it abates much of the content: For they which joy to think of life, yet grieve to think it will not last.Cicero de Senect. One of the aggravations with which old Age is charged, is, that hand procul abest à morte, that the life of an old man borders upon death▪ Riches also are of high esteem; but when we say they are uncertain, high and flie from us in our greatest need,1 Tim. 6.17. men are much vexed and troubled that they should be such sickle and mis…rable comforters. Job 16.2.The like is to be said of glory and honour, which we would affect better, if we might be sure of their continuance: So loth are we, that any thing which should give us content, should vanish so easily. And yet this is the conditi…n of this life it self, and all that should make it vital, which we can love, which we can enjoy, be they riches or honour, or glory, transitory they are, and their end borders upon their beginning.
In that other life it is that we must expect all these to be permanent and eternal, which addition of eternity is it which makes this life of knowledge and love, love and joy, joy and glory to be the more sweet, because it is lasting; for joy and glory would not make us happy, were they not perpetual. To be happy is not so pleasing an estate, as it is miserable to have been happy: Fuimus T…oes, is but a poor comfort; to have worn a Crown, as Adonibezek, and to be brought to that low servility, to …at Crumbs of bread under a Table, Judg. 1.7.will even break the most noble heart: To sit upon a Throne, and after to draw a Chariot with Sesostris; to swim in wealth, and after to be set upon a pile with Cr…sus, would make a wise man burst into a passionate complaint, and cry out,Herod. Plutarch. Solon. … Solon, Solon. So miserable it is to have fallen from the top of honour, to a base estate, and to have liv'd a better life than now we do. In great passion it was spoken,
I…se ignotus, …gens, Lybi… deserta peragr…,Virg. Aen. 1.
Europâ atq … Asiâ puisus.
Should then the Saints in heaven not be secur'd of the continuance of their glory to be perpetual, and their possession to be eternal, their joy must needs be less; least therefore ought should be wanting, behold their felicity knows no …nd, feareth no intermission, is not subject to the teeth of time; but is as eternal for continuance a parte post, as he who had no beginning, and shall know no end.
But shall now the son of a woman be capable of an eternal being? shall mortal put on immortality? and a creature be of the same continuance with the Creatour: this is a priviledge wh…ch belongs foreign, to the King …f Ages, im…ortal, eternal, invisible, the only wise God. 1 Tim. 1.17.Not the soul, be the substance thereof never so spiritual▪ nor the whole man, be he never so excel…ent a piece, can challenge or assume to its self an everlasting existence.
True indeed; but to satisfie the doubt, this word everlasting is to be taken in two senses.
First, Simpliciter, absolute, per se, & suâ naturâ; and thus God alone is eternal; for being the fountain of life, he must live forever; he is as St. Paul hath taught us, foreign, the King of all time; and therefore must raign for all time, having dominion over death; for could death domineer over him, death should be the great God, and not he, who hath not beginning of days, no… yet end of life.
But secondly, everlasting hath another meaning; that though any thing of its nature being a creature, it may return into that of which it is made, yet by the will of God it nor dies, nor can die; and in this sense everlasting belongs to the soul, and the life it is to live; for if God had so ordained, it might perish with the body, as the soul of other creatures, because the power of God, that made it of nothing, could return it to nothing; but it was his will to have it otherwise, and to make a creature immortal, that in him he might shew his justice and his mercy▪ His justice to the bad; for they shall go into eternal pain: His mercy to the good; for the righteous shall go into eternal life.
3. foreign. The Righteous.
Life is the reward, everlasting the Quality of it: now let us consider to whom it belongs, which is not to all promiscuously, but to the Just and Righteous only. The Righteous shaell go into Everlasting Life.
Should righteousness be taken for such exact justice that hath no unrighteousnesse admixt with it, such righteous men may not be found, since in many things we sin all. James 3.2.Or should a comparison be made with that justice which is in God, this in a creature may not be expected;Job. 4.17. for shall mortal Man be more just then God? shall a man be more pure then his maker? But let justice and righteousness be examined and measured according to the condition of this life, so all the elect that are destined to eternal life, may in some sense be called Righteous and just men.
1 Cor. 1.30.First and especially for the imputation of Christs Righteousness; for he to them is made justice. Secondly, Because a comparison being made of their lives and actions with the ways and works of the most men, they may well be honoured with the name of Righteous; such was Noah, Job, Zachary, and his Wife Elizabeth, both just before God. Or thirdly, Righteous they may be said to be for their sincerity, being far from all hypocrisie, deceit, and guile. Or lastly, in respect of their works, which are the fruits of their faith informed by charity, according to which they shall be judged, (as appears, verses 35, 36.) and for the doing of these accounted and accepted for righteous.
It was a question wisely proposed by the young Pharisee, that came to our Saviour;Mat. 19.16. Good Master, What shall I do to inherit eternal life? that something was to be done, he knew, without which eternal life could not be had, and gladly he would know what that was; Now our Saviour sends him and the Lawyer to Moses; Luke 10.28.Do saith he, what the Law prescribes, and live. Not intending thereby that he should obtain Life; for Christ knew that his performance would fall short, but to humble the pride of the young man and the Lawyer, by setting them a task which they must labour to perform, if ever they meant to, attain to life. A life lead by the prescript of Moses Law, an honest and a godly conversation,Mat. 3.8. fruits worthy of Repentance, must be brought forth by that man, whom God will denominate Righteous. For howsoever we shall not be justified for them, yet God will never reckon us for just and Righteous men without them. Talk no more then of faith without works; James 2.17, 18.for what shall it profit a man, to say he believes in God who is in heaven, when he so leads his life as if there were no God in heaven? Is this man, do you think, one of those righteous that shall inherit eternal life? No, no, The life of Grace is the way to the life of Glory.
A life of Nature there is, when our soul dwels in this Body, and informs, and enlivens, and moves this earthly burden. A life of Grace there is, when the Spirit of God dwels in the soul, and frees it from the command and dominion of sin. And a life of glory there is, when the Body united to the soul, or the soul alone shall be united to God. The first is common to all, the last proper unto those who in this life shall follow tbe conduct of Grace, and live a righteous, sober, and godly life. For this is Saint Pauls chain; Those whom he did fore-know, those he did predestinate to be conformable to the image of his Son; whom he did predestinate, Rom. 8.29, 30.them he called; whom he called he justified; whom he justified, he glorified. Glorified is the last link, Predestination is the first, and that limited by Conformity to Christs image; the intervenients are Justification, Vocation: Out of which we may collect, that if we mean to arrive at the life of Glory, by the way we must take heed to our calling, have a care to be assured of our justification; which assurance quoad nos, will arise by a life conformable to the image of Gods son. In a word, we must endeavour to serve God in righteousness and true holinesse, which alone can quiet our consciences, and assure men that we are righteous before God.
ƲSE.
Tis an error then that is hatched in profane mens brains, who suppose they shall come to the life of Glory, though they never walk in the way of Grace. Let their life here be never so dissolute, never so licentious, yet they make no question to arrive at heaven, and live there for ever. This were to go to heaven per saltum; for doth not Saint Paul say, those who will be glorified, must be conformable, &c? doth not Saint John say, He that hath this hope, purifieth himelf? that is,1 John 3.3. is every day in his progress, endeavour, study of Sanctification. If this benefit and reward were common to all, and not proper to those who live the life of Grace, less care might be had of it: But since it is peculiar to some alone, to the regenerate, to the sanctified, to the conformable, to the Righteous, let our greatest labour be to be found among these persons, and since we have such promises,2 Cor. 7.1. let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the Flesh and Spirit.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God: blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousnesse, for they shall be satisfied. See God,Mat. 5.6, 8. I know you all would; to be satisfied and blessed, not a man alive but desires to be; but this desire will be utterly frustrate, except an earnest and constant hunger and thirst after righteousnesse, except purity of heart do accompany it: Of which if you fall short, see God you shall not; admitted within those celest…al courts you never shall be; But you shall stand withou… among the Dogs, that is, the contemners and snarlers at Holy things, among inchanters, and murtherers, whore-mongers and Idolaters, Rev. 22.25.among th…ives, covetous persons, and extortioners, &c. for all these are without the gate of the City.
Be not deceived; for they which do such things, 1 Cor. 6.9, 10.shall not inherit the kingdom of God. I say not, all that have done these things, but only such as do, which notes a present and continual act of doing wickedly. As if the Spirit should have said, All they who do this, and die thus in their sin, without remorse and amendment, shall never inherit eternal life. He then who means to live in heaven, must begin his life of heaven upon earth; he must have his conversation with Saints there, though he live and converse with sinners here; like to an Eagle, he must cast his beak,Psal. 103.5. Col. 3.9, 10. or a Serpent slip off his old skin, that is, he must put off the old man that is corrupt, and put on the new man which is after God, and so he shall see God at last in his flesh, and live for ever.
The CONCLƲSION.
Behold I have set before you good and evil, blessing and cursing, Deut. 30.19.life and death, a Kingdom in heaven replenished with rest, with joy, with glory such as fades not, 1 Pet. 1.4.such as fails not: as I did the last day the torments of hell, which shall universally afflict, uncessantly torture, everlastingly punish, in a word,Mat. 25.41. a torment prepared for the Devil and his Angels; and for such malicious spirits, you cannot imagine the torments to be easie. And if neither of these, nor joys, nor sorrows, nor glory, nor shame, nor life, nor death, nor reward, nor punishment, nor heaven, nor hell can work upon you, I am at a Non plus; what words shall I use to do you good?
1 Tim. 5.21. cap. 6.27. 2 Thes. 1.8.I have power to charge you here in the presence of God the Father, and of the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall shew himself from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire, rendring vengeance not only to them that know not God, but to them also that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you do as you are taught, become new creatures, and live holy lives, if you mean to escape the wrath to come.Rom. 6.19. Rom. 12.1. But I rather choose to speak to you after the manner of men. I know Men, good natur'd men are most easily drawn on by love and kindness, by honour and rewards. By the mercies of God then, even the mercies of God the Father: By the Meritorious death and bitter passion of the Son,Gal. 2.20. that Son of God, who loved us, and gave himself for us: By that joy and glory, by that life, that everlasting life he hath prepared for us, I beseech you,Heb. 11.16. that you would be righteous, you would be pure, you would be holy.
Look not on me who commence this petition, but look upon your own souls for which I commence it, and have pity on them. The benefit will be yours, the life yours, I shall but share with you. Only the greater share I shall have, the more of your souls enter into heaven. T'is my humble suit to God, that they may all come thither: For thither, if they come not, they must go to a worse place: it grieves me to say whither, the torture of that place is so extreme.
Surely rhere is a heaven, there is a hell; and as sure there will be a day, when the Judge shall be set, the books opened, sheep and goats appear, and enquiry be made,Isa. 62.6. Ezech. 33.6, 7. whether we the Watchmen of Israel have stood upon our watch, and given you warning, and whether you of the Laity have been content to be warned. Deceive not your own souls; think not when these words are ended, they shall scatter and vanish in the air, and never be called for again. For the day will come, when for these, and all the rest, an accompt must be made. It will be told you then how the rejection and malediction, the pain and perpetuity of pain, those four Essential parts of hellish torments, were presented at large unto you, and all for no other end, but that you come not into that place of torment. Luke 16.28.You will be put in mind then, that a Kingdom, a Crown, a blessing, a life full of joy and honour; honour at Gods right hand, that was durable and lasting, nay everlasting was prepared for you; and yet how much you did undervalue all these for some petty profit or pleasure. The accompt will be strict, the answer I fear me, will be very cold and faulty.
That which may be for your advantage, will be, that while you have time,Wisd, 1.12. Jer. 5.31. you no longer seek death in the error of your life, but sit down, and sadly bethink your selves, whar will become of you in Novissimo, at the last Day. Yet you have Hell before you, tremble you not at the Name! quake you not at the torments? See, the fire burns, the smoak ascends, and the Ghosts roare; The mouth is open, and if you come once within it, there is no getting out, but you shall be burnt, and tortured and tormented for ever.
Den. 1.6.I know your knees are ready to smite together at this report. So many of you then as intend to lead a new life, and to enter your names in the catalogue of the Righteous, Lift up your heads,Luke 21.28. and behold a more comfortable spectacle; Your Saviour at the right hand of God, the Saints your brethren singing Hallelujah, life prepared for you, a Kingdom of which you are heirs, Crowns for your heads; palms for your hands, robes for your backs,Rev. 7.9. a most glorious state which will never come to an end.
I cannot leave you in a better place and better company; be righteous, and enjoy it; serve God, and be thus happy. Now that God who hath prepared this place for our souls, prepare our souls for this place. Prepare them in holiness; prepare them in desire, that when this life of Nature, which is but a bubble, a smoak, a shadow, shall vanish away, we may be partakers of this joyful, glorious everlasting life in heaven; Which God Almighty grant unto us all for his Son Jesus Christs sake, to whom with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, three persons, and one God, be a cribed all glory, honour, praise, power, and Dominion, this day present and for ever, Amen.