A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 63 (Question 19 cont.)
SERMON LXIII.
II. IT now follows that we take a view more particularly of thoſe miſeries, that ariſe from this condition. And what is he not to expect, who is fallen out of God's favour, and fellowſhip, and ſubjected to his wrath and curſe? Theſe are variouſly diſtributed by Divines: out Catechiſm refers it to three heads; unto one of which all that can be thought of may be reduced: and I ſhall take them up in order.
1. THET are made liable to all miſeries in this life. Here are two things.
1. Their obnoxionſneſs to theſe miſeries.
2. The miſeries themſelves.
I. AS to their obnoxiouſneſs to theſe miſeties; This refers to all three heads, and may be here ſpoken to, once for all. This Hows immediately from that guilt, of which we before had an account, under which all mankind are fallen, by vertue whereof they are thus expoſed. And this indeed is a very miſerable condition in it ſelf; and yet withal it affords ſome relief to thoſe unto whom the law is delivered in the hands of a Mediator. Give me leave then a little to lay it open in the following concluſions.
1. THAT all theſe miſeries are comprehend in the curſe of the law. That there we ſanctions annexed to the command in the ſin covenant, contained in the promiſe and th… threatning, we have already obſerved. No… the curſe is wrapt up in the threatning, an… co-extenſive with it, having for the matt… of it, all the evil that is ſo threatned. This … ſummad up in that one word, Death, (Gen. 2.27.… but the word graſps in it all the ſorrowful evil that can be named; any grievous calamity i… therefore in Scripture ſo called. Exod. 10.17.… 2 Cor. 11.23. Whatſoever ſorrows the creature is capable of undergoing, in Soul or Body come within the compaſs of this curſe.
2. THAT man's g…th hath bound him ever … ſufier this curſe. Man by making himſelf guilty pulls all this upon his own head; the ſentence which was generally & conditionally declared in the covenant, now particularly and expreſly takes hold of him: and he th… ſtands condemned by the law; i. e. the o… demnation of it belongs to him becauſe, at he is under the law, ſo be is come within the teach of this ſanction of it, or he is one of thoſe which that hath ſaid, ſhall die: and the guilt that lies upon him, is as a c… that ſetters and holds him faſt to it, and he cannot wring himſelf out of it. Gal. 3.2… The Scripture bath concluded all under … Concluded, a meraphor from ſuch as are cl… ſhut up in a dungeon.
3. THAT God's Juſtice ſtands engaged to the execution of this curſe upon the guilty ſ…. Relative Juſtice, to which we muſt have reſpect in the tranſactions between God and … according to the firſt covenant, is, God en… to proceed according to the tenour of the l…, as it was fixed between him and his crea…. The righteouſneſs therefore of that law in … it's parts, being ſuppoſed, (& it muſt be acknowledged,) the righteouſneſs of God appe… his ſtanding by it, and treating men according to it: ſo that man having unhappily brought himſelf under the threatning, God's revenging Juſtice is now ſet againſt him, to bring upon him the curſe in its full weight. Hence …, (Rom. 2.6.) He hath ſtated this rule of proceeding, and he cannot go back.
4. GOD uſeth at holy arbitriment in executing this curſe upon ſinners. Not that he doth any way baulk or infringe his own Juſtice, as …i… appear in the conſideration of it; but to diſplay his infinite Wiſdom, and ſper… Sovereignty in his procedure in this reg…d, and becauſe ſinners are apt to miſinterp… and abuſe this to the hardening of their hears againſt God, let us take a more diſtinct … of it, in the following remarks.
(1.) THERE are ſome of theſe miſeries … do preſently fall upon every ſinner, and there … none that eſcape them. The whole world … mankind, and every individual, do … ſomething more or leſs of the curſe, and th… both in Bodies and Souls, their outward and inward man. Man and miſerable are become terms convertible, and there is none of the unhappy race, but have cauſe to bewail their own infelicity. Hence we have ſuch expreſſions as thoſe, Job. 5.6, 7. Man is born unto trouble as the ſparks fly upwards. 14.1. Man that is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble. Hence the word Enoſh, which ſignifies for ſorrowful, is uſed as an appellative for man. Pſal. …. ult. Man is therefore ſaid to come into the world …ath vanity, Eccl. 6.4.
(2.) THERE is no ſinner dying in his ſins, but ſhall undergo the conſummation of all theſe miſeries. Whatſoever his lot may in this life, by God's holy Providence, fall out to be, yet If he live and dye under the law, and be not delivered from the ſentence of it, the whole curſe will at length at once fall upon him in its weight, and ſink him down into irrecoverable deſtruction; in which deſtruction all miſeries are eminently contained; this is the doom which is paſt upon all ungodly men, however they may live in this world. Pſal. 49.9, 17.
(3.) THERE is a great variety in God's inſ…ing theſe miſeries upon ſinners in this world. He aſſerts his liberty in this affair more ways than one: ſome feel more of the curſe for the preſent than others do; there are ſome that have abundant health, peace, proſperity, eaſe, delight: others who encounter manifold troubles, ſickneſs, poverty, moleſtation, and inward vexations. Again, ſome enjoy a longer, others a ſhorter time of the moderation of the curſe; ſome are cut off early, others live a great while in proſperity. Yea, and there are various degrees in which afflictions of the ſome kind are meaſured to ſome and to others, at this or that time. Job. 21.23, &c. And in theſe things God acteth his own pleaſure.
(4.) THERE are two Attributes which God purpoſeth the manifestation of to ſinners; and this notwithſtanding the miſeries which they are doomed to in the curſe.
1. THERE is his Mercy, which he intends to …e appear in common to the world. Hence his mercy is ſaid to be over all his works. Now mercy hath always a reſpect to ſuch as are miſerable, as the ſubject it falls upon, and it expreſſeth it ſelf in moderating of thoſe miſeries, ſo as that they do not fall upon them to the uttermoſt, and this is deſigned for ſinners in this life: From whence it comes to paſs. (1.) THAT he doth not bring the whole curſe in its efficacy upon them at once. His hand of compaſſion holds back his hand of vengeance; and though they feel ſome of the ſcalding drops of his anger at preſent, yet they do not ſuffer all his fury. They have great reaſon to make that confeſſion, Pſal. 103.10. He hath not dealt with us after our ſins: nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. It is but a little part, not only of the whole miſery which they are doomed to, but of the preſent ſorrows which belong to them, that they are under the impreſſion of. (2.) THAT he bestows upon them in his beauty, a great many of the favours which they had forfeited. Man hath by his fall forfeited all good things; hath not only loſt his title to eternal felicity, but alſo to every comfort of this life, and God owes … not a draught of water, or a cruſt of bread; and by the curſe he is condemned to loſe them all: but God doth not at preſent ſtrain this to the height, but allows him a great many of theſe bleſſings, and poſſibly in a great plenty; He gives him rain from heaven, &c. He ſpreads his table for him, and the waters of an overflowing cup are wrung out to him; he makes his ſun to ſhine, and his rain to fall upon him; and it may be, he lives in ſuch fulneſs as if there had been no ſuch forfeiture made. We have an account of ſuch as theſe, though ungodly, Job 21. Pſal. 73. and we have that remark, ver. 12. Behold theſe are the ungodly, who proſper in the world, they increaſe in riches. (3.) HE lays creſtraint upon thoſe miſeries which they do undergo. Though they do meet with and ſuffer theſe and thoſe calamities, and have experience of ſome of the ſtings of the curſe, yet they are greatly moderated; when he doth give a vent to his anger, yet he doth not let it all out; the miſeries threatned are boundleſs, but he ſets bounds to theirs, there is a great deal of the mixture of mercy in their afflictions; every ſickneſs that comes upon them, is not deadly; though they are reduced to poverty, yet they are not ſtarved; though they are in pain, yet it is tollerable; ſo that in his very judgments he remembers mercy for them. (4.) AND he oftentimes ſuccours them in their miſeries, and brings them out of them. There are many temporal ſalvations that he affords to them. They, when they are groaning under their oppreſſions, cry, and he ſo far hears them, as to ſend them relief, and they are freed again. This the Pſalmiſt obſerves in many kinds of diſtreſſes, and that is the burden of the ſong, Pſal. 107.6. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their diſtreſſ. And the vileſt ſinners upon the earth, have ſuch experiences as theſe, if they would obſerve and improve them. Now all this is the common mercy of God, which is no obſtruction to the due execution of juſtice, in the due ſeaſon of it, nor gives to ſinners any the leaſt ſecurity againſt it.
2. THERE is his ſpecial ſaving grace, which he purpoſeth to extend to ſome. This is not, as the other, a common favour; but it is intended for ſome, who yet are of the ſame number, and are fallen under the ſame condemnation with others; but yet God hath in his good will to them, ordained them to everlaſting life; but in their natural ſtate they are equally children of wrath with the reſt, Eph. 2.3. Now with regard to theſe let us obſerve, (1.) THAT God hath executed the curſe on His own Son ſtanding in their room. As they ſtood devoted to all miſeries, by the ſentence of the law, and juſtice ſtood engaged to that ſentence, ſo was the Son of God ſurrogated in their place, to bear the wrath of God, inſtead of them, that ſo they might be ſaved, and yet juſtice have its triumph. For this reaſon is he ſaid to be made ſin for us, 2 Cor 5.21. To have all our iniquities laid upon him. Iſal. 53.6. To be made a curſe for us, Gal. 3.13. For the caſe ſtood ſo, that we muſt needs have ſuffered in perſon, except ſome ſurety interpoſed, and was accepted for us. (2.) THAT now He uſeth the miſeries which they are under by the curſe, to drive them to Chriſt. The curſe lies on theſe as well others, whiles they are unregenerate, and all the evils they ſuffer are from it; but by theſe the Spirit of God diſcovers to them their woful miſery, and together with it reveals the remedy, ſo that they are made ſerviceable to-ſhew them their abſolute need of a Saviour, and put them upon ſeeking after him, which they would not be willing to do, if they felt not their miſery. (3.) THAT He takes out the curſe from the miſeries they meet with, after they are in Chriſt, and ſanctifies them for their benefit. There are a great many miſeries which the children of God undergo in this life, during their pilgrimage in an evil world, and ſome of them are plagued every day, and chaſtened every morning; but though theſe are for the matter, the ſame with thoſe that wicked men meet with, and for degree are oftentimes more intenſe, yet the quality or form of them is altogether altered: for, though the bitterneſs be not, yet the poyſon is wholly taken out of them; they are croſſes ſtill, and hard to bear, but they are not curſes: they are death, but the ſting is taken out, 1 Cor. 15.55, 56. O death, where is thy ſting? O grave, where is thy victory? The ſting of death is ſin: and the ſtrength of ſin is the law. And beſides this, they are made ſerviceable to their beſt advantage, there is now a bleſſing in them, and their operation is profitable. Rom. 8.28. And we know that all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpoſe. (4,) AND He wholly cuts off the entail of everlasting miſery from them. All the miſeries they are like to meet with are whiles they are in the body; it is but this ſeaſon, 1 Pet. 1.6. They were doomed to the other as well as theſe; but though they may be exerciſed with the ſorrows of the firſt, they ſhall never be hurt by the ſecond death. They were once in great danger of this, but now the danger is paſt, and their ſoul is brought out of priſon and enlarged: for why, the law ſentence is removed, there is no condemnation abides them, Rom. 8.1. And this is a privilege which ſome have by grace obtained. To proceed,
5. BUT every child of fallen Adam, is in his natural eſtate continually liable to all theſe miſeries. Though thoſe who are in a ſtate of grace are exempted yet there are no other but lie open to the invaſion and oppreſſion of the curſe in all the parts of it. It is true, there are ſome among theſe, for whom God hath a ſecret purpoſe of good, but for the preſent they alſo are open, their preſent condition is obnoxious; nor are all the mercies which others enjoy, any ſecurity to them. And this liability of theirs may be taken notice of in theſe particulars.
1. ALL theſe miſeries are their portion. This is the unhappy legacy which their firſt father hath left them; it is that which he brought into the world, and it hath paſt over to all his poſterity, Rom. 5.12. Theſe are the recompenſe which was laid in, in the firſt covenant for ſinners, it was the wages appointed for ſin, Rom. 6.23. It therefore belongs to them all; the holy God once ſaid it, and He will never go back from his word, that the ſoul which ſins ſhall die; it is that which God owes the ſinner, and he will pay it.
2. THEY are already condemned to theſe miſeries. It is true, there is a farther condemnation abides them in the great Day. But for the preſent they are under a ſentence of condemnation; the law hath condemned them, in declaring againſt all ſuch as they are; hence that, John 3.18. But he that believeth not is condemned already. Their own conſciences have alſo condemned them, whether they hearken to them or no, yet there are theſe records in them, which will one day be produced, and they be ſilenced, Rom, 1. ult. And the Apoſtle argues thus, 1 John 3.20. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater then our heart, and knoweth all things. It is certain, that the ſtate of every unregenerate man is a ſtate of condemnation; and therefore to the juſtification of a ſinner, there is required the abſolving him from it, which is called, a paſſing from death to life.
3. HENCE there is no one miſery but he is every moment in danger of. All are, as we obſerved, included in the ſentence which is paſt upon the ſinner; now we know that when once a perſon ſtands condemned, he is dead in law, and it is at the Judges pleaſure when to ſign the warrant for his execution; ſo that though he is now in health and life, as ſound as any; other, yet he may be fetch'd away, and turned out of the world before an hour to an end; and ſo it may be with the ſinner, though at preſent nothing ſeems to all him. Hence that, Job. 20, 22, 23. In the fulneſs of his ſufficiency he ſhall be in ſtraits: every hand of the wicked ſhall come upon him. When he is about to fill his belly, God ſhall cost the fury of his wrath upon him, and ſhall rain it upon him while he is eating.
4. HE hath therefore ground of continual expectation of theſe miſeries. And this is a fearful thing. Though he ſhould eſcape them, yet hath he no ſecurity of it, but all reaſon to be looking out for them; as the condemned priſoner is afraid of every noiſe he hears, leſt the meſſenger of death is coming for him. We read of ſome, Heb. 2.15. Who through fear of death were all their life time ſubject to bondage. And truly this would be the caſe of every one of Adam's poſterity, were they not in a deep legarthy of carnal ſecurity; every moment of their lives they have cauſe to think their lait; every Judgment they ſee or hear of, they have reaſon to look for it to fall upon them … they may ſee the ſword of vengeance printed againſt them, which way ſoever they turn themſelves.
5. AND there is but one only way for them to eſcape the perfection of miſery. It is God's rich mercy that there is ſuch a way, and that it is heard of, viz. by Jeſus Christ; and believing in him: but there is no other, Act. 4.12. And it men fail of this, though they ſhould eſcape many parts of the inchoated miſeries in this life, which are due to them, yet this comprizeth them all, and in ſuffering of this, they ſuffer at once. And there are two things which will diſcover how liable they are for all this.
1. THAT all are not acquainted with this one way. It is a ſolemn word of the Apoſtles, 2 Cor. 4.3. But if our Goſpel be hid, it is hid to them that are loſt. They that know not Chriſt, are not profited by him: they that never heard of him, never believed in him, and conſequently cannot be ſaved by him. And yet this is the forlorn ſtate of many Nations in the world, to whom God hath not vouchſafed to ſend the Goſpel, who lie in ignorance, enveloped in darkeſs: and needs muſt all theſe be under the efficacy of the curſe, and lye hopeleſly open to the impreſſions of it, having no City of refuge to fly into.
2. THAT all to whom this way is declared, do not make uſe of it. Where the Goſpel of Salvation is ſent, and men told how they may eſcape the wrath and curſe of God, there are multitudes that regard it not; who either will not be perſwaded to believe themſelves to be in ſuch danger, or entertain prejudices at the way of their being recovered our of it, and accordingly they live in the neglect of complying with the terms on which they might obtain it, and ſo remain in their ſins, and thereby go every day in danger of eternal perdition.
USE. AND let this be an awakening call to every one, Young and Old, to make haſte and get under the wings of Chriſt. See your danger, and let that rouſe you to ſeek after the remedy. Let every Chriſtleſs Soul come hither to ſee his woful danger, and be awakened by it, to fly with ſpeed to the refuge that is ſet before us.
YOU Children, do you think of this; you are children of wrath, and all miſeries are hanging over your heads, and ready every moment to fall upon you; nor do you know but that this night the curſe may ſeize upon you, and drag you down to everlaſting deſtruction. Believe it, you cannot enjoy one hours ſafety out of Chriſt.
YOU Young Men, who are in your health, and ſtrength, and vigour, and pleaſe your ſelves in your vanities, and ſay to morrow ſhall be as this day; remember, you are condemned cainffs, you ſtand continually upon the very brink of m…tchief; there is wrath out againſt you and every miſery belongs unto you, and may fall upon you ſuddenly while you are crying peace to your ſelves.
YOU Old Sinners, that have hitherto been daring of the moſt High, and tiring out his patience with your impenitency, come hither and ſee what a precipice you have ſtood upon all this while; wonder at the forbearance of God, that hath held back revenge thus long, and be afraid of tempting it any longer. Know, that there is but an hairs-breadth between you and all miſchiefs; and let it fright you in your preſent condition, and cauſe you to make haſte and fly for your lives. Bleſs God that he hath provided a ranſom and relief for ſuch as you and that he hath pleaſed to reveal it to you in the Goſpel: and remember, that if for all this you neglect to accept of the offer, and comply with the terms on which it is to be had, if you delay and procraſtinate, the Judgments writter may fall upon you unexpectedly, and then you are miſerable beyond any remedy. See then your darger, and upon what ſtrong grounds it is built, even the wrath and curſe of God, and his righteous revenging juſtice, which will as certainly take place on you, if you lie in its way as you have a being. Give then no ſleep to your eyes, nor ſlumber to your eye-lids, till you are gotten to the rock of Ages, and ſecured under the wings of a Saviour.
[AUGUST 8. 1693.]