A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 65 (Question 19 cont.)
SERMON LXV.
II. SPIRITUAL Miſeries are all thoſe evils to which the Soul is ſubjected in this life. They are ſuch as the inward man is nextly harmed by; and though this be leaſt regarded by ſinful man, by reaſon of that ſtupidity which he labours of, yet it is indeed the moſt awful: all the outward evils we before took notice of, are little in compariſon of it: ſpiritual death is the moſt amazing death.
For,
1. THE Soul is the moſt excellent part in Man, and conſequently the miſery which befalls it muſt be the ſorer. If a man had a thouſand bodies he had better loſe them all, than one ſoul. This was fitted for communion with God, and is the immediate ſubject of bleſſedneſs; the body ſhares in theſe by participation: one ſoul is of more worth than a world, and the loſs of it cannot be compenſated by the gain of that. Mat. 16.26. For what is a man profited, if be gain the whole world, and loſe his own ſoul? or what ſhall a man give in exchange for his ſoul?
2. THE ſoul is of large and vaſt capacities. It's endowments were many and great, and unſpeakably more than thoſe of the body; and for that reaſon is capable of loſing more, and ſuffering more than that. God endowed the ſoul with more than he did the body, it had therefore more to loſe, and the miſeries of which it is capable are more terrible. Hence we have that aggravation, Jer. 4.10. The ſecond reacheth unto the ſoul.
3. A man may undergo all bodily miſeries and yet be happy. We obſerved before, that God's Children are often encountred with them in this Life; and yet are beloved of God, and heirs of the Kingdom. Whereas he that is under the efficacy and power of theſe ſpiritual miſeries, is miſerable indeed, and all the enjoyments of outward favours, cannot make him happy.
THESE miſeries alſo are either privative or poſitive. The ſoul is not like the body, ſubject to a natural Death. It was made immortal, and is capable of no other diſſolution, but annihilation, which ſhall never be. It's death therefore conſiſts in the infelicities that come upon it. Theſe have their inchoations in this life, and their conſummation after death. And they come under theſe two heads.
1. THE privative miſeries of the ſoul are contained in the loſs of all thoſe things wherein it's happineſs did conſiſt. Privative miſery is nothing elſe but a privation of felicity. When therefore we have conſidered wherein the happineſs of the ſoul doth ſtand, and ſeen it under the loſs of all this, we have a right diſcovery of this part of it's infelicity. And the things which are moſt remarkable here, are ſuch as theſe.
(1.) THE ſoul is deprived of the image of God, and thereby utterly incapable of ſerving Him. Man was made for God's ſervice, this was his laſt end, and his formal happineſs conſiſted in it. For the creature can only attain it's felicity, in reaching it's laſt end: Hence that, Iſai. 56.2. It is true, the whole man was appointed for this ſervice, but the ſoul as the principal, and the body as the inſtrument. This image was the ſpiritual life of the ſoul, it was that which enabled it to it's ſervice; and therefore in the loſs of it, it is become dead, Eph. 2.1. And you hath he quickened who were dead in treſpaſſes and ſins. It was a fearful word that he ſpake, Joſh. 24.10. Ye … ſerve the Lord: for be as an holy God: be as a ſcabies God. We formerly obſerved that this loſs was fallen upon mankind as a puniſhment; and the ſoul is undone by it: and labours under miſerable vanity. It is become uſeleſs for the end it was made for, being fallen ſhort of the glory of God: it cannot pleaſe God, and what then doth it live for? he hath now left him no knowledge how to do it, no will or inclination to it, not any ſtrength, no not ſo much as deſire to glorify God.
(2.) THE ſial b…th l…ſt all the joy or comfort of the promiſed …ſe. The life of life is the d… light which we have in it, and if that be ſeparated, it is but a living death. Now the only ſpiritual comfort of man was, that God had promiſed him life in the covenant, Ren: 10.5. The man which dish theſe things, ſhall live by them. By vertue of this he was in the way to, and had a fair proſpect of happineſs. But now the promiſe is violated, and all his cla…m loſt. His fin hath cut him off from it, and made it void. This life was his ſubjective happineſs, ſo that the loſs of it makes him very miſerable. It was a vaſt deal of goodneſs that was laid up in the promiſe, but it is all of it gone: it was it's livelihood, how then ſhould it live?
(3.) THE ſeal hath leſt it's intereſt in God, and his ſavour. God is the ſouls objective happineſs: nothing but he can be a portion for it; it's bleſſedneſs is when it can make that claim, Lam. 3.24. The Lord as my port…, ſaith my ſoul. Nothing ſhort of the ſovereign truth and chief good can be adequate to it; Pſal. 73.2…. Wh…m have …in heaven but thee! and there is name upon earth that I deſire beſides thee. Hence that, Pſal. 144. ult. Happy is that people that is in ſ… a caſe: yea, happy is that people, whoſe God is the Lord. God is ours when we enjoy his favour and loving-kindneſs, and how great a felicity is that? Pſal. 30.5. In his ſavour is life. And, 63.3. Toy loving-kindneſs is better than life. But this is gone; he hath now no more claim of title to him; God is no lo…ger his God, but his Enemy. There is a ſeparation made by …, Iſal 59.2. And hence is a…ar off, Pſal. …3.27. And who can expreſs the miſery of that ſ…a… that hath loſt it's God? The fruition of … thouſand worlds cannot compenſate it. All woes are comprized in it, Hoſ. 9.12. Yea wa… alſo to them when I deport from them.
(4.) THE ſoul …uth …ſt it's hope. Hope is the remainder of life in a languiſhing ſoul, and the only ſign that it hath day breathing in it, Rom. 8.24. For we are ſaved by hope. But this alſo man hath loſt by his fall. That therefore is one piece of the character of the natural man's ſtate, Eph. 2.12. Having no hope. It is true, there is a door of hope ſet open to man in the new Covenant, which ſhould make the Goſpel precious to all that enjoy it; but in the firſt covenant, under which all have their natural birth, there is none at all. There was … room left there for fallen man to rooster any of … …ff…. The damage that be a … was irreparable. There was no … for him to recover God's image, and …ar… and promiſe again.
USE. BEFORE I paſs hence, let … upon ſinners …rong and O…d… ſtand fix… … temp…e their fearful miſery by reaſon of …. It may be you little regard it: and if you enjoy health, and eaſe, and plenty, and pleaſure, you think all is well; but … will you do for your poor ſouls, which have loſt their life and livelihood? hence they …ſt their … and their joy, and their God, and their hope; what have they then left to ſupport them? muſt it not be a periſhing ſoul indeed that is thus ſtript maked of all it's ſupports and ſupplies? are your ſouls of no … with you? can they be undone, and you do well? are they thus every way ins…, and can you laugh, and ſing, and ſport your … as if nothing ailed them? A taken our of this ſo ſeleſ, ſ…padity, and be ſenſible of you … ſ…ry; and let it is ſenſe make a Chriſt precious to you, who came to repair this … reli…re …etched ſinners to ſpiritual life … by eatitling them to God's ſavour, … his image, beſtowing on them better p… ſes, and giving them an hope that ſmall out make aſhamed.
2. THE …ſ…rve miſeries of the ſoul are unturned in the ſuffering of all theſe things, … are contrary to it's ſ…erty. There are ſpiritual plagues as well as bodily, which … fall hath expoſed him to, and brought him under. And the principal of theſe may be reduced to three heads.
1. HE is under the power and dominion … This is a ſpiritual evil, and the ſoul is fully concerned in it. Sin re…gas in him, and his… is under the abſolute tyranny of it. He … the image of fin on him, and the it …oe…e of it altogether governs him; but of this … took an account under a former Queſtion all that I ſhall here ſay to it is, That the … is utterly undone by reaſon of it. He is always heaping up treaſures of wrath, …ying in …uel for the devounring fire, he doth …, he cannot pleaſe God, he cannot but a ſpleaſe him. He is always wronging Li…oxa … giving row woulds to i, he is enſnared in… deſtruction, and can by no means deliver his own ſoul; it is the creatures happineſs to be reſcued from this ſubjection. Rom. 6.14. For ſin ſhall not have dominion ever you. It … then needs be his woful miſery to be de… ed under it … the ruling luſts in natural … are the moſt cruel lords.
2. HE is become a vaſſal of Satan. This alſo is a ſpiritual evil, and a moſt diſmal one it is. Here obſerve,
1. THAT the fall hath brought mankind under the …oiſs power. It is true, it is not as their rightful head; for God hath not loſt … right to man's obedience, though man hath renounced it: he is God's ſubject, de June, though he is become the D…v…ls …luthy; a…d this he ſhall know to his c…ord… day. Not as it m…y by uſurpoti …ncit…; although S… hath thruſt himſelf into i… and hath by an …ing …le … man into his own hands, and made himſelf the god of this world. But there is alſo mans own choice, and God's judicial …. In a word, it is the p…ſh…ent of fi… man in his apoſtacy … rejected God's government, and …wod … ſuggeſtions, and God there upon delivered him to Sa…, by a permiſſive providence, and ſuffered him to role ever him, … be choſe to follow. Hence we read, of the … power that he hath over all ſuch, Eph. 2.3. The …p…r… that … …th in the … of diſ…. 2 Tim. 2.26. I… … when o…p…ce by …em at his will. And that … put upon him. 1 Cor. 4.1. The God of this …. Sinners believe him, take him at his …d, come and go at his bidding, are his ….
2. THAT thus ſu…y… to Su… is a de…ul …ſ…y. However he may pleaſe me… with … and large promiſes, and feed … up with hopes of …appineſs in their …ing of him: yet it is certain that it is every … miſerable, a… will appear. For, (1.) THE N…l is a ſpu…ſal cla…rſar… to m…mbed. It is m…re that likely that his ea…y and …ce at man made him a Devil, as was … obſerved. Hence that is a ti…le put upon …, 1 Pet. 5.8. A …ing him, …lking … ſe…ting whom be may …over. All his deſign is to … men forever; and he can intend nothing elſe; and what a wretched caſe are they in, who are under the power of their … a i…co…leable enemies? and indeed be can as ſoon ceaſe … be a Devil, as lay aſide there… which he hears againſt all Adam's …. He was a murderer from the begi… and ſo he will be to the end. (2.) THE bondage be …ds men under, is a cruel …. He is the P…aroah of bell, the ſervice be requires of them, is meer drudgery, it is …id ignominious, ſlaviſh; it is to gra…ily…s l…s, to fulfil his pleaſure; and he …ies them to it, with all rigour; he gives there no reſt, hath no p…ty for them; compels them to all the vile, ſhameful things, which …y bring reproach and intamy upon them; and to ſuch things as may ſhorten their lives, and turn them out of the world before their time. (3.) HE always deceives them. He is called a …er; and he makes it his buſineſs to …, and impoſe upon them: when he ſpeaks them faireſt, he is leaſt to be truſted; he makes nothing of lying, for he is the father of lies; and if men will but believe him, he rejoyceth in diſappointing them: he promiſes great things, and feeds men up with hopes of obt…, but he means nothing leſs; and if he gr… them in any thing, it is but to draw the… the further into his ſnare, and get them the …et in his not.
3. THAT this ſlavery is a Soul miſery. It is true, the body is employed in it, and all the members of it are angaged in this drudgery, but the bondage of it lies on the inward man. It is the Souls deſtruction the Devil mainly aims at: it is the preciors Soul that he hunts for; he little regards the Body in compariſon of that. They are called ſpiritual wickedn…ſſes, Eph. 6.12. Not only from their nature, but alſo from their deſign. It is true, the Devil would ruin Job in his eſtate, and torment him in his holy, when he could do no more, but his great a…m was at deſtroying of his Soul, provoking him to curſe God to his face: his dominion is in the hearts of natural men, and they are his voluntary vaſſals, and choſe rather to have their ears bored to him, than come out of his ſervice, and what a fearful miſery is this?
3. HE is ſa…lce under the power of horror of conſ…en…e. And this is wholly and properly a Soul miſery. Here we may firſt conſider, what this horror is, and then obſerve how he is under the power of it.
1. FOR this horror of Conſcience, it may be thus deſcribed; It is thus killing fear, which poſſ…ſſeth a guilty Sinner, a…ſing from the appreh…ſion he hath of the wrath of God. Here obſerve,
1. THE ſuiſ…l of this horror is a guilty Sinner. What guilt is, we have before obſerved; this lying on the man affords to him the ground and reaſon of horror; if that were removed, the curſe would ceaſe, but whilſt it abides there is matter for it; the man being by it bound over to ſuffer eternal vengeance.
2. THAT which c…uſeth this horror is, the appro…ſio… the man hath of the wrath of God. And this is wrought in the conſcience of the ſinner, which looks upon his guilt, and paſſeth a ſentence upon him for it. And there are theſe things in it. (1.) HE reads the law, and conſiders the curſes of it; what they are, and for what, and againſt whom they are denounced; he ſees that it is for ſin that theſe curſes fall on men, and he looks upon them as terrible things. (2.) HE …ds himſelf to be under them by reaſon of ſin. His conſcience tells him, thou art the man, the law hath hold of thee; his ſins ſtate him in the face, and he cannot deny them; conſcience chargeth them on him, and votes him guilty. (3.) HE apprehends the righteouſneſs of God, in ſ…ſ…ing … ſin, according to the ſentence. That is applyed by his conſcience, Rom. 2.6. Who will render to every man according to his deeds. and therefore that tells him what he muſt ſtand to. (4.) HE diſcovers the power of God. That he is able to do as he hath ſaid; he ſees that he is to enter into the liſt with that God, who hath not an arm of fleſh. He reads that, Iſai. 40.17. All nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted to him leſs than nothing and vanity. There is therefore no eſcaping from him, but he muſt be ſeized by the wrath of an in…ite God.
3. THE horror ariſing from hence, is a killing fear that ſurprizeth the ſoul. And here, 1. HE is in con…nal expectation of divine vengeance. Heb. 10.27. He goes up and down as a condemned malefactor, expecting every hour to be fetch'd forth to execution. He looks upon God ready to meet him in his anger, and purſue him to deſtruction. He thinks he hears him ſaying to him, as, Iſai. 47.3. Hoſ. 13.8. I will meat them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rent the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion. 2. THIS expectation terribly affrights him. It makes him horribly afraid: he looks upon his puniſhment as intollerable. Gen. 4.14. He cannot think of it without amazement. Iſai. 33.14. The ſinners in Zion are afraid, fearfulneſs ſurprizeth the hypocrites: who among us ſhall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us ſhall dwell with everlaſting burnings? 3. THIS terrible fear, fills his ſoul with bitter pangs of ſorrow. For ſuch a fear is a preſent miſery, and it over-burdens the man, and he cannot ſtand up under it, he falls under deep qualms of trouble; the Soul is intollerably wounded by it. Prov. 18.14. But a wounded ſpirit who can bear? 4. THIS makes his ſoul to ſink and dye within him. It drinks up his ſpirits; it extinguiſheth all his comforts; he goes up and down a damned creature whiles he lives, and hath an hell in his own conſcience: and his terrors make him wiſh he could fly from God, and hide himſelf away. Hence that, Rev. 6.15, 16. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman bid themſelves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains, And ſaid to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that ſitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. And he would fly from himſelf; yea it makes him an univerſal terror. Jer. 20 3, 4.
2 We may conſider, how far every guilty ſinner is under the power of this horror, in theſe things.
1. THERE have been not a few wicked ſinners that have in this world been under the efficacy of this horror. Such an one was Cain, Gen. 4.14. He could not bear it. And ſome think Judas his horror ſtrangled him; however it drew him to it. Math. 27.5. And what a terrible fit was Belſh…zer in? Dan. 5.5.
2. THERE are many that have terrible gripings of this horror, who diſcover not the wound, but keep it ſecret. They feign a little mirth, to put a blind upon the world, but who knows what inward pangs they have, though they bite them in? They are in travailing pain, but are not willing to tell it. Prov. 14.10, 13. The heart knoweth his own bitterneſs. Even in laughter the heart is ſorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heavineſs. Job 15.20, 21. The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppreſſour. A dreadful ſound is in his ears; in his proſperity the deſtroyer ſhall come upon him.
3. THIS is the …t…n of all ſinners from the hand of God, and they are every women liable to it. For, 1. THEY have no ſound bottom of pence … God. He and they are not reconciled together, if they cry peace to themſelves, it is without all reaſon; their ſtate is terrible, whether they feel or believe it to be ſo. Iſai. 57.20, …1 but the wicked are like the troubled ſea, when a cannot reſt, whoſe waters caſt up …ire and … There is no peace ſaith my God, to the wicked. 2. IF they have any reſpite, it is but a time … truce. We have obſerved, that God doth a preſent moderate the miſeries of men, but ye… the controverſy abideth. Pſal. 50.21, 22. Th… things b…ſt thou done, and I kept ſilence: … thoughteſt that I was altogether ſuch an one a thy ſelf: but I will reprove thee, and ſet them is order before thine eyes. Now conſider this ye that forget God, leſt I tear you in pieces, & … be none to deliver. 3. THEY have the principles & reaſons of this horror in them. And if God do but to…th their Conſciences, they ſhall preſently … into it: they are now aſleep in carnal ſecuring, but if God awaken them, they ſuddenly f…ll into this terror, and it is threatned in the word of God; it is included in the curſe, and they are laying in more matter for it every day.
USE. LET this then awaken Yo… and Old to ſee and bewail this w…ful miſery of themſelves. Think how it is with you, and …e ſuitably affected with it. And here,
1. THINK what a ſpiritual ſlavery you … hold under. Your luſts rule in you, and d… neer over you, your Souls are fettered … your fins, and you can do nothing elſe; tho' you are told of your evil ways, and know the judgment of God, and the miſerable …i… they are leading you to, yet you are under their tyranny, and cannot get from under it; but are every day carrying faggots to your own pile of vengeance: and the Devil is your maſter, you have no command of yourſelves, but do and will obey his commands; and Oh! remember, he is driving you to the chambers of death, and hurrying you do… the ſteep precipice of everlaſting deſtruction: and how can you endure to live in ſuch a ſlavery.
2. THINK what horrors your Conſciences an exp…ſed unto. Have you no reflections … and then? Are there no inward gripings that terrify you? is all quiet? well, if there be none, there is matter for them, and they will come ſooner or later: be then warned in the midſt of all your jollity and mirth, to remember the hand-writing of terror that is out againſt you, and you muſt be made to read it. It may be it is now laughing time with you, but weeping time haſtens on apace. And now what doth all this beſpeak, but that you feel this unhappineſs, and give welcome entertainment to the glorious deliverance which Jeſus Chriſt hath wrought out, and hath … vealed to you in the Goſpel. He hath purchaſed a Goal-delivery from the Law, and by his Almighty Power is able and ready to pluck you out of the hand of your ſpiritual enemies, and beſtow a glorious Liberty upon you; ſo that neither ſin, nor Satan, nor your own Conſciences, ſhall any more be able to harm you. If therefore you have any love for your Souls, make haſie, and fly with ſpeed into His Arms, and accept of His Redemption, ſo ſhall your Soul eſcape as a h…d from the fowlers ſaare.
[OCTOBER 3. 1693.]