Matthew at the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus gives us a notable fore-word of the Resurrection of the Just Saith the Text And the graves were opened and many BODIES of Saints which slept arose and came out of their graves after his Resurrection and went into the holy City and appeared unto many Matth. 27. 50 51 52 53. When the Authour to the Hebrews had given us a Catalogue of the Worthies of the Old Testament he saith at last These all died in Faith In the faith of what That they should lie and rot in their graves eternally No verily this is the Faith of Ranters not of Christians They all died in faith that they should rise again and therefore counted this World not worth the living in upon unworthy terms that after death they might obtain a better Resurrection Heb. 11. 13 35. 'T is also worth the Considering that of Paul to the Philippians where he saith That he was Confident that that God that had begun a good work in them would perform it untill the day of Christ Phil. 1. 6. Which day of Christ was not the day of their Conversion for that was past with them already they were now the Children of God but this Day of Christ it is the same which in other places is called the Day when he shall come with the sound of the last Trump to raise the Dead For you must know That the Work of Salvation is not at an end with them that are now in Heaven no nor ever will untill as I shewed you before their Bodies be raised again God as I have told you hath made our Bodies the Members of Christ and God doth not count us thoroughly saved untill our Bodies be as well redeemed and ransomed out of the grave and death as our Soul from the Curse of the Law and dominion of Sin Though Gods Saints have felt the power of much of his grace and have had many a sweet word fulfilled on them yet one word will be unfulfilled on their particular person so long as the grave can shut her mouth upon them But as I said before when the gates of death do open before them and the barrs of the grave do fall asunder then shall be brought to pass that saying that is written Death is swallowed up of Victory and then will they hear that most pleasant voyce Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the Earth shall cast forth her dead Isa. 26. 19. Thus much touching the truth of the Resurrection of the Just with the manner of their rising Now you must know That the time of the rising of these Just will be at the Coming of the Lord For when they arise nay just before they are raised the Lord Jesus Christ will appear in the Clouds in flaming fire with all his mighty Angels the effect of which appearing will be the rising of the dead c. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout saith Paul and with the voice of the Arch-Angell and with the Trump of God and the dead shall rise 1 Thess. 7 8. 2 Thess. 4. 16. 1 Cor. 15. 52. Now at the time of the Lords Coming there will be found in the World alive both Saints and Sinners As for the Saints that then shall be found alive they shall so soon as all the Saints are raised out of their graves not die but be changed and swallowed up of incorruption immortality and glory and have the Soul-spiritual Translation as the raised Saints shall have as he saith We shall not all die or sleep but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye For the Trump shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed And again For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first and then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Ayr and so shall we ever be with the Lord. As he saith also in another place He shall judg the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdome 1 Cor. 15. 52. 1 Thess. 4. 15 16 17. and 2 Tim. 4. 1. Now when the Saints that sleep shall be raised thus incorruptible powerful glorious and spiritual and also those that then shall be found alive made like them Then forthwith before the unjust are raised the Saints shall appear before the Judgment Seat of the Lord Jesus Christ there to give an account to their Lord the Judge of all things they have done and to receive a reward for their good according to their labour They shall rise I say before the Wicked they being themselves the proper Children of the Resurrection that is Those that must have all the glory of it both as to preheminencie and sweetness and therefore they are said when they rise to rise from the dead that is in their rising they leave the reprobate World behind them Luke 20. 35 36. Acts 3. 15. Acts 4. 10. Acts 13. 30. Joh. 12. 1 9 17. And it must be so because also the Saints will have done their Account and be set upon the Throne with Christ as Kings and Princes with him to Judge the World when the wicked world are raised The Saints shall Judg the World they shall judge Angels yea they shall sit upon the Thrones of Judgment to do it But to pass that 1 Cor. 6. 2 3. Psal. 122. 5. Now when the Saints are raised as ye have heard they must give an account of all things in general that they have done while they were in the World Of all things I say whether they be good or bad First of all their bad but mark not under the Consideration of Vagabonds Slaves and Sinners but as Sons Stewards and Servants of the Lord Jesus That this shall be it is evident from divers places of the Holy Scriptures First Paul saith We must all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ We Saints For it is written As I live saith the Lord every Knee shall bowe to me and every tongue shall confess to God So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God Again Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him for we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ that every one of us may receive the things done in his body according to what he hath done whether it be good or whether it be evil Rom. 14. 10 11 12. 2 Cor. 5. 10. 'T is true God loveth his People but yet he loveth not their sins nor any thing they do though with the greatest zeal for him if it be contrary to his Word Wherefore as truly as God will give a reward to his Saints and Children for all that they
loathsom condition The ungodly at their death are like the Thistle-seed but at their rising they will be like the Thistle grown more noysom offensive and provoking to rejection abundance Then such dishonour shame and contempt will appear in them that neither God nor Christ Saints nor Angels will so much as once regard them or vouchsafe one to come near them He beholdeth the wicked a far off because in the day of Grace they would not come to hand and be saved therefore now they shall all as thorns be thrust away as with fences of Iron 2. Sam. 23. 6 7. Their rising is called the Resurrection of the unjust and so they at that day will appear and will more stink in the nostrils of God and all the Heavenly Hosts then if they had the most irksome Plague-soars in the World running on them If a man at his Birth be counted as one cast forth to the loathing of his person how loathsom and irksom dishonourable and contemptible will those be that shall arise Godless Christless Spiritless and Graceless when the Trumpet sounds to their Judgement they coming out of their Graves far more loathsom and filthy then if they should ascend out of the most filthy hole on Earth Thirdly As the Just shall arise in power so the wicked and unjust in weakness and astonishment Sin and guilt bringeth weakness and faintness in this life how much more when both with all their power and force like a Gyant fasten on them as God saith Can thy hands be strong and can thy heart indure in the day that I shall deal with thee Eccless 22. 14. Now will the gastly Jaws of despair gape upon thee and now will condemnings of Conscience like Thunder-claps continually batter against thy weary Spirit It is the Godly that have boldness in the day of Judgement but the wicked will be like the Chaffe which the Wind driveth away 1 John 4. 17. Psal. 1. 4. O the fear and the heart-aking that will seiz them in their rising the frightful thoughts that then will fill their throbbing hearts Now must that Soul that hath been in Hell-fire among the Devils possess the body again Possess it I say with the hot scalding stink of Hell upon it They shall not be able to lift up the head for ever pangs shall take hold on them all their hands shall faint and every mans heart shall melt They shall be amazed one at another their faces shall be as flames Isa. 13. 6 7 8. Every thing they see hear or think of shall tend to their discomfort They must needs be weak whom God hath left whom guilt hath seized and whom death is swallowing up for ever Fourthly As the Just shall arise spiritual Bodies so the unjust shall arise onely as meer and naked lumps of sinful nature not having the least help from God to bear them up under this condition Wherefore so soon as ever they are risen out of their Graves they will feel a continual sinking under every remembrance of every sin and thoughts of Judgement in their rising they fall fall I say from thenceforth and for ever And for this Reason the Dungeon into which they fall is called bottomless Rev. 20. 1. Because as there will be no end of their misery so there will be no stay or prop to bare them up in it Onely as I said before they shall not now as afore be separate Body from Soul but both together be bound in the cords of sin and iniquity in which they shall now tremble as Theeves and Murderers c. as they go before the Judge to hear what he will say unto them Now when the wicked are thus raised out of their Graves they shall together with all the Angels of darkness their fellow Prisoners be brought up being shackled in their sins to the place of Judgement where there shall fit upon them Jesus Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the Lord chief Judge of things in Heaven and things in Earth and things under the Earth On whose right hand and left shall fit all the Princes and Heavenly Nobles the Saints and Prophets the Apostles and Witnesses of Jesus every one in his Kingly Attire upon the Throne of his Glory Joel 3. 11 12 13 14. Then shall be fulfilled that which is written As for these my enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring them before me to slay them Luk. 19. 27. When every one is thus set in his proper place the Judge on his Throne with his Attendants and the prisoners coming up to Judgement forthwith there shall issue forth a mighty fire and tempest from before the Throne which shall compass it round about Which fire shall be as Bars and bounds to the wicked to keep them at a certain distance from the Heavenly Majesty As David saith Psal. 50. 3. Our God will come and not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him And again Dan. 7. 9. His Throne was like the fiery flame and his Wheels like burning fire A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him c. This Preparation being made to wit the Judge with his Attendance on the Throne the Bar for the Prisoners and the Rebels all standing with gastly Jaws to look for what comes after Presently the Books are brought forth to wit the Books both of Death and Life And every one of them opened before the sinners now to be judged and condemned For after that he had said before Dan. 7. 10. A fiery stream issued and came â—orth from before him he adds thousands thousands ministred to him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him the Judgement was set and the Books was opened And again I saw a great white Throne and him that sate upon it from whose face the Earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no more place for them and I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book were opened which is the Book of Life And the Dead were Judged out of the things that were written in the Books according to their works Rev. 20. 11 12. He doth not say the Book was opened as of one but the Books as of many And indeed they are more than one two or three out of which the Dead shall in the Judgement be proceeded against First then there is the Book of the Creatures to be opened Secondly The Book of Gods Remembrance Thirdly The Book of the Law And fourthly The Book of Life For by every one of these that is out of what is written in them shall the World of the ungodly be judged And the Books were opened First The Book of the Creatures shall be opened and that first it concerns mans nature and next as it relates to all other Creatures First he will shew in what the principles if nature were as they were Gods Creation
in this World shall keep it to life eternall 2 Tim. 2. 12. John 12. 29. all this is to be injoyed especially at the Resurrection of the Just. But sixthly There must be a Resurrection of the Just otherwise there will be the greatest disappointment on all sides that ever was since man had a being on the Earth A disappointment I say First Of the Will of God for this is the will of the Father that sent me saith Christ that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing not a dust but should raise it up again at the last day John 6. 39. Secondly A disappointment of the Power of God for he that hath raised up the Lord Jesus doth also intend to raise us up by his Power even our Bodies as Paul saith the body is not for fornication but for the Lord and the Lord for the body and God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by his Power 1 Cor. 6. 13 14. Thirdly If there should be no Resurrection of the Just Christ also would be wonderfully disappointed of the fruits of all his sufferings As I told you before his People are the price of his Blood and the members of his Body and he is now at the right hand of God far above all Principalities and Powers and every name that is named expecting till his enemies be made his Footstool and brought under Heb. 1. 13. the foot of the weakest Saint which will not be untill the last enemy Death is destroyed We know that he said when he went away that he would come again and fetch all his People to himself even up into Heaven that where he is there we may be also Joh. 12. 26. Joh. 14. 1 2 3. Joh. 17. 24. But I say how will he be disappointed if when he comes the Grave and Death should prevent and hinder him and with its bars keep down those whom he hath ransomed with his blood from the power thereof Fourthly If the Bodies of the Just arise from the dead then they also will be disappointed 'T is true the Saints departed have far more fellowship and Communion with God and the Lord Jesus then we have or are not yet capable of having Luke 23. 43. They being in Paradise and we in this World but yet I say for all that they are though there very much longing for the day of the Lords vengeance which will be the day in which they will and must arise from the dead This I say is the time that they long for when they cry under the Altar How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the Earth When they died they Heb. 11. 35. died in hope to obtain a better Resurrection and now they are gone they long till that day be come Rev. 6. 10 11. Till the day come I say when the dead even all the enemies of Christ shall be judged for then will he give reward to his Servants the Prophets and to his Saints and to 〈◊〉 that fear his name small and great Revel 11. 1. 8. Fifthly If the Just arise not great disappointment also will be to the Saints yet alive in this World for notwithstanding they have already received the first-fruits of the Spirit yet the wait not onely for more of that but also for the Resurrection Redemption and changing of this vile body Rom. 8. 20 21 22 23. Phil. 3. 20 21. For our Conversation is in Heaven saith Paul from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like to his glorious body But now I say if the body riseth not then how can it be made like to the glorious Body of Christ Jesus yea what a sad disappointment infatuation and delusion are those poor Creatures under that look and that by Scripture warrant for such a thing They look for good but behold evill they expect to be delivered in their whole man from every enemy but lo both death and the Grave their great enemies do swallow them up for ever But Beloved be not deceived Psal. 9. 10. Tâ—e needy shall not always be forgotten the expectâ—tion of the poor shall not perish for ever saith Christ he that seeth the Son and believeth on him that sent him hath everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day John 6. 40. Sixthly If the Just arise not out of their Graves then also is every Grace of God in our Souls defeated for though the spirit of devotion can put forth a feigned shew of holiness with the denyal of the Resurrection yet every Grace of God in the Elect doth prompt them forward to live as becomes the Gospel by pointing at this day as First 'T is this that faith looks at according as it is written I believed and therefore have I spoken we believed and therefore speak knowing that he that hath raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us up also by Jesus and shall present us with you 2 Cor. 4 13 14. Secondly Hope looks at this We saith Pâ—ul which have the first fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adâ—ption to wit the redemption of our Body that is we expect this by hope but hope which is seen is not hope for what a man seeth or hath in present possession why doth he yet hope for it Rom. 8. 23 24 25. Thirdly The Grace of self-denyal also woâ—keth by this Doctrine If after the manner of men I have fought with Beasts at Ephesus what advantageth it me if the Dead rise not As who should say wherefore do I deny my self of those mercies and priviledges that the men of this World injoy why do not I also as well as they shun persecution for the Cross of Christ If the dead rise not what shall I be the better for all my trouble that here I met with for the Gospel of Christ 1 Cor. 15. 32. Fourthly Both Zeal and patience with all other the Graces of the Spirit of God in our hearts are much yea chiefly incouraged animated and supported by this Doctrine as James saith Be patient therefore my Brethren unto the coming of the Lord for then shall the dead be raised 1 Thes. 4. 16 17. Behold the Husbandman waiteth for the precious fruits of the Earth and hath long patience till he receive both the early and latter Rayn be ye also patient stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draws nigh Jam. 5. 7 8. Seventhly The Doctrine of the Resurrection of the Just must needs be a certain truth of God if we consider the devilish and satanical errours and absurdities that must unavoidably follow the denyal thereof as First He that holdeth no Resurrection of our Body he denyeth the Resurrection of the Body of Christ this is the Spirits own Doctrine For if the Dead rise not then is not Christ risen
here much more then when we are with our Saviour our Jesus being passed from death to life John 5. 24. 1 John 4. 18. Secondly The Saints at this day shall have their hearts and Souls so wrapped up in the pleasure of God their Saviour that it shall be their delight to see all things though once never so near and dear unto them yet now to perish if not according to his word and will Thy will be done is to be always our Language here but to delight to see it done in all things though it tend never so much to the distruction of what we love to delight I say to see it done in the height and perfection of delight it will be when we come to Heaven or when the Lord shall come to judge the World Mat. 6. 10. But thirdly The sole end of the counting of the Saints at the day of God it will be not onely for the vindication of the righteousness holiness and purity of the Word neither will it center onely in the manifestation of the knowledg and heart-discerning nature of Christ though both these will be in it Revel 2. 22 23. But their very remembrances and sight of the sin and vanity that they have done while here it shall both set off and heighten the tender affections of their God unto them and also increase their joy and sweetness of Soul and clinging of heart to their God Saints while here are sweeâ—ly sensible that the sense of sin and the assurance of pardon will make famous work in their poor hearts Ah what meltings without guilt what humility without casting down and what a sight of the creatures nothingness yet without fear will this sense of sin work in the Soul The sweetest frame the most heart-indearing frame that possibly a Christian can get into while in this World is to have a warm sight of sin and of a Saviour upon the heart at one time Now it weeps not for fear and through torment but by vertue of constraining grace and mercy and is at this very time so far off of disquietness of heart by reason of the fight of its wickedness that it is driven into an extasie by reason of the love and mercy that is mingled with the sense of sin in the Soul The heart never sees so much of the power of mercy as now nor of the vertue value and excellency of Christ in all his Offices as now and the Tongue so sweetly inlarged to proclaim and cry up grace as now now will Christ come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in them that believe 2 Thes. 1. 10 11. Wherefore though the Saints receive by Faith the forgiveness of sins in this life and so are passed from death to life yet again Christ Jesus and God his Father will have every one of these sins reckoned up again and brought fresh upon the stage in the day of Judgment that they may see and be sensible for ever what grace and mercy hath laid hold upon them And this I take to be the Reason of that remarkable saying of the Apostle Peter Repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord and he shall send Jesus Christ who before was preached unto you whom the Heaven must receive till the restitution of all things spoken of by the mouth of all the holy Prophets since the World began Acts 3. 19 20 21. If a sense of some sin for who sees all Psa. 19. 12. and a sight of the love of God will here so work upon the spirit of the godly What will a sight of all sin do when together with it they are personally present with their Lord and Saviour Yea if a sight of some sins with a possibility of pardon will make the heart love reverence and fear with guiltless and heart-affecting fears what will a general sight of all sin and together with them an eternall acquittance from them work on the heart of the Saint for ever Yea I say again if a sight of sin and the love of God will make such work in that Soul where yet there is unbelief blindness mistrust and forgetfulness what will a sight of sin do in that Soul who is swallowed up of love who is sinless and temptationless who hath all the faculties of Soul and Body strained by love and grace to the highest pin of perfection that is possible to be in glory injoyed and possessed O the wisdom and goodness of God that he at this day should so cast about the worst of our things even those that naturally tend to sink us and damnus for our great advantage All things that shall work together for good indeed to them that love God Rom. 8. 28. Those sins that brought a curse upon the whole World that spilt the heart-blood of our dearest Saviour and that laid his tender Soul under the flaming wrath of God shall by his wisdom and love tend to the exaltation of his Grace and the inflaming of our affections to him for ever and ever Revel 5. 9 10 11 12 13 14. 'T will not be thus with Devils 't will not be thus with Reprobates the saved onely have this priviledge peculiar to themselves wherefore to vary a little from the matter in hand will God make that use of sin even in our counting for it that shall in this manner work for our advantage why then let Saints also make that advantage of their sin as to glorifie God thereby which is to be done not by saying Let us do evill that good may come or let us sin that Grace may abound but by taking occasion by the sin that is past to set the Crown upon the Head of the Christ for our justification Continually looking upon it so as to press us to cleave close to the Lord Jesus to grace and mercy through him and to the keeping of us humble for ever under all his dispensations and cariages to us Now having counted for all their evil and confessed to Gods glory how they fell short and did not the truth in this or that or other particulars and having received their eternall acquittance from the Lord and Judg in the sight of both Angels and Saints forthwith the Lord Jesus will make inquiry into all the good and holy actions and deeds they did do in the World Now there shall all things be reckoned up from the very first good thing that was done by Adam or Abel to the last that will fall out to be done in the World The good of all the holy Prophets of all Apostles Pastors Teachers and helps in the Church here also will be brought forth and to light all the good Cariages of Masters of Families of Parents of Children of Servants of Neighbours or what ever good thing any man doth but to be general and short first here will be a recompence for all that have sincerely laboured in
deal with sinners in the day of Judgement and will bring in I say all the Counsels and warnings he hath given men by these things both to clear up and to agravate their Judgement to them The second Book that will be opened at this day it will be the Book of Gods Remembrance Mal. 3. 16. For as God hath in his Remembrance Recorded all and every particular good thing that his own People hath done to and for his Name while they were in this World so he hath in his Remembrance Recorded all the evill and sin of his adversaries even every thing Eccles. 12. 14. Now Gods Remembrance is so perfect every way that it is impossible that any thing should be lost that is committed to it to be kept and brought forth to the Judgement at the time appointed for as a thousand years are but as yesterday with his Eternity so the sins that have been committed thousands of years since they are all so firmly fixed in the Remembrance of the Eternal God that they are always as fresh and clear in his sight as if they were but just now in committing He calleth again the things that are past Eccles. 3. 15. and hath set our most securest things in the light of his Countenance Psal. 90. 8. As he also saith in another place Hell it self is naked before him and destruction hath no covering Job 26. 6. That is the most secret cunning and hidden contrivances of the most subtle of the infernal spirits which yet are far more slethy then men to hide their wickedness yet I say all their wayes hearts and most secret doings are clear to the very bottom of them in the Eyes of the great God All things are open and bare before the Eyes of him with whom we have to do who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the Counsels of the heart Heb. 4. 13. 1 Cor. 4 5. Ye that say the Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it Understand O ye bruitish among the People and ye fools when will ye be wise He that planted the Ear shall not he hear He that formed the Eye shall not he see He that chasteneth the Heathen shall not he correct He that teacheth man knowledge shall not he know Psal. 94. 7 8 9 10. See also Hos. 7. 2. 8. 13. Can any hide himself in secret places that I should not see him that is when he is committing wickedness saith the Lord Do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord Jer. 23. 24. Now to know and see things it is the cause among men of their remembrance Wherefore God to shew us that he will remember all our sins if we die out of Christ he tells us that he knoweth and seeth them all and therefore must needs remember them for as is his sight and knowledge so is his Remembrance of all things When this Book of his Remembrance therefore is opened as it shall be in the Judgement then shall be brought forth of their hidden holes all things whatsoever hath been done since the World began whether by Kingdoms in general or persons in particular Now also shall be brought forth to open view all the transactions of God and his Son among the Sons of men and every thing shall be applyed to every particular person in equity and Justice to whom they belong the sins that thou hast committed shall be thy own and thou thy self shall bear them The Lord is a God of knowledge and by him actions are weighed It will be marvellous to behold how by thousands and ten thousands God will call from their secret places those sins that one would have thought had been dead and buried and forgotten yea how he will shew before the Sun such things so base and so horrid that one would think it was not in the hearts of any to commit for all is Recorded in the Book of Gods Remembrance While men are here they have a thousand tricks to present themselves one to another far more fair and honest then they are or ever were As Christ said to the Pharisees Ye are they who justifie your selves before men but God knoweth your hearts Luk. 16. 15. I God knoweth indeed what a nest what a heap what swarms yea what Legions of hellish wickednesses there is with power lurking like Cockatrices in those men that one would swear a thousand times are good and honest men The way of men in their sins it is like an Eagle in the Air a Serpent upon the Rock a Ship in the midst of the Sea and of a young Man with a Maid saith Solomon Prov. 30. 19 20. That is hiddenly closely covertly burying all under fair pretences wipeth their mouths in the close of their evill saying I have done wickedness But this though it may serve for the time present and no longer God will not be deluded nor blinded nor mocked nor put off Gal. 6. 7. They consider not that I remember all their wickedness saith he but I will reprove thee and will set them in order before thine eyes Hos. 7. 2. Psal. 50. 21. Here will be laid open the very heart of Cain the murderer of Judas the Traytor of Saul the adversary of David and of those that under pretences of holiness have persecuted Christ his Word and People Now shall every Drunkard Whoremaster Thief and other wicked person be turned their inside outward their hearts right open and every sin with every circumstance of place time person with whom with the causes also that drew them to the commission of every evill be discovered to all Here will be no hiding your selves behind Curtains nor no covering your selves with the black and dark night If I say surely the darkness shall cover me even the night shall be light about me yea O God darkness hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darkness and light are both alike unto thee Psal. 139. 11 12. The piercing Eye of God beholds all places persons and things the holy hand of his Justice writeth them down in the Book of his Remembrance and by his Power and Wisdom will he open and read to all men exactly distinctly and convincingly whatever hath passed from them or bin done by them in their whole life For for all these things God will bring thee into Judgement Eccles. 11. 9. Again as God will bring out of the Book of his Remembrance what ever hath passed from thee against him so also will he then bring forth by the same Book all things and carriages of his towards thee Here will he bring to thy mind every Sermon thou hast heard every Chapter thou hast read every conviction thou hast had on thy Conscience and every admonition that hath been given thee in all thy life when thou wast in the Land of the Living Now will God lay open before thee what patience he extended to thee how he let thee lâ—ve
appeared such flames such Thunderings and Tempests as there were at the giving of the Law what flames and blackness will there appear at the execution thereof and if at the giving of the Law there appeared so much Holiness and Justice that it made all Israel flie yea holy Moses exceedingly fear and quake what will become of these that God shall judge by the rigour of this Law in the day of Judgement Exod. 19. 16. Heb. 11. 21. O what Thunderings and Lightnings what Earthquakes and Tempests will there be in every damned Soul at the opening of this Book then indeed will God visit them with Thunder and Earthquake and great noyse with Storm and Tempest and the flame of a devouring fire For behold saith the Prophet the Lord will come with fire and with his Chariots like a Whirl-wind to render his anger with fury and his rebukes with flames of fire Isa. 29. 6. Isa. 66. 15. The Lord will come with fire that is in the flaming heat of his Justice and Holiness against sin and sinners to execute the rigour of his threatnings upon their perishing Souls Secondly The second general Head that is contained in this Law to be opened at this day is its exactness and purity and strictness as to all acts of good that any poor Creature hath done in this life whereby he in the Judgement will think to shelter or secure himself from the wrath of God This is the Rule and Line and Plummet whereby every act of every man shall be measured and he whose righteousness is not found every way answerable to this Law which all will fall short of but they that have the Righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ he must perish as he saith Rom. 3. 21. 22. Judgement also will I lay to the line and Righteousness will I lay to the Plummet and the Haâ—l shall sweep away the refuge of lies and the water shall overflow the hiding places Isa. 28. 17 18. That is though men may now shelter themselves under legall Repentance cold profession good meaning thinkings and doings yet all these things must be measured and weighed in the ballance of Gods most righteous Law and as I said whatever in that day is not found the Righteousness of God it will be found a reâ—uge of lies and will be drowned by the over-flowing of the wrath of God as the waters of Noah over-flowed the World Mal. 4. 1. And hence it is that all the ungodly will at this day be found as stubble and the Law as fire As it saith From his Right hand went a fiery Law And again his lips are full of indignation and his tongue as a devouring fire Deut. 33 2 Isa. 30. 27. For as fire where it seâ—zeth doth burn eat destroy devoure and consume so will the Law all those that at this day shall be found under the transgressioâ— of the least tittle of it It will be with theâ—â— Souls at the day of Judgement as it is witâ— those Countries that are over-run with moâ—â— merciless Conquerours who leave not any thing behind them but swallow up all with fire and sword For by fire and by his Sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many Isa. 66. 16. There are two things at the day of Judgement will meet in their height and utmost strength and they are sin and the Law for the Judgement will not be till the iniquity of the World be full ripe Joel 3. 13. Rev. 14. 15 16 17 18 19 20. Now then when sin is come to its full having plaid all its pranks and done all the mischief it can against the Lord of Glory then God brings forth the Law his holy and righteous Law one of which will now reign for ever that is either the Law or sin Wherefore sin and sinners they must tremble with all that help and hold them up for God will magnifie the Law and make it honourable Isa. 42. 21. That is will give it the Victory over the World for ever for that is holy just and good they are unholy unjust and bad Therefore by this Law will the Lord rain snares fire and Brimstone and a horrible Tempest this shall be the potion of their Cup. Psal. 11. 5 6. Let no man say then that because God is so famous in his mercy and patience in this day of his Grace that therefore he will not be fierce and dreadful in his Justice in the day of Judgement for Judgement and Justice is the last thing that God intends to bring upon the stage which will then be to the full as terrible as now his goodness and patience and long sufferance is admirable Lord who knoweth the power of thine anger even according to thy fear so is thy wrath Psal. 90. 11. You may see if you will a few of the sparks of the Justice of God against sin and sinners by his casting off Angels for sin from Heaven to Hell by his drowning the old World by his burning of Sodom and Gomorah to ashes condemning them with an overthrow making them an example to those that after should live ungodly 2 Pet. 2. 4 5 6. Jude 6. 7. For whatsoever the Law saith it saith it to them that are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and all the World become guilty before God Rom. 3. 19. Moses seems to wonder that the Children of Israel could continue to live when they did but hear the Law delivered on the Mountain Did ever People saith he hear the Lord speak out of the midst of the fire as thou hast done and live Deut. 4. 73. O that ye did but know the Law and the wonderous things that are written therein before the Lord cause that fearful Voyce to be heard Cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing that is written in the Book of the Law to do them which curse must fall on all that walk not in all the Commandements of God without iniquity which none do I say but they that walk in Christ who hath alone fulfilled them all Gal. 3. 10. Ezek. 33. 15. Col. 2. 10. The Law is that which standeth at the entrance of the Paradice of God as a flaming Sword turning every way to keep out those that are not righteous with the righteousness of God that have not skill to come to the throne of Grace by that new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil that is to say his flesh Gen. 3. 24. Heb. 1. 19 20. for though this Law I say be taken away by Christ Jesus for all that truly and savingly believe yet it remains in full force and power in every tittle of it against every Soul of man that now shall be found in his Tabernacle that is in himself and out of the Lord Jesus Col. 2. 14. Rom. 3. 19. Job 18. 14. it lyeth I say like a Lyon rampant at the gates of Heaven and will roar
upon every unconverted soul fiercely accusing every one that now would gladly enter in through the gates into this City Joh. 5. 45. So then he that can answer all its most perfect and legal commands and that can live in the midst of devouring fire and there injoy God and solace himself he shall dwell on high and shall not be hurt by this Law His place of defence shall be the munitions of Rocks bread shall be given him and his waters shall be sure thine eyes shall behold the King in his Beauty they shall see the Land that is very far off Isa. 33. 14. 15 16 17. Blessed then is he whose Righteousness doth answer every point of the Law of God according to 1 Cor. 1. 30. he shall be able to escape all those things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man for in himself ouâ— God is a consuming fire and man out of Christ is but as stubble chaff thorns briers and fuel for the wrath of this holy and sinner-consuming God to seize upon for ever Nah. 1. 6. Heb. 12. 29. Mala. 4. 1. Mat. 3. 12. Heb. 6. 7 8. Isa. 27. 4. 2 Sam. 23. 6 7. Who can stand before his indignation Who can abide the fierceness of his anger His fury is poured ouâ— like fire and the Rocks are thrown down by him Now when these three Books are thus opened there will without doubt be sad throbbing and pricking in every heart that now stands for his life before the Judgement-Seat of Christ the Righteous Judge and without all question they will be studying a thousand wayes to evade and shift the stroak that by the sin that these three Books do charge them with will immediately fall upon them But now to cut off all these at a blow forthwith appear the Witnesses who are ready to evince and make full and Soul-killing proof of every particular charged against them And the first is God himself I saith he will be a swift witness against the Sorcerers and against the Adulterers and against false swearers and against those that oppress the hireling of his wages the widow and the fatherless and that turn aside the stranger from his right and that feareth not me saith the Lord. Mal. 3. 5. This must needs be of great sway with every Soul that God should now come in I will witness saith God that these things of which you are accused before the Judge is true I hâ—ve seen all know all and writ down all There hath not been a thought in your heart nor a woâ—d in your Tongue but I have known it altogether all things have alwayes bin open and naked to my Eye Yea my Eye-lids try the Children of men I have known your down-sitting and your up-rising and have understood your thâ—ughts a far off I have compassed your path and am well acquainted with all your wayes Heb. 4. 13. Psal. 11. 4. Psal. 139. 1 2 3 4. 1. You have not continued in that state of nature in which I did at first create you Eccles. 7. 29. you have not liked to retain that knowledge and understanding of God that you had and might have had by the very Book of the Creatures Rom. 1. You gave way â—o the suggestions of fallen Angels and so your foolish â—earts were darkned and alienated and estranged from God 2. All the Creatures that were in the World have even condemned you they have been fruitful but you fruitless they have been fearfull of danger but you fool-hardy they have taken the fittest opportunity for their own preservation but thâ—◠〈◊〉 both blindly and confidently gone on to thy punishment Prov. 22. 3. 3. Touching the Book of my Remembrance who can contradict it Do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord was not I in all places to behold to see and to observe thee in all thy ways My eye sâ—w the Thief and the Adulterer and I heard every Lye and Oath of the wicked I saw the hypocrisie of the dissembler They have committed villany in Israel and have committed Adultery with their Neighbours Wives and have spoken lying words in my name which I have not commanded them even I know and am a Witness saith the Lord. Jer. 29. 23. 4. God will also come in against them for their transgressing his Law even the Law which he delivered on Mount Sinai he will I say open every tittle thereof in such order and truth and apply the breach of each particular person with such conâ—â—â—â—g Argument that they will fall down silenced for ever Every mouth shall be stopped and all the World shall become guilty before God Secondly There is yet another wâ—â—â—â—s for the condemning the transgressors of these Laws and that is Conscience their Consciences also beating witness saith 〈◊〉 Apostle Rom. 2. 14 15. Conscience is a 〈◊〉 Witnesses Conscience it will cry Amen to every word that the Great God doth speak against thee Conscience is a terrible accuser it will hold pace with the Witness of God as to the truth of Evidence to a hairs bredth The Witnesses of Conscience it is of great Authority it commands guilt and fastneth it on every Soul which it accuseth And hence it is said if our hearts or Conscience condemn us 1 Joh. 3. 20. Conscience will thunder and lighten at this day even the Consciences of the most pagan sinners in the World will have sufficiently wherewith to accuse to condemn and to make paleness appear in their faces and breaking in their loins by reason of the force of its conviction O the mire and dirt that a guilty Conscience when it is forced to speak will cast up and throw out before the Judgment-Seat it must out none can speak peace nor health to that man upon whom God hath let loose his own Conscience Cain will now cry My punishment is greater then I can bear Judas will hang himself and both Belshazzer and Felix will feel the joynts of their loins to be loosened and their knees to smite one against another when Conscience stirreth Gen. 4. 13. Mat. 27. 3. Dan. 5. 6. Acts 24. 23. When Conscience is once thorowly awakened as it shall be before the Judgment-Seat God need say no more to the sinner then Solomon said to filthy Shimei Thou knowest all the wickedness that thy heart is privy to 1 King 2. 44. As who should say thy Conscience knoweth and can well inform thee of all the evill and sin that thou art guilty of To all which it answereth even as face answereth to face in a Glass or as an Eccho answereth the man that speaketh as faâ—â— I say as God chargeth Conscience will cry out guilty guilty Lord guilty of all of every whit I remember clearly all the Crimes thou layest before me Thus I say will Conscience be a witness against the Soul in the day of God Thirdly As God and Conscience will at this day be most dreadful witnesses against the sinful man at this day so
doth tell Sardis that those among them that stood it out to the last gasp in the Faith and Love of the Gospel should not be blotted out of the Book of Life but they with the work of God on their Soul and their labour for God in this World should be confessed before his Father and before his Angels Rev. 3. 5. This part of this Book is in another place called The Book of the Word of the Lord because in it I say is Recorded those famous acts of the Saints against the World flesh and the Devil Numb 21. 14. You find also how exact the Holy Ghost is in Recording the travels pains labour and goodness of any of the Children of Israel in their Journey from Egypt to Canaan which was a Representation of the Travels of the Saints from nature to Grace and from Grace to Glory King Ahasuerus kept in his Library a Book of Records wherein was wâ—it the good Service that his Subjects did for him at any time which was a Type also of the manner and order of Heaven And as sure as ever Mordecai when search was made in the Rolls was found there to have done such and such service for the King and his Kingdom Esth. 6. 1. 2. so surely will it be found what every Saint hath done for God at the day of inquiry You find in the Old Testament also still as any of the Kings of Judah dyed there was surely a Record in the Book of Chronicles of their memorable acts and doings for their God the Church and the Common-wealth of Israel which still doth further hold forth unto the Children of men this very thing That all the Kings of the New Testament which are the Saints of God have all their acts and what they have done for their God c. Recorded in the Book of Chronicles in the Heavenly Jerusalem Now I say when this part of the Book of Life shall be opened what can be found in it of the good deeds and Heaven-born actions of wicked men Just nothing for as it is not to be expected that Thorns should bring forth Grapes or that Thistles should bear as Figs so it cannot be imagined that ungodly men should have any thing to their Commendations Recorded in this part of the Book of Life What hast thou done man for God in this World Art thou one of them that hast set thy self against those strong struglings of pride lust covetousness and secret wickedness that remain in thy heart like Job and Paul Job 1. 8 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. 2. And do these struglings against these things arise from pure love to the Lord Jesus or from some legall terrours and conviction for sin Gal. 5 6. 3. Doest thou I say struggle against thy lusts because thou doest in truth love the sweet holy and blessed leadings of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus its leadings of thee I say into his blood and death for thy Justification and deliverance from wrath to comâ— Phil. 3. 6 7 8. 2 Cor. 5. 14. 4. What acts of self-denyal hast thou done for the name of the Lord Jesus among the Sons of men I say what house what friend what Wife what Children and the like hast thou lost or left for the Word of God and the Testimony of his truth in the World Matth. 19. 27 28. Revel 12. 10 11. 5. Wast thou one of them that didst sigh and afflict thy self for the abominations of the times and that Christ hath marked and Recorded for such a one Ezek. 9. 3 4. Zeph. 3. 18. 6. In a word Art thou one of them that wouldest not be won by neither fear frowns nor flatteries to forsake the wayes of God or wrong thy Conscience or art thou one of them that slightest those opportunities that Satan and this World did often give thee to return to sin in secret Heb. 11. 14 15. These be the men whose prayse is in the Gospel and whose commendable and worthy acts are Recorded before the Judge of all the World Alas alas these things are strange things to a carnal and wicked man Nothing of this hath bin done by him in this life and therefore how can any such be Recorded for him in the Book of Life wherefore he must needs be shut out of this part also As David saith Let them be blotted out of the Book of the living and not be written with the Righteous Psal. 69. 28. Thus I say the wicked will find nothing for their comfort either in the first part of this book where all the names of the Elect are neither will they find any thing in the second part thereof where is recorded the true nature and operation of effectual Conversion of Faith or Love or the like and I say neither can any thing be found in this third part wherein is recorded the worthy acts and memorable deeds of the Saints of the Lord Jesus Thus when Christ therefore hath opened before them this book of life and convinced the ungodly at this day out of it he will then shut it up again saying I find nothing herein that will do you good you are none of my Elect you are the sons of perdition For as these things will be found clear and full in the book of life so they will be found effectually wrought in the hearts of the Elect all whose conversion and perseverance shall now be opened before â—hy eyes as a witness I say of the truth of what thou here seest opened before thee and also of thy unregenerate estate Now thou wilt see what a turn what a change and what a clinging to God to Christ and his Word and wayes there was found in the Souls of the saved ones here shall be seen also how resolvedly unfeignedly and heartily the true child of God did oppose resist and war against his most dearest and darling lusts and corruptions now the Saints are hidden ones but then they shall be manifest this is the morrow in which the Lord will shew who are his and who they are that fear the Lord and who that fear him not Psal. 83. 3. Sam. 8. 19. Numb 16. 5. Mal. 3. 18. Now you shall see how Abraham left his Country how close good Lot did stick to God in prophane and wicked Sodom Heb. 11. 8. 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. Mat. 19. 29. how the Apostles left all to foâ—low Jesus Christ and how patiently they took all crosses afflictions persecutions and necessities for the Kingdome of Heavens sâ—ke how they indured burning starving stoning hanging and a thousand calamities how they manifested their love to their Lord his Cause and people in the worst of times and in the dayes when they were most rejected slighted abused and abased then shall the King say to them on his right hand and that when all the Devils and damned sinners stand by Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the World you are indeed the truly converted
would come to have done you good but then you would not now then though you would have it never so willingly yet you shall not Depart from me ye Cursed You lie open to the stroak of Justice for your sins ye forsaken and left off God ye Vessels of wrath ye despisers of God and goodness You must now have vengeance feed on you for you did when you were in the World feed on sin and treasure up wrath against this day of wrath and Revelation of the righteous Judgment of God Rom. 2 3 4 5 6. Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire Fire is that which of all things is the most insufferable and insupportable Wherefore by fire is shewed the grievous state of the ungodly after Judgment Who can eat fire drink fire and ly down in the midst of flames of fire yet this must the wicked do Again not onely fire but everlasting fire Behold how great a fire a little matter kindleth A little sin a little pleasure a little unjust dealing and doing what preparation is made for the punishment thereof And hence it is that the fire into which the damned fâ—ll is called the Lake or Sea of fire And whosoever saith John was not found written in the Roâ—k of Life was cast into the Lake of fire and Brimstone Revel 20. 15. Little did the sinner seriously think that when he was sinning against God he was making such provision for his poor Soul but now 't is to late to repent his worm must never die and his fire never shall be quenched Mark 9. 49. Though the time in which men commit sin is short yet the time of Gods punishing of them for their sin is long Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels In that he saith prepared for the Devil and his Angels he insinuates a further conviction upon the Consciences of the damned As if he had said as for this fire and Lake that you must go to though you thought but little of it because you were careless yet I did betimes put you in mind of what would be the fruits of sin even by preparing of this Judgment for the Devil and his Angels The Devil in his Creation is far more noble then you yet when he sinned I spared him not He sinned also before man and I upon his sinning did cast him down from Heaven to Hell and did hang the Chains of everlasting darkness upon him which might yea ought to have bin a fair item to you to take heed but you would not Jud. 6. Gen. 31. 2 3 4 5. Rev. 20. 1. Wherefore seeing you have sinned as he hath done and that too after he had both sinned and was bound over to eternal punishment the same Justice that layeth hold on these more noble Creatures must surely seize on you The World should be convinced of Judgment then because the Prince of the World is judged Joh. 6. 8 9 10. And that before they came to this condition of hearing the eternal sentence rattle in their ears but seeing they did not regard it then they must and shall feel the smart of it now Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels God would have men learn both what mercy and Justice is to them by his shewing it to others but if they be sottish and careless in the day of forbearance they must learn by smarting in the day of rebukes and vengeance Thus it was with the old World God gave them one hundred and twenty years warning by the preparation of Noah for the floud that should come but for as much as they then were careless and would not consider the works of the Lord nor his threatning them by this preparation therefore he brought in the floud upon the World of the ungodly As he doth hear the last Judgment upon the workers of iniquity and sweep them all away in their wilful ignorance Mat. 24. 37 38 39. Wherefore I say the Lord Chief Judge by these words prepared for the Devill and his Angels doth as good as say this fire into which now I send you it did of it self even in the preparation of it had you considered it forewarn you of this that now is come upon you Hell fire is no new or unheard of thing you cannot now plead that you heard not of it in the Woâ—ld neither could you with any reason judge that seeing I prepared it for Angels for noble powerful and mighty Angels that you poor dust and ashes should escape the vengeance Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels The sentence being thus passed it remains now the work being done that every one goeth to his eternal station Wherefore forthwith this mighty Company do now with heavy heart return again from before the Judgment-Seat and that full hastily God knoweth for their proper Center is the Hell of Hell into which they descend like a stone into a Well or like Pharaoh into the bottom of the red Sea Exod. 15. 10. For all hope being now taken from them they must needs fall with violence into the Jaws of eternal desperation which will deal far worse with the souls of men and make a greater slaughter in their tortured consciences then the Lions in the Den with Daniel could possibly do with the men that were cast in among them Dan. 6. 24. This is that which Paul calleth Eternall Judgement Heb. 6 2. because it is that which is last and finall Many are the Judgments that God doth execute among the Sons of Men some after this manner and some after that divers of which continue but for a while and none of them are eternal no the very Devils and damned spirits in Hell though there is the longest and most terrible of all the Judgments of God yet on foot yet I say they must pass under another Judgment even this last great and finall Judgment The Angels that kept not their first state but left their own Habitation he hath reserved in everlasting Chains under darkness unto the Judgment of the great day Jude 6. And so also it is with damned souls for boâ—h Sodom and Gomorah with all other though already in Hell in their souls yet they must as I have before shewed all arise to this judgement which will be their finall judgement Other of the judgements of God as they have an end so the end of many of them prove the profit of those on whom they are inflicted being I say Gods Instruments of Conversion to sinners and so may fitly be compared to those petty judgements among men as putting in the stocks whipping or burning in the hand which punishments and judgements do often prove profitable to those that are punished with them but eternal judgement it is like those more severe judgements among men as beheading shooting to death hanging drawing and quartering which soop all even health time and