Matth. 25.31 32 33 34. Our Saviour telleth us Math. 7.22 23. Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name And in thy Name have cast out Devils And then will I profess unto them I never knew you Depart from me you workers of Iniquity And in that Text Luke 13. v. 15.27 Ye begin to stand without and to knock at the Door saying Lord Lord open unto us and he shall answer and say unto you I know you not whence you are v. 27. Depart from me all ye workers of Iniquity then shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth Consider this we all must once dye and after Death come to Judgment if Men have here disowned Christ and his Gospel and shall then cry Lord Lord open to us open the Kingdom of Heaven do not cast us out of thy sight for ever Christ will then say to that Man who hath been ashamed of his Testimony No Thou wert ashamed to own me and my despised Persecuted Truths and Servants now I will not own thee Christ will say to him depart from me I know you not but what is it for Christ to own a Man You may learn that from that Text Matth. 25.34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand come you Blessed of my Father Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from before the foundation of the World Now consider with your selves doth not there lye upon a Man an Obligation to save his own Soul and to keep himself out of everlasting burning the same Obligation lyeth upon all Men not to be ashamed of the Testimony of our Lord but to be partakers of the afflictions of the Gospel the same Obligation that the Law of nature layeth upon every Man to look to his highest concern the saving his Soul the keeping himself in favour with God I shall add but one thing more 10. The last thing from whence this Obligation doth arise is from the oneness of the Body of Christ This should engage us to suffer evil together with the faithful Ministers and the faithful Professors of the Gospel that we may shew our selves to be true Members of Christs mystical Body We see in a natural Body it is impossible that one Member should suffer and not another the rest will feel it though they may not feel that particular pain which it may be doth fix only in this or that Member yet there is affliction in the whole Body the whole Body is disquieted and troubled though only the Head aketh or the Tooth or the like so will it be in the mystical Body of Christ though it may be there are but some particular Members of the Body that do suffer yet there will be never a Member of that Body but will suffer a Sympathy every Christian will not be slain will not be imprisoned or plundered but if any of them be so evil intreated all the rest that are true Members of this Body will feel something of the suffering of those Members that do suffer saith the Apostle is any Man afflicted and I burn not St. Paul commendeth the Philippians Philip 4.14 15. Notwithstanding you have well done that you did communicate with my affliction v. 15. No Church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving but you only The Apostle speaketh thereas you may judge by the 15th Verse of a Communicating by giving and receiving but this was the fruit of the other the Philippians Sympathized with St. Paul in his afflictions and felt his misery and this made them to communicate with him in that state by relieving of him and indeed those Professors that do not so communicate with the afflicted Children of God give a very ill proof that they are the true Members of the mystical Body of Christ I have opened the Doctrine to you Let us now consider what improvement may be made of it Use 1. What you have heard reflecteth sadly upon them who refuse to give a Testimony of their Lord Or 2. Are ashamed of those who do give this Testimony You have heard how many Obligations there are upon us to it but how few are there who are sensible of these Obligations 1. How many are ashamed of the Testimony of our Lord ashamed to own those truths which their Lord owned those truths for the Testimony of which their Lord died St. Paul glorieth of himself that he was not ashamed of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ for saith he It is the power of God to Salvation Heb. 11.16 God is not ashamed to be called their God Heb. 2.11 Christ is not ashamed to call them Brethren Shall a poor Worm be ashamed to be called the Child of God or the Servant of God to be called a Godly Man or Woman how many Professors had we some years since that are turned back and gone a little tribulation and persecution is arisen because of the truths of Christ and they are offended We may say of our times as the Apostle said to the Hebrews None hath yet resisted unto Blood and yet how few have we that do resist striving against Sin I tremble to think of that Text Whosoever is ashamed of me before Men of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed We have too many that think it enough to pray to hear to read but forget this piece of their duty to bear a Testimony to our Lord nay how many are there who are ashamed of those who do give their Testimony ashamed of the Chains and Bonds and Imprisonments and reproaches of the Ministers and People of God they are not only ashamed to own the Testimony of the Gospel themselves and to come in as Witnesses for Christ but they are ashamed of them who do but I hope I speak to none here who are of that Complexion Use 2. It may be some will say how shall I know if I walk up to my duty in this particular if I be not ashamed of the Testimony of my Lord and be a partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel I shall give you two or three notes which are sufficient for this discovery 1. When the discredit of the Gospel maketh us neither to think it beneath us to own the truth of the Gospel nor those who own and profess it There is a time when the Gospel hath a credit in the World the Prophet Zechariah Prophesied of a time Zech. 8.23 When ten men shall take hold out of all Languages of the Nations even shall take hold of the Skirt of him that is a Jew saying we will go with you â—or we have heard that God is with you That Prophesie is fulfilled under the Gospel God sometimes giveth the Gospel such a credit in the World that every one thinketh it an honour to him to be accounted a Christian this is a time when it is hard to discern whether a Man will be ashamed of the Gospel but there is another time when the Gospel hath
when Israel must die Do our Prophets live for ever And it pleaseth God to give some of his People notices of this time Paul's time was now come He tells Timothy in the verse before the Text I am now ready to be offered the words in the Greek are I am now already offered Paul was ready as that term in our Language signifies prepared but the Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which rather signifies already than prepared into which sense it cannot be interpreted the next words interpret it The time of my departure is at hand Nor certainly doth the Apostle speak this meerly upon the prospect that all Christian Prisoners especially Teachers amongst them might reasonably have of their fate under such a Pagan Tyrant and Butcher as Nero under whose Government and Power he was at this time was but upon some more special and particular notice which God had given him that his time was at hand He speaks of it without trembling and faith not to Death tho it was to be violent Hast thou found me O mine Enemy but with confidence chearfulness he entertaineth the thoughts and prospect of it This Text tells you the grounds of his chearfulness 1. His work was done 2. He had wages to take The first he openeth by 3 phrases 1. I have fought a good fight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that excellent fight as Beza well translates it 2. I have finished my course 3. I have kept the Faith 2. He had wages to take which he could not receive upon Earth And now is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness c. I shall only turn the Text into a Proposition concluding from Paul's work and confidence the duty of all Prop. Those who would at death have the Crown of Righteousness which is laid up for and which God the Righteous Judge will one day give out unto some persons must fight the good fight finish their course keep the faith and love the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ and those who do these things may know that there is such a Crown of Righteousness laid up for them which the Righteous Judge will give out to them Here are two Propositions put together 1. That there is a Crown of Righteousness which God hath laid up and will one day give out as a Righteous Judge to some amongst the Sons of men 2. That it shall be given out to such and such only as fight the good fight finish their course keep the faith and love the Appearance of Christ I shall discourse them severally then apply them together 1. There is a Crown of Righteousness which is laid up and God as a Righteous Judge will one day give out to some amongst the Sons of men 1. That this Crown of Righteousness is no other than the Crown of glory Eternal life and happiness is out of doubt the Blessed state of the Saints in Heaven is set out in Scripture unto us under a variety of Metaphors importing the satisfaction of the whole Soul there and all the powers and faculties of it It is sometimes set out under the Notion of a Feast 1 Pet. 5.4 a Banquet sometimes under the Notion of seeing God 〈◊〉 1.12 sometimes under the Notion of an Inheritance immortal incorruptible c. sometimes under the Notion of a Kingdom a Crown sometimes under Notions of profit the riches of glory sometimes under Notions of pleasure here it is called a Crown So 1 Pet. 5.4 it is called a Crown of glory and a Crown of life Jam. 1.12 But 1. Why a Crown 2. Why is it called a Crown of Righteousness 3. How is it laid up 4. How doth or shall God shew himself a Righteous Judge in giving it out 1. Possibly it is called a Crown with reference to the Combatants in the Roman Games in which the Victors had not only Prizes for which they ran but also Crowns of Bays or Lawrel or some green things If a man strive for Masteries saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 2.5 he is not crowned except he strive lawfully As the Conquerours were enriched with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a prize for which they ran or wrestled or fought so they were honoured with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Crown which was set on their heads and thus it lets us know 1. That Heaven will be a place of great honour and dignity 2. That those who obtain it must strive fight wrestle and that lawfully as the Apostle speaks yea and they must conquer None but the Conquerours in those Games were crowned The consideration of Heaven as a Crown ought to mind us of our duty to strive and fight It is not compared to an ordinary King's Crown which it may be comes to him by Election or Inheritance but a Combatants Crown which is never put on his head till he be declared Victor 2. Secondly This Notion is expressive of the high reward of the Saints in Heaven A Crown is the highest dignity hence it is called also a Kingdom Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you Thus the Metaphor is used I am 5.16 The Crown is fallen from our heads that is we have lost our greatest honour and dignity Such shall be the honour of all the Saints it shall not be only a Penny a reward of their labour but it shall be a Crown the highest and greatest reward such a one as no Eye hath seen no Ear hath heard neither can it enter into the heart of man to conceive we can fancy no higher honour and dignity than that of a Crown and therefore it is expressed by that but it will be no ordinary Crown but a Crown of Life a Crown of Glory 3. Possibly it may be thus expressed to signifie the fulness of the Saints happiness in Heaven The figure of a Crown lets you know that it incompasseth the whole head not a part of it only Psa 16.11 At thy right hand saith the Psalmist there are pleasures and a fulness of pleasures and that for evermore The glory of the Saints in Heaven shall incompass them as a Crown doth the head God in this life incompasseth his People with favour as a shield as the Psalmist speaketh in the life to come he will incompass them with glory as with a Crown In this life we have our good things but in part Nemo est ex omni parte beatus there is scarce any to be found who is every way happy One hath an head at ease but an aking heart another hath an heart at ease but an aking head but in Heaven the Saints shall be crowned perfectly happy on all sides blessed 2. Qu. But why is this called a Crown of Righteousness not only a Crown of life and a Crown of Glory but a Crown of Righteousness 1. I answer Not because it is the merit of our Righteousness Our Righteousness is all a rag a filthy Rag. The next words are enough to Satisfy us
Archangel and with the trump of God 1 Thessal 4.26 with ten thousands of his Saints Jud. 14. This is by the Apostle called a glorious appearance as 1 Pet. 1.7 Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearance of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Whether his first or second appearing be here meant I doubt If it be understood of the first the sense is much the same with that Rejoicing in Christ Jesus in opposition to an having a confidence in the flesh mentioned 3 Philip. 3. In this sense the loving his appearing is the loving of him as God manifested in the flesh the accepting and receiving of him as our Saviour and the Mediator betwixt God and man a breathing after him and delighting in him if we understand it of the latter that appearing of Christ which is yet to come we shall further open the duty by opening the 2d thing 2. What this is to love his appearing Love is nothing else but a pleasant motion of the Soul of man towards an Object by which discerning some goodness and excellency in it it takes a secret complacency in the meditations and speculations of it By desire moves toward it if it hath not obtained a full fruition and enjoyment of it and rejoyceth and delighteth in it if it have A love towards the second appearing of Jesus Christ cannot at present discover it self in the imbraces of joy and delight by which love in a Soul discovers it self to an object to which it is united but only 1. In desires after it while the Soul crieth out I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ or rather come Lord Jesus come quickly 2. In a joy and delight arising from the certain belief speculation and contemplation of a thing yet future There is a rejoycing of hope as well as of fruition for hope especially that hope which is the daughter of that faith which is the evidence of things not seen giveth the Soul an union though of the lowest degree with its object and so is productive of a proportionable joy Now my text saith that for all those who thus fight the good fight finish their course keep the faith and love the appearance of Christ there is laid up a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will in that day give out In that day there is another little question what that day is 1. In the day of death Paul indeed had been speaking in the verse before of the time of his departure which he had told us was at hand and it is certain that at the day of death the Souls of believers do immediately pass into glory but yet this seemeth not to be the day here mentioned 2. Rather the day of Christs second appearing Emphatically called that day because there never was nor ever will be any day like unto that day the People of God shall in the day of their departure be taken into glory that is their Souls shall but their bodies rest in their graves until that day so as the glory of the Saints before that day the day of Christs coming to Judgment shall be imperfect but in that day they shall be Crowned If any man asketh from whence this shall be the text gives us a double account of it 1. In saying it shall be given it is not the price of our combate but it is the consequent of it from the free grace and gift of God The gift of God is eternal life Rom. 6. Fear not little flock saith our Saviour it is your Fathers will to give you a kingdom My sheep faith he hear my voice and follow me and I give unto them eternal life The Lord hath given Christ power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to whomsoever he pleased Joh. 17.2 2. The text calls it a Crown of Righteousness and saith the righteous judge will give it God in all his acts of grace hath a care to declare his righteousness In the justification of a sinner he so declareth his grace that he also declares his righteousness Rom. 3.25.26 speaking of Christ whom saith he God hath set forth to be a propitiation through his blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God To declare I say at this time his Righteousness that he might be just and the Justifier of him who believeth in Jesus So in the glorifying of Souls God will not act only as a gracious God rich in mercy communicating his goodness to his creatures but he will also act as a righteous judge in his giving out of the Crowns of glory he hath so ordered things that they are also crowns as of glory and favour so of Righteousness 1. Of Christs Righteousness being the price and purchase and of the Fathers Righteousness as it is but a just and righteous thing that he should satisfy the Covenant of Redemption and fulfil the eternal contract made with the Son of his love and it is also a righteous thing that God should fulfil his promises of life made to them who believe in him whom God hath sent and be obedient to his Commandments 1. The reasonableness and Righteousness of God in giving out of this crown then appears from Gods designation Covenant and promise The Crown of Righteousness is Christs to give he hath purchased it the Father hath given it to his disposal and he hath so willed that those who have it should first fight for it first run the race and course which he hath in his word lined out for them The promises of the new name the white stone the hidden manna are all made unto those who overcome those who will obtain must run 1 Cor. 9.24 2. There is a great relation between a fight a conquest and a crown I observed to you before that the promises of Heaven are made to such as overcome Rev. 2.17 ch 3.12 ch 3.21 Rev. 21.7 There is a relation also betwixt running in a race and getting of the prize Gal. 2.2 Gal. 5.7 1 Cor. 9.24 Again there is always a relation betwixt the means and the end The means in this case must not be natural but instituted now these are the means which as I have shewed you God hath appointed in order to the obtaining of this blessed end But I have spoken enough Doctrinally and shall now come to the application of this discourse This as indeed all other Gospel Propositions Use 1 leads us to the consideration of the transcendent Love of God to poor Creatures 1. In providing for us a Crown 2. Making it a Crown of Righteousness 3. Laying it up for us 4. Giving it to us 1. In his providing for us a Crown God in Scripture is said to have prepared for us Mansions Rest a better Country a more induring Substance but this is not all he hath also prepared for us a Crown If those who are tickled with honour and so inamoured with dignity