read them with sorrow and terror whether they will or no. CHAP. II. The division and brief Explication of 4. THe Pronunciation of the Sentence vers 41 42 43 c. In which we may take notice 1. Of the Persons sentenced these are described 1. By their station on the left hand Then shall he say to them on the left hand 2. By their condition cursed ones Depart ye cursed 2. Of their punishment In which there is 1. Pain of loss Depart from me 2. Pain of sense which punishment is aggravated 1. By its extremity Fire This is amplified 1. By their Companions in those flames The Devil and his Angels 2. By the Divine Ordination of it for them Prepared for the Devil and his Angels 2. By its eternity Everlasting Fire 3. Of the reason of this punishment For I was hungry and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink vers 42 43. I shall begin with the Sentence wherein every word speaks Woe and Wrath Fire and Fury Death and Damnation and every syllable speaks the deepest Sorrow and dreadfulest Sufferings It is like Ezekiel's Roll written within and without and within is written Lamentation Weeping and Woe Ezek. 2.10 The Lord Chief Justice of the World the Judge of the Quick and Dead is now in all his Robes and Royalty with millions of glorious Attendants in the Glory of his Father with all his holy Angels set on the Bench. The poor Prisoner whose trembling Soul is newly reunited to the loathsome Carkasse of his Body is drag'd to the Bar awaiting and expecting some doleful doom He is lately come from Hell to give an account of his Life on Earth and to receive his Sentence and loath he is to go back to that place of torments as knowing that the pain of his Body will be a new and grievous addition to his misery when that shall burn in flames as his Soul doth already in fury Therefore he pleads Prisoner Lord let me stay here though poor wretch he hath his Hell about him in his accusing affrighting Conscience rather than go to that Dungeon of darkness A sight of thy beautiful Face may possibly abate my Sorrows and thy Presence may mittigate my Sufferings Judge No saith Christ here is no abiding for thee be gone hence Thou mayst remember when my Presence was thy Torment when thou didst bid me depart from thee choosing my room before my company Now my absence shall be thy Terror I like thee not so well to have thee nigh me Depart I say from me Prisâ—ner Lord if I must undergo so dreadful a doom as to depart from thee the Father of Lights and Fountain of Life yet bless me before I go One good wish of thy Heart one good word of thy Mouth will make me blessed where ever I go Those whom thou blessest are blessed indeed Bless me even me O my Father At this parting grant me thy blessing Judge Sinner be gone and my curse go along with thee Thou hast many a time despised my Blessing when it hath been offer'd to thee though I was made a Curse to purchase it for thee therefore I say depart from me and the Curse of an angry Lord and of a righteous Law accompany thee for ever Depart I say thou cursed Prisoner Lord if I must go and thy Curse with me send me to some good place where I may find somewhat to refresh me under thy loss and curse It 's misery enough to lose thy presence Good Lord command me to some good place Judge No Sinner be gone with my Curse to that place which will torture and rack thee with extremity and universality of pains The time hath been that thou hast wallowed in sensual Pleasures now thou must fry in intollerable flames Depart thou cursed into fire Prisoner Ah Lord if I must go with thy Curse and to so woful a place as fire I beseech thee let me not stay there long Alas who can abide devouring flames one moment material fires of mans kindling are terrible but how intollerable are those flames which thy breath like a stream of brimstone hath kindled I beseech thee if I must go to it let me pass swiftly through it and not stay in it Judge No Sinner depart and my Curse with thee to those extream Torments that admit of no ease and no end where the worm never dieth and the fire never goeth out to the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for ever Depart thou cursed into everlasting fire Prisoner Lord this is dismal and dreadful indeed to go from thee who art all good and to go to fire which hath in it extremity of all evil and to lose thee and fry in flames for ever ever ever yet Lord if it is thy Will it should be so hear me yet in one desire let me have such society as may mitigate at least such as may not aggravate my misery Judge No Sinner thy Company must be such for ever as thou didst choose in thy life time He who was thy Tempter shall be thy Tormentor And they who led thee captive at their will shall be bound with thee in Chains of everlasting darkness and faggotted up with thee together for unquenchable fire Such fiery Serpents gnawing Worms stinging Adders poisonous Toads roaring and devouring Lions hideous Monsters frightful Fiends must be thy eternal Companions Depart from me thou cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels I shall now speak particularly to the punishment of these wicked ones and explain the words as I come to speak to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est Metaphora qua vita humana cursus per iter sive prosectionem describitur I begin with the beginning of Christ's Sentence viz. The pain of loss which shall be the punishment of the damned Depart from me The word depart is a metaphor which describes the course of humane loss by a Journey Luk. 1.6 2 Pet. 2.10 And also their progress to death Luk. 13. The eternal death of the damned will consist partly if not principally in their departure from the Lord of Life But it may be Objected Who can depart from him who is every where Christ is God Joh. 1.1 1 Joh. 5.20 And God is Omnipresent Whither shall I fly from thy presence Psal 139.7 Therefore we must know there is a three-fold presence of God or Christ 1. There is the essential presence of God as he is infinite in his Being included in no place and excluded out of none so none can depart from him Psal 139.6 to 10. Jer. 23.24 Amos 9.2 3. 2. There is the favourable presence of God as he is the Fountain of Life and Love and the Father of Mercy and kindness and all good The former is the presence of his Being this of his Bounty This is as the presence of the Sun by his heat chearing and by his light delighting the Creature His presence in this sense is the substance
voluntary departure from Gods Precepts Heb. 3.12 Jer. 2.5 And its woful Effect is an eternal total departure from his gracious presence His partial temporary departure from his own people who are the Objects of his eternal Choice and infinite Love which makes them go mourning all the day and lie roaring all the night because of their sins speaks much of the evil of sin but his full everlasting departure from others which leaves them naked and stript of all Comfort and exposed to all Misery and Mischief doth more abundantly proclaim its filthiness and loathsomeness It can be no ordinary Cloud or Vapour that can obscure the Sun at noon-day in all his beauty and brightness and turn the clear day into a black night And it can be no little or small thing which provokes the Father of Mercy and God of all Grace to deal so severely with the works of his own hands 2. It informs us of the unconceivable misery of Sinners They must depart from Christ for ever To depart for ever from loving and lovely Relations is no mean misery to them who have no other Kindred than those on Earth It was no small trial of Abraham to leave his Kindred and Fathers house Gen. 12.1 To depart for ever from dear and intimate Friends is a sore trouble to him whose heart is knit to them The failure and distance of Friends was grievous to Job Job 19.13 14. And David Psal 38.11 To depart for ever from all the Saints the Children of the most high the excellent of the Earth from the Members of Christ of whom the World is not worthy will cut deep in them who have any eyes to see the amiableness of their Persons and any hearts to underderstand the benefit of their Prayers and Patterns But to depart for ever from Christ the Prince of Life the Lord of Glory the Heir of all things the richest Treasure and highest Honour and sweetest Pleasure is doleful and dreadful indeed How may the damned cry out Ah whither do we go now we are going from thee thou hast the words of eternal life The presence of Christ is the happiness of the Soul on Earth Deut. 4.7 I will see you and your hearts shall rejoyce Joh. 16.22 And ye now therefore have sorrow but I will see you again and your hearts shall rejoyce and your joy no man taketh from you No such hearty comfort as in the gracious presence of Christ And the presence of Christ is the happiness of the Soul in Heaven I desire to be dissolved though death simply consider'd be not desirable and to be with Christ Finis conciliat mediis amorem His presence is the Heaven of Heavens It 's the excellency of the new Jerusalem that there the Tabernacle of God is with men and God himself shall be with them Rev. 21.3 And the felicity of the Citizens there They shall see his Face Rev. 22.4 In the presence of Christ is all good and in the absence of Christ is all evil If it were death to Absolom not to see the Kings face what death will it be to the damned to be denied for ever the blissful sight of the face of Christ If God depart from his people in some degrees for he is their God still Psal 22.1 Psal 88.1 and but for a time as a loving Father to make his Children more sensible of their folly and of the worth of his Favour How sadly have they cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me How horribly will they screech and roar from whom he departs wholly and eternally as a supream and righteous Judge It will greatly aggravate their misery to consider these particulars 1. The greatness of their loss It 's not the loss of an House or Estate or bodily good but the loss of a Soul the loss of a Saviour the loss of a God yea the loss of all good and that for ever It 's such a loss as never had its fellow or equal It 's such a loss as cannot admit of any addition to it It 's a loss that never had the like before it nor shall have the like after it It 's an incomparable loss that the damned may say as he Ye have taken away my God and what have I more 2. For how small a thing they lose the blessed Jesus If they had lost Christ for somewhat which might have countervail'd the want of him or had in any degree equal'd him it had been the better but to lose a God a Christ a Soul fulness of Joy for a little aiery Honour or bruitish Pleasure this will cut to the heart O how will it wound the Soul in the other World to think for how small a toy for how pitiful a trifle have I lost a Crown of Glory and Rivers of Pleasures for ever Ah what a Fool have I been to lose Substance for Shadows Bread for Husks a Fountain of living Waters for broken Cisterns their own Mercies for lying Vanities Christal streams for puddle Water the choice Dainties of Gods House for the Devils scraps Heaven for Earth and all things for nothing Was any in Bedlam ever half so distracted 3. It will much aggravate their misery to consider that it was their own voluntary act to lose so much for so little They shall then think with themselves that this woful condition in which they are was their own choice All the power and policy of Earth and Hell could not force them to destroy themselves The Cords that bind them were of their own twisting the Rods that scourge them were gather'd with their own hands The Web in which they are caught and kill'd was spun out of their bowels God may say to them as once to Israel Ye have destroyed your selves Hos 13. Ye are your own Murtherers I put your Salvation so far into your own hands that ye could not be damned against your wills Your own Iniquities correct you and ye are holden with cords of your own sins Prov. 5.22 Jer. 4.18 Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee this is thy wickedness because it is bitter because it reacheth unto thine heart Jer. 2.19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee and thy back-slidings shall reprove thee know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God 4. It will exceedingly increase their anguish to know perfectly the greatness of their loss Here they know not the worth of a Christ and thence they are little troubled at the want of Christ but then their eyes shall be opened to see the Beauty Excellency and Amiableness of him whom they have lost and to see the costly Delicacies choice Dainties pure and perfect Pleasures which the Godly enjoy in him and with him and so by the increase of their knowledge will be an increase of their sorrow They shall see Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven they shall see their Neighbours whom they
judgment of many that a Princes Negative Voice is a greater part and mark of his Royalty than any Affirmative Command of his for a King may have Power to Command that which he hath no Power to forbid As he may and should enjoyn his Subjects to Worship the true God according to his revealed Will but he hath no Power to forbid them Thus in Sins of Omission for a man to live without Prayer without the love and fear of God without delight in him and communion with him without care of and watchfulness over his own heart and life may be a greater sign of the reign of Sin and thereby of an unregenerate state than the commission of some gross actual Transgressions It is apparent that this man is under the power of Lust as a Servant to it Tit. 3.3 And under the dominion of the Devil carried captive by him at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 And an unregenerate unsanctified person because he lives in Disobedience to these positive Laws of God Whereas he that is born of God sinneth not 1 Joh. 3.9 with his whole will there is not a free voluntary chearful submission of his Will to the quiet undisturbed dominion of Sin And he that is born of God hath a tender regard to the whole Law I have esteemed thy Precepts concerning all things to be right therefore I hate every false way Psal 119.128 He hath respect to Affirmative as well as Negative Precepts He hath an equal uniform regard to all the Law to that part which commands the doing good as well as that part which forbids the doing evil Therefore the man that lives in Sins of Omission is not born of God and therefore uncapable by the Gospel of Heaven and so justly for this cause sentenced to Hell CHAP. XXV Farther Reasons why Christ at the Great Day will condemn men for sins of Omission 3. CHrist will condemn men at the Reason 3 Great Day for sins of Omission because those that live in such Sins have no interest in himself There is no way to escape Hell but by the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thess 1. ult Jesus that delivereth from the wrath to come There is no way to attain Heaven but by Christ I give to them eternal life and they shall never perish Joh. 10.28 As Salvation is God's Gift Rom. 6. ult so it 's Christs Purchase There is no Name under Heaven whereby men may be saved but by the Name of Christ Act. 4.12 So that all who are without Christ not interested in him must of necessity perish He that hath the Son hath life he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 Joh. 5.12 Those that are without Christ are unpardoned All their sins are imputed to them Ephes 4. ult Rom. 3.25 And where-ever sin is imputed it condemneth Ezek. 18.3 Those that are not interested in Christ are Children of the Devil Joh. 8.44 and Children of wrath Ephes 2.2 3. And such Children must be with their Father the Devil and under wrath for ever Now those that live in Sins of Omission have no interest in Christ Our interest in Christ and so in Life is by Faith That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith Ephes 3.17 Gal. 2.20 I live by Faith in the Son of God It is Faith that causeth the Union between Christ and the Soul and joyns them together by virtue of which Union the Christian hath communion with Christ in his Merits and Righteousness that his Life and Death and Burial are the Christians are by God imputed to him as if performed in his own person Hence it 's said That the Christian lives with Christ is crucified with Christ and buried with Christ Rom. 6.4 And the Christian is said to be the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. ult By this Union with Christ which is the fruit of Faith the Christian is made a Son of God Gal. 3.26 and so an Heir of God and Joynt-Heir with Christ Rom. 8.17 As a Woman by marriage being united and made one with a Man hath communion with him in his Relations Honours and Estate So the Christian by Faith made one with Christ hath communion with him in his Relations Go tell my Brethren I go to my Father and your Father to my God and your God Joh. 20.17 In his Estate Christ is Heir of all things Heb. 1.2 and the Believer is a Joynt-Heir with him as is before proved Christ was the First-born among many Brethren and so the Inheritance did belong to him Col. 1.18 Believers are a Congregation of first-born and so the right of the Inheritance is theirs Heb. 12.23 But such as live in sins of Omission are without Faith and therefore without Christ and therefore must be without Heaven for ever Faith is a sanctifying as well as a justifying Grace Act. 26.18 And to give them an Inheritance among them that are sanctified through Faith in Christ and therefore will not suffer the Soul to live in any sin Faith will not suffer a man to live in the want of love to God in so great an Omission for when Faith certifieth the Soul of Gods love to it this kindleth in the Soul flames of love to God 1 Joh. 4.19 When Faith brings much fewel the fire of love will be great Faith will not suffer a man to live without Repentance The eye of Faith which beholds a Christ crucified for sin affects the heart with sorrow for and indignation against those sins that crucified him Zach. 12.10 They shall see him whom they have pierced and mourn Faith will not suffer a man to live without delight in Christ and rejoycing in the God of all Consolation Faith seeth so much good certainly laid up in the Covenant and Promises for the Soul that it fills the Soul with joy in the hope and expectation of the enjoyment of them Whom having not seen we love and in whom believing though now we see him not we rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.7 8. Faith will not suffer a man to live without waiting quietly on God Faith will not limit the Holy One of Israel but patiently stay Gods time for the mercies the Soul wanteth Faith knoweth his Bonds are good his Debts are in sure Hands The God that cannot lye hath promised Tit. 1.2 and therefore is not hasty to call them in He that believeth will not make haste Isa 28.16 Faith will not suffer a man to live without prayer He that knows his own wants and necessities how great and urgent they are and also where he may quickly have liberal Supplies and bountiful Relief will not long be kept from that Door You may sooner and easier put off a Beggar ready to starve who must needs perish if Charity do not help him and perswade him never to ask Alms more as keep a Believer from his daily waiting at Heavens Temple to ask spiritual Alms. An Unbeliever hath little hope to speed and therefore little heart to
which is worse than nothing Psal 90.9 How short that time is that remaineth God only knoweth for thy time is in his hand not thine own surely then it behoveth thee to redeem the time to make the most of it and whilst thou hast it to improve it for the doing of good O Friend hast thou loyter'd so long is thy work so great thy day to work in so short and yet is it not time to bestir thy self Is death at thy door art thou within a step of eternity within the view of the other World and yet wilt thou not up and be doing Can any assure thee of standing in the Vineyard another year nay another moneth nay another day and is it not yet time to be fruitful Dost thou not see that as Labourers are sent into the Vineyard at all hours so they go out of the Vineyard at all hours Thou owest a debt to Nature to the God of Nature the day of payment is not expressed therefore it may be demanded at any time Reader though some fruit falls from the Tree by reason of its maturity yet how much more is blown off or cudgeld off whilst it is green Do not thine eyes see Coffins and Graves of all sorts and sizes And wilt thou be as the silly Beasts who though the Butcher come one day to the Field and fetch away one another day and fetch away another to the slaughter yet those that remain neither miss them that are gone nor dread their own destinies O Friend what dost thou think to do when time is gone and death comes wilt thou stop the Sun of thy Life in its career Will it hear thy Voice and obey thy Command Or wilt thou call to Time as Israels General did to the Sun Stand still that I may be avenged of all my Sensuality and Idleness and Pride and Impenitency and all my spiritual Enemies which have robbed me of God and Heaven Do you imagine Time will be at your beck Or are the apprehensions of the King of Terrors and of a dreadful Day of Judgment and of an amazing Eternity no whit rousing or awakening to thee Canst thou believe a dark night of Death a fit time to trim and adorn and attrire thy Soul in for the love and embraces of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Now God gives thee a day but of how many hours whether longer or shorter thou canst not tell Thy life is fleeing away Time's Chariot moves swiftly Yet a little while the Light is with thee walk while thou hast the Light lest Darkness come upon thee Joh. 12.35 Two things especially occur in these words 1. Now thou hast time yea opportunity make much of it improve it to the utmost Walk while thou hast the Light God allots thee a due time for bringing forth Hence it 's Observable That God gave the Figg-Tree three years to bear in other Trees as the Olive and Nut-Tree required more time but so succulent a Plant as the Figg-Tree needed no more nay saith A Lapide If the Figg-Tree bear not the third year it will never bear God never expected Brick without allowing Straw nor requires his Rent before Quarter-day or the time of payment comes 2. Thy time or at least thine opportunity is very short therefore work much in a little time whilst thou hast the Light Yet a little while the Light is with thee a little while and the Light will be taken from thee A little while and the light of Life a little while and the light of means and helps and seasons of Grace will be taken from thee And what then truly then darkness will come upon thee a dark Grave will be the receptacle of thy Body and a dark Dungeon will be the receptacle of thy Soul if thou now loyterest and darkness is no fit state nor a dark night a fit time to walk or work in Darkness is dreadful and every thing seems more frightful in the night If a mans house be on fire in the night that he hears the noise and ratling of the flames seeth no way of escape for himself his Wife and his Children O in what a plight is he he stands naked in his Chamber at a loss what to do he is full of horrors and terrors to be conceived by none but himself How pale is his Countenance and how heavy his Heart when he seeth the flames seizing his Chamber when they come near his Body he is almost drown'd to death with grief and sorrow before he is burnt to death with the flames So it is when the night of death surpriseth the Loyterer that hath neglected the doing of good when Conscience is in a flame about his ears and frights him with the fore-apprehensions of the unquenchable burnings and with cutting reflections upon his former negligence and unprofitableness the man is quaking and trembling not knowing what to do Is that a time to put on the Armor of Light when he is putting off his natural Life Is a dark night of fear and amazement a time to seek God in or to work out his own Salvation Ah Friend it is too great and weighty a work to be done in an instant and the poor Sinner is too much astonished to set about it If the fear of a danger gone and over kill a Nabal and make his heart like a stone what will the fear the certain knowledge of wrath of the wrath of a God of the everlasting wrath of a God to come do to a poor Sinner O Friend make use of time while thou hast it Work the work of him that sent thee while it is day for the night cometh when no man can work Joh. 9.4 CHAP. XLI The grand cause of sins of Omission An unregenerate heart with the cure of it a renewed nature I Proceed now to the second and third particulars viz. The cause and cure of sins of Omission I shall recite one more general and principal Cause others more special and less principal and joyn the Cure to the Cause 1. The grand Cause of these sins of Omission is an unregenerate Heart Where the ground is unplowed and lieth fallow no Fruit can be expected Weeds may grow good Corn cannot grow there When the Heart is not broken up by Repentance but hardned through custom and continuance in sin no fruits of Righteousness no Faith no Love or Humility c. can be expected there Can the Leopard change his spots or the Blackamore his skin no more can he that is accustomed to do evil learn to do well Jer. 23.13 Natures Fruit will be according to its Root whether sweet or sowr There must of necessity be a good Foundation laid before there can be a good Superstructure of Holiness rear'd An unrenewed Heart hath no tendency towards it and Nature will work little farther than its own inclination The Water will run as the Tyde carrieth it Nay the unregenerate Heart is contrary to religious Duties hath an hatred and
of his Promises Fear not I will be with thee Isa 43.2 3 5. Jer. 1.8 Jer. 15.20 Luk. 1.28 Act. 18.10 His presence in this sense is the Redeemers purchase He suffered the Just for the Vnjust to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 Thence the Name of the Redeemer is Immanuel God with us Matth. 1.23 Against his departure in this sense Jer. 14.8 is the Churches earnest Prayer Leave us not And the fear of it doth so affect Moses that he is ready to throw up all Exod. 33.15 If thy presence go not with us carry us not hence His presence in this sense is Heaven it self Psal 16. ult In thy presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Luk. 22. 1 Thess 4.17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. This is that presence of Christ which the wicked shall want for ever This is included in Depart from me 3. There is the afflicting punishing presence of God There is the presence of his Fury as well as of his Favour In this sense Job prayeth for God's absence How long wilt thou not depart from me Job 7.19 Which Junius glosseth Turn thine anger away from me In this sense God tells men That he will visit them i. e. with Judgments As a Father beholding his Child about some naughty Action tells him I l'e be with you presently meaning to correct him Isa 23.17 Jer. 6.15 At the time that I visit them they shall be cast down saith the Lord. In this sense wicked men shall have the presence of God for ever His tormenting presence as well as the absence of his Grace and Favour will be their eternal portion And certainly if his afflicting presence in this World which hath love for its Original and their good for its end be so grievous to his own people that they cry out Let him turn from me Job 14.6 Let him depart away what will his tormenting presence be to the wicked in the other World of which wrath pure wrath is the Original and satisfaction to justice his end CHAP. III. Concerning the privative part of the Sinners Punishment THis part of the Verse will afford this Doctrine Doct. That a great part of wicked mens punishment in the other World will consist in their departure from the presence of Christ Then shall he say to them on his left hand Depart from me They now bid God depart from them They say unto God Depart from us Job 21.14 But that which is their wish here shall be their woe for ever And he shall say unto them depart from me ye workers of Inquity I know you not Matth. 7.23 The presence of Christ is now their Trouble but his absence will then be their Torment Hence the state of the wicked in the other World is called utter-darkness Calvin in Matth. 8.12 Matth. 8.12 And blackness of darkness for ever Jude vers 13. Because of its separation from Christ who is the Light of the World and the Sun of Righteousness Joh. 1.9 Mal. 4.2 It seems an allusion to them that are fetter'd in dark doleful dungeons or to those that in the night-time stand without in the dark being excluded such Rooms as are full of Lights wherein are rare and costly Feasts In the explication of this Doctrine I shall describe the punishment of the wicked 1. In the perfection of the Object from which they must depart 2. In the properties of their departure and then give the Reasons of the Doctrine First As for the Object of their loss 1. They lose the Lord Jesus Christ the Prince of Life the Lord of Glory the fairest of ten thousand the only begotten of the Father and the Heir of all things The better the Object is the greater their loss who are deprived of it The more excellent the Person of Christ is the more exquisite their punishment will be who must depart from him Christ is the highest the greatest the chiefest good In losing him 1. They depart from an universal good one that is Bread Water Light Life Rest Health Ease Wine Marrow a Feast a Friend a Father Pardon Peace Love Grace Glory any thing every thing all things that the Soul wanteth and requireth to its perfect Felicity 2. They depart from a suitable good that very savoury meat which the Soul loveth and needeth They lose that good which the Soul should have and would have and must have if ever it be happy The Soul is guilty and Christ is pardon pardon is suitable to a guilty Soul 1 Joh. 1.7 The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin The Soul is poor and Christ is riches Riches are suitable to a poor Creature Eph. 3.8 The unsearchable Riches of Christ Prov. 8.18 Riches and Honour are with me yea durable Riches and Righteousness The Soul is miserable naked filthy obnoxious to Death and Wrath but Christ is Mercy Raiment cleansing freedom from Hell and the Heaven of Heaven Rev. 3.17 18. 1 Thess 1. ult Rom. 8.1 He is a good that doth exactly directly suit the condition of the Soul the miseries of the Soul and the necessities of the Soul He is the Plaister that fits the Sores and the Balm that hits the wounds of the Soul when Creatures are Physicians and Physick of no value 3. They depart from an eternal Good they lose that Good which doth not only suit the Souls disposition but also its duration that will last and abide and continue for ever Jesus Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 He is everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9.24 Everlasting meat Joh. 6.27 Eternal life 1 Joh. 5. ult 2. They depart from with Christ the Society of all Christians When they depart from the Head they depart from the Members When they depart from the Root they depart from the Branches For Head and Members Root and Branches must be together for ever Joh. 14.2 3. Where I am there ye may be also Now the Sheep and Goats flock together but then they shall be parted asunder Matth. 8.11 12. And I say unto you that many shall come from the East and from the West and shall set down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven But the Children of the Kingdom shall be cast out into utter darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth They who are now the Objects of their Contempt will then be the Objects of their envy When once they lose the sight they shall lose the sight of those glorious Stars for ever Every Saint may then say to the Sinner who now frets and fumes at the Saints presence because of his preciseness as Moses to Pharoah I will see thy face no more Matth. 25. ult 3. They shall depart when from Christ from all the means of Grace or Communion with God They shall hear
the wicked Neighbours of these men will confess the truth thereof and their Consciences will force them to consent thereto Again there is hardly a Muck-worm whose Motto is To have and to hold to heap and to hoard up who will as soon part with his blood as any thing considerable to the poor but all his Neighbours good and bad observe him speak of him and generally condemn him for his earthly-mindedness So that when Christ at the Great Day shall accuse him they will be forced to attest the truth of that Accusation and when Christ at that day shall condemn him they cannot but agree to the Sentence Psal 52.6 7. The Righteous also shall see and fear and shall laugh at him Lo this is the man that made not God his strength but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthned himself in his wickedness 2. Because these acts of Charity are signes of Faith and Love to which Graces Heaven is promised James 1.12 James 2.5 Joh. 3.16 17 ult Christ who knoweth the Heart understandeth â—â—om what inward root our outward â—ruit springeth and therefore Faith and Love which are the Fountain of true Charity James 2.15 16 17. being inward and secret he mentions what is more open and known as a sign and testimony of that faith in him and love to him which are invisible and unknown to the World Faith is a Grace seated in the heart With the heart man believeth unto righteousness where by heart I suppose is understood the Vnderstanding and Will for Faith in habitu is in each and in exercitio an act of both And the heart is called an hidden man 1 Pet. 3. But it discovers it self to the Believer by love For when once the Soul applieth Christ for Pardon and Life and begins to hope for those great and good things which Christ hath purchased for him and promised to him this Faith kindleth an holy flame of Love in the affections to Christ and hereby the Soul understands that he is a true Believer beloved of God for our Love is but the reverberation of God's Love back again to himself 1 Joh. 4.19 And then Faith discovers it self to others by these fruits and effects of love to God i. e. feeding the Hungry and cloathing the Naked St. Paul tells us That Faith works by love as its Tool or Instrument Gal. 5.6 Love to God produceth love to his Saints and love to the Saints will draw out the hand and heart and purse to relieve them in their wants 1 Joh. 3.17 Love is costly and expensive thinks nothing too much or too good for it s Beloved Mary's Box of Oyntment is very precious but not too precious for her Lord. Life is worth all the World yet laid down for a Christian at the command of Love 1 Joh. 3.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us 3. Because practical godliness of which Charity is a part will be that by which men shall be tried at the Great Day our Lord Jesus doth hereby declare That it is not the Profession but the practice of Religion that will be enquired into by the Judge of quick and dead It is not saying Be thou fed and be thou cloathed without giving wherewith to be fed and cloathed But it is feeding the Hungry and cloathing the Naked that shall be rewarded Good words may please our selves but good works only please God and profit our own Souls Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven It 's the doing not the talking Christian that hath the promise of Heaven Matth. 7. It 's the practical not the verbal Christian that hath a right to Heaven through the precious blood of Christ and the gracious promise of God Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the gates into the City It is the real not the nominal Christian that is prepared for heaven None are fit to do the will of God in heaven but those who have been accustomed to do the Will of God on Earth There is a making meet for the Inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1.12 A young man by the School is made meet for the University and a Christian by practical Holiness is fitted for eternal Happiness Our Redeemer would hereby declare That all shews and shadows of Godliness all gaudy Professions and curious flourishes of Religion if void of good Works though as Gloworms they shine somewhat in the dark night of this World yet in the long day of eternity they will all vanish and disappear God will not then examine who hath been the greatest Talker of his Will but the greatest Walker in his Way nor who hath been the best Speaker but who hath been the best Doer For whoso looketh into the perfect Law of Liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful Hearer but a doer of the Work this man shall be blessed in his deed Jam. 1.25 Hearing the Word without doing the Work it commands brings no blessing The life and substance of Religion consists in practising what is good and not in praising what is good It consists in Scripture-Duties not in Scripture Phrases 4. Because Christ would hereby publish to the World the great respect he hath for Charity therefore he tells us He will take special notice of his Saints Charity at that day Charity whether in relieving the Oppressed or comforting the Sorrowful or counselling the Doubtful or supporting the Feeble or feeding the Hungry or visiting the Sick or cloathing the Naked is highly esteemed of Christ To what Duty hath he annexed more or larger Promises Matth. 5.7 Psal 18.25 Eccles 11.1 2. Psal 41.1 Psal 112.1 Isa 58.12 He speaks of it as if very much of Religion did consist in it and almost all of it Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is to visit the Fatherless and the Afflicted James 1. ult He slights our most severe Duties those which are most irksome to the flesh if this be wanting Psal 58.7 8 9 10. He limits his own Mercy to the merciful 2 Sam. 22.25 James 2.13 He is himself a merciful High Priest Heb. 5. He had compassion on the ignorant and those that were out of the way Heb. 5.2 On those that had nothing to eat Matth. 15.32 On those that were scattered as sheep without a Shepheard Matth. 9.36 Therefore he cannot but value exceedingly and love tenderly those that are like him That which lieth so near his heart must needs be enquired after as much if not more than any thing else And there is scarce any thing that speaks our respect of persons or things more than our enquiry after them Joseph loved his Father Jacob dearly I suppose far above all his Kindred and therefore he first enquires after him â—…s your
hew to purpose Hos 6.5 God heweth them by his Prophets and slays them by the word of his mouth It cuts to the heart Act. 4.54 Act. 5.33 And hath dreadful effects on them Isa 6.9 10. And he said go and tell this people Hear ye indeed but understand not see ye indeed but perceive not Make the hearts of this people fat and make their Ears heavy and shut their Eyes lest they see with their Eyes and hear with their Ears and understand with their Hearts and convert and be healed And this hewing them down is also by death The Ax of death fells the Tree for the fire of Hell The rotten Tree or the barren Tree is not good for fruit therefore for the fire He is hewn down and cast into the fire Abscission is the way to perdition to eternal burning This is the Catastrophe of the barren Trees Tragedy 3. The certainty of it Both Christ and the Baptist speak of the punishment in the present Tense not the Future Is hewn down and cast into the fire not shall be hewn down c. The fruitless person shall as certainly be in Hell as if he were there already therefore promises and threatnings though future are delivered to us as present As to us a Son is born Isa 9.6 Isa 21.9 Babylon is fallen 4. The universality of the Persons Every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit Every man what ever his Profession may be or his Hopes are or his Priviledges have been if he bring not forth good fruit he is hewn down and cast into the fire The Doctrine being thus proved by Scripture I shall proceed to the Explication of it in several particulars 1. I shall speak to the nature of them and shew what sins of Omission are 2. To the danger of them 3. To the Reasons why they are so damnable CHAP. XIX The nature of sins of Omission in general First COncerning the first i. e. the nature of them I shall speak to one more generally and two more particularly 1. By the several distinctions of these Sins 2. By their agreement with and difference from sins of Omission 1. More generally a sin of Omission is a neglect of some Duty commanded us in the Word of God In every Command there is a Precept and a Prohibition A Precept enjoyning and a Prohibition forbidding A Precept enjoyning some Duty and a Prohibition forbidding the contrary The neglect of doing what the Precept enjoyns is a sin of Omission and the doing what the Precept forbids is a sin of commission The truth is in every Commission there is an Omission as in every deadly Disease somewhat of a Feavor For in every Commission as in Drunkenness or Oppression or Uncleanness there is a neglect or omission of the Duty commanded as Temperance Charity and Chastity But those we most properly call sins of Omission which are extrinsicate from sins of Commission as not praying not reading the Word not believing not feeding the hungry c. But to speak strictly there is no sin but sins of Omission for all sin consists in privation of due rectitude or deficiency and coming short of the rule Though the Commands are generally deliver'd by way of negation partly because of the proneness of men to commit those sins that are forbidden and God would by his Negative command curb and keep them in Thou shalt not c. thou shalt not c. partly because Negative Commands bind more strongly than the Affirmative The Affirmative obligant semper but not ad semper but the Negative bind semper ad semper as the School-men speak The Affirmative bind us always i. e. there is no time wherein it can be said that they are of no force but not to all times I am always bound to pray but I am not bound to pray at all times I am bound always to speak truth but I am not bound to speak all truth at all times But Negative Commands bind always and at all times as Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit Adultery These bind every moment of a mans life I mean every moment of his life these sins are to be forborn they are at no time lawful Though I say the Commands are deliver'd Negative for the most part viz. eight of them yet we must understand that all the Negative Commands of God include their Affirmative as Thou shalt have no other gods before me this includes thou shalt have me for thy God thou shalt know me love me fear me trust me and worship me as thy God And when God saith Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image c. this includes thou shalt Worship me according to my Will revealed in my Word When God saith Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain this includes thou shalt use reverently all my Names Titles Attributes Ordinances Word and Works VVhen God saith Thou shalt not kill this includes thou shalt use all lawful means for the preservation of thine own and thy Neighbours life When God saith Thou shalt not commit Adultery this includes thou shalt by all just ways maintain thine own and thy Neighbours Chastity in thought word and deed When God saith Thou shalt not steal this includes thou shalt be true faithful and just in all thy Contracts and Dealings with others restore what is ill gotten be diligent in thy Calling and endeavour the furtherance of thy own and thy Neighbours estate by all just ways When God saith Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour this includes thou shalt to thy power promote truth in thy self and others maintain thine own and thy Neighbours good Name When God saith Thou shalt not covet c. this includes thou shall be fully satisfied with thine own Condition and desire and delight in thy Neighbours prosperity Thus the Negative Commands of God include their Affirmative so that to depart from the evil forbidden is not to keep these Laws unless also we practise the Duties commanded The neglect of any of them is a sin of Omission CHAP. XX. Three distinctions about sins of Omission 2. I Shall speak more particularly and explain these sins 1. By these distinctions 2. By their agreement with and difference from sins of Commission First These sins of Omission are to be distinguished in regard of substance manner or measure 1. When a duty is omitted in regard of the matter of it as when men pray not give not to the Poor hear not the VVord c. these omit the substance of the Duty Of such as those God complains There is none that looketh after God Rom. 3.11 And again They will will not hear the Law of the Lord Isa 30.9 And he that turneth away his Ears from the cry of the poor he also shall cry himself but shall not be heard Prov. 21.13 These are most deeply guilty before God They shew their utter contempt of him and openly manifest it to others when they omit
neglecting to pâ—â—â—â—…d to attend on Prophesying and such Sins of Omission we withdraw fewel from it and thereby put it out When the Israelites would not hear the Voice of God they are said to grieve his holy Spirit Psal 95. And when they believed not his Word the Wonders that he wrought they are said to vex his holy Spirit Isa 63.10 with Numb 14.11 Numb 20.12 Then they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit Not to obey God is to disobey him Not to be loyal to him is to be rebellious now hereby they vexed his holy Spirit Now how great a Sin and how dangerous is it to grieve the Spirit of God the size or measure of Sin is to be taken from the Majesty slighted disobeyed and offended by it The Spirit is God an infinite boundless Being whom these Sins of Omission grieve and vex Again how dangerous is it to grieve and drive the Spirit from us It 's the Spirit that must enable us to our Duties Rom. 8.26 Direct us in our walkings Psal 143.10 Comfort us in our Sorrows Joh. 14.16 Isa 65.1 2 3. It is the Spirit that is the Spirit of Grace and Holiness Zach. 12.10 〈◊〉 1.4 and must work them in our hearts if ever we be gracious and holy 1 Pet. 1.2 It is the Spirit must strengthen us with might in our inward man to keep the Commandments of God Ephes 3.16 Ezez 36.27 It is the Spirit that is the earnest of our Inheritance the First-fruits of our eternal blessed Harvest and that must seal us up unto the day of Redemption Ephes 1.13 14. Rom. 8. Ephes 4.30 How great a Sin and how dangerous therefore is it to grieve this Spirit and by Sins of Omission to incense him to with-draw from us without whom we are unable unto any good and indeed exposed to all evil 2. The danger of these Sins will appear by their offensiveness to God Since our Felicity depends on the Favour of God and our Misery on his Anger Hell it self being but his wrath ever to come 1 Thess 1. ult those Sins which are highly provoking to God must be very dangerous If in his Favour be Life Psal 30.5 and his Wrath be worse than Death Psal 90.11 I had need to beware how I provoke him to jealousie Now the not believing God which is a sin of Omission is called the Provocation Psal 95.8 9. Harden not your hearts as in the Provocation as in the day of temptation in the Wilderness When your Fathers tempted me proved me and saw my Works This Provocation was their not believing his Word for all the Wonders he had wrought for them They said Can God furnish a Table in the Wilderness Behold he smote the Rock that waters gushed out Can he give Bread also Can he provide Flesh for his people Therefore the Lord heard this and was wroth So a fire was kindled against Jacob and anger also came up against Israel because they believed not in God and trusted not in his Salvation Psal 78.19 to 23. It will appear how provoking sins of Omission are to God by these three particulars 1. By his frequent Reprehensions and complaints of men for them He blames men for not sacrificing Mal. 3.18 for not mourning 1 Cor. 5. And sharply reproves for not receiving Correction Jer. 2.30 In vain have I smitten your Children they received no Correction For not grieving when smitten Jer. 5.3 For not seeking God Isa 9.13 Nay observe what special notice he takes of and how sadly he aggravates their Omissions Jer. 3.7 I said after she had done all these things i. e. gone up upon every high Mountain and upon every green Tree Turn thou unto me but she turned not Here he complains of Israels Omission in not turning to him but mark how he accents Judahs Omission who knew what Israel had done and how God had put her away vers 8. Yet her treacherous Sister Judah feared not the dreadful doom of Israel struck no aw into the heart of Judah And vers 10. And yet for all this that Israel hath committed and been severely punished for her treacherous Sister Judah hath not turned unto me with the whole heart but feignedly saith the Lord. Here was an Omission internal or in the manner of her Conversation it was not sincere but with dissimulation 2. By his severe Comminations and Threatnings denounced against those that are guilty of Omissions He curseth those that deny him their help in a day of Battel and that come not forth to help the Lord against the mighty Judg. 5.23 He curseth those that are not diligent about his Work Jer. 48.10 And believe it his Curse is effectual not like the discharge of a piece with powder only which doth no execution Those whom he curseth are cursed indeed His curse like Lightning blasteth and withereth where-ever it cometh I cursed his habitation saith Eliphaz not as a private Malediction of his own Spirit but as a pious Praediction of Gods Spirit Now mark what followeth upon God's cursing the wicked mans Habitation Job 5.2 3 4. His house is by this breath of God tumbling to the ground presently His Children that should be the honour and support of it are far from safety vers 3. they are crushed in the Gate and there is none to deliver them vers 4. Whose harvest the hungry eateth up and taketh out of the thorns and the Robber swalloweth up his substance His Estate which is a second thing requisite to the outward glory of a Family that is seised on and snatched from him So God threatneth multitudes with his wrath which is so terrible so intollerable that none can stand before it Psal 147.8 that Mountains are moved Rocks are rent in pieces the Foundations of the Earth tremble at it yea that God's own people are ready to be distracted at it Psal 88.3 4 5. for a Sin of Omission For not calling on his Name Jer. 10. ult God threatneth to cut a man off from his people which includes either a cutting off from the society of Gods people here and hereafter as Gen. 17.14 or of being cut off out of the Land of the living by the Sword of the Magistrate Exod. 30.33 or both as some think for a meer omission But a man that is clean and is not in a journey and forbeareth to keep the Passover even the same Soul shall be cut off from his people Numb 9.13 3. It appears that Sins of Omission are highly provoking to God by the execution of his Judgments on them that are guilty of them His Works as well as his Word speak his great indignation against these sins Saul lost his Kindgom for not killing Agag and the best of the Flock Because thou hast rejected the Word of the Lord the Lord hath also rejected thee from being King saith Samuel to him 1 Sam. 15.23 26 28. Ahab omitted to kill Benhadad and lost his life for it 1 King 20.42 Because thou hast let go a man out of thy
Omission for not visiting the Sick and Imprisoned and not relieving the Hungry and Naked Then it may inform us That nothing short of practical godliness will speak a mans estate safe at this Day or fore-speak his estate to be comfortable at that day The want of this is the cause of these mens condemnation They might forbear injuring the Saints they might speak them fair bid them Be ye fed Be ye cloathed They might wish them well they might honour and respect them as Herod did the Baptist for their sanctity and righteousness yet because they were void of this practical godliness they gave them not wherewith to be fed and cloathed they are banished the presence of Christ and adjudged to the Curses and Company of Devils 1. A great Profession will not do without this practical godliness Some soar high in their Professions of and pretences to greater strictness and degrees of Grace and Holiness than others who alas fall foully often on Earth and always into Hell for lack of this practical godliness As some great Tradesmen who living wholly upon their Credit with others without any stock of their own quickly break and miscarry A Profession is but as the leaves of a Tree a sign of fruit not the fruit it self There is a vast difference between leaves and fruit Some think that Christ had not cursed the Fig-Tree if it had been without leaves as well as without fruit But when by its leaves it professed to have fruit Vide Robinson 1. part 132 and invited him to it in expectation thereof and disappointed him he presently claps a Curse on it that withers it at the very roots The Pharisees were great Professors made broad their Philacteries where-ever they went would be known for persons extraordinarily pious and religious yet how wicked was their state Matth. 5.20 Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall never enter into the Kingdom of God and how woful is their Condition Woe to you Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites ye live in Omissions ye neglect the great things of the Law Judgment Mercy and Faith Matth. 23.23 2. Great Gifts and Parts will not do without this A man may have choice natural Abilities rare acquired Accomplishments yea common Gifts of the Spirit of God and yet for want of this practical godliness be damned What amiable words come out of Balaams mouth he speaks like a Saint yea like an Angel how often have I heard his Prophesies with great admiration and affection his Tongue hath melted my heart and yet he had no good works for all his many good words and his lack of practical godliness ruin'd him What special endowments had they who preached in the Name of Christ and in his Name cast out Devils and in his Name did many marvailous works and yet were cast to Devils for being Workers of Iniquity as all are who are void of this practical godliness Matth. 7.21 23. What excellent Gifts doth the Apostle suppose a man to have the gift of Prophesing of understanding all Mysteries and all Knowledge and of all Faith so as to remove Mountains and yet if he have not Charity he is nothing c. 1 Cor. 13.2 3. If he love not his Brother and express it not to his power by spiritual and bodily Charity which is part of practical godliness he is nothing in Gods Eye what ever he may be in the eyes of men 3. Great Priviledges with seeming performances without this practical godliness will not do They who had Tabernacle Temple Ark Covenant Promises for want of this were destoy'd The Ark could not preserve them Afterwards when they nelected practical godliness the Temple could not protect them He bids the Jews go and see what he did to his place at Shiloh for their Iniquities He made them monuments of his Fury who had been patterns of his Pity when they neglected this practical godliness How meanly doth God discourse of seeming Obedience to his own Institutions when this is neglected Though they had his own Divine stamp on them and were signs of the sweetest Sacrifice and the most acceptable Service imaginable and he had often taken delight in them yet when they left off to do well observe his Language about them To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifice to me saith the Lord bring no more vain Oblations Incense is an abomination to me Your new Moons and your appointed Feasts my Soul hateth I cannot bear them What strange expressions are here of his own Institutions But what 's the reason Truly the lack of this vers 17. Learn to do well seek Judgment relieve the Oppressed Judge the Fatherless Plead for the Widow Isa 1.11 to 18. And how peremptorily doth he beat men off from trusting in their Priviledges as of no advantage without this practical godliness Think not saith the Baptist to say within your selves We have Abraham to our Father this was a great Priviledge for with him and his Seed was the Covenant made and to them were Circumcision and the Pass-over the Seals of it given but what counsel doth he give them truly to mind practical godliness Bring forth fruit meet for Repentance i. e. for all the great priviledge in which you take so much pride and upon which you lay so much stress yet you can never flee from the wrath to come unless you bring forth good fruit fruit meet for repentance such fruit as will speak your hearts to be changed such fruit as is suitable to a renewed nature This and this alone is practical godliness The Coherence in that Matth. 3.8 9 10. deserves our Observation And John saith unto the Pharisees O Generation of Vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come bring forth therefore fruit meet for repentance And think not to say within your selves We have Abraham to our Father For I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up Children to Abraham Do not think that God is bound to and must save you because ye are Abrahams Seed for God can of stones make Sons of Abraham And now also the Ax is laid to the root of the Tree therefore every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire CHAP. XXIX The Condition of men only Civil is unsafe and sad 5. IF Christ will condemn men at the Great Day for sins of Omission for not relieving the Poor and Afflicted It may inform us That the condition of men meerly civil and negatively religious will be woful at that day Why Because Christ will command them to depart from him into everlasting fire Ah how dreadful will it be to take an eternal Farewel of the Lord of Life the God of all Grace the Well of Salvation and to enter into a state of Death and Wrath and that for ever If the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the Sinner and Vngodly appear 1 Pet. 3. By Sinner I
ever and this farthest utmost endless departure of the Creature from God who is the only Life and Heaven of him will be a Death and Hell with a witness God will be God at that Day in the account of the worst of men though he be their laughing-stock and sinning-stock at this day Though these ungodly ones sit aloft here in the Courts of men and who but they Yet the Vngodly shall not stand in the Judgment Psal 1.5 At the Great Day when they shall be judged 1. They shall be ashamed they shall not stand i. e. not hold up their heads with joy but hang down their heads with shame Dan. 12. Some shall arise to shame and confusion of face 2. The Vngodly shall not stand in the Judgment i. e. they shall not be justified When they shall be tried for their Lives and Deaths for their endless unchangeable states they shall be cast and condemned When all Adams Posterity shall make their personal appearance before the God of the Spirits of all Flesh to receive their eternal doom and when the Judge of Quick and Dead cloathed with his Majestick Robes of Glory accompanied with an illustrious train of Angels shall sit down on the Judgment Seat he shall pronounce a Sentence of Condemnation on all ungodly Ones If thou Lord shouldst mark Iniquity O Lord who should stand Psal 130.3 i. e. If thou Lord should observe exactly the best mans heart and life and accordingly deal with him not one man could be justified Who shall stand i. e. righteous at thy Bar. 3. The Vngodly shall not stand in the Judgment i. e. they shall not conquer when they shall be impleaded and accused by the Devil and the Law at that day An Army foil'd is said not to stand before their Enemies And again An Army beaten is said to fall before their Adversaries Dan. 11.25 And the Conquerors are said to stand Ephes 6.13 The Devil will bring his large Bills of Indictments into the Court against the Ungodly for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5.8 A Court-Adversary and the Law will second the Devil and joyn with him in his Accusations the Sinners Conscience will joyn with both and assent to the truth of their Indictments The Ungodly will have no Advocate to plead for him Christ that sometimes offer'd him that kindness will now plead against him and so he must needs fall and be conquer'd by his Enemies CHAP. XXX Sinners Conviction at the Day of Judgment The purity of Christs Religion above all others Sixth Use of Information 6. IF Christ will say to them on the left hand Depart from me For I was Hungry and ye gave me no meat Or if Christ will condemn men for sins of Omission at the Great Dy It informs us That Christ will be rational in his most severe proceedings even to the Conviction of the Sinners own Conscience I draw this from the Coherence of the verses Christ first pronounceth the Sentence vers 41. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire And then vers 42. he gives the reason For I was hungry and ye gave me no meat c. which though at first they seem to question yet at last they are muzled and put to silence Jude tells us of solemn Condemnation and solemn Conviction of these ungodly Ones as the chief businesse of that Day Behold he cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute Judgment on all and to convince all that are ungodly amongst them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodlily committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly Sinners have spoken against him Jude 14 15. Execution by an Hysteron Proteron is put before Conviction yet one great work of that Great Day is to convince these ungodly Ones and the severity of the Process is against the Ungodly This Conviction implyeth 1. A reflection of Conscience upon all their past and former sins Conscience as a Glass shall represent to the Sinner all his lusts which he hath loved above his Soul and Saviour in all their ugly features and loathsome colours The Books at that day will be opened Rev. 20.12 i. e. The Book of Gods Remembrance Mal. 3. and the Book of Conscience Sins are not gone as soon as done God records them in his Book of Remembrance and Conscience will review them all in that Day of Vengeance Though it could not be heard by the Sinner in this World for the noise of his carnal delights and cry of his worldly delights yet when it sets his sins in order before his eyes in their monstrous frightful shapes it will thunder in his Ears as Reuben to his Brethren Did not I tell you of this and say Do not sin and thou wouldst not hear therefore all this Wrath and Fury and Flames and Darkness and Chains are come upon thee 2. This Conviction implyeth a silencing the Sinner that he will have nothing to say either against God or for himself A man that is convinced hath his mouth stop'd When the Spirit convinceth the World of sin the World hath not a word to say against the Sin and Guilt which the Law chargeth on it Every mouth is stoped and all the World is guilty before God How often is the poor Creature self-convinced and self-condemned here but soon after the sick qualms go off his stomach and he is revived with the Cordials of sinful shifts and excuses wherewith he deludes himself and presumes he may also deceive God but at the Great Day as his Convictions will be more killing so they will be more lasting The man will be dumb and speechless when Christ shall say Why didst thou deny to relieve my Servants in their wants Why didst thou slight my Blood neglect my Worship grieve my Spirit and omit to obey my positive Laws Matth. 22.3 4 5. The very Heathen who shall be imprison'd in the dark dungeon of Hell for imprisoning the Truth and holding it in unrighteousness will not have a motion in their Breasts of accusing God for false Imprisonment How certainly then and how fully will the Consciences of Christians who lived under the Gospel justifie God when he shall condemn them for not believing and not repenting upon the Messages he sent to them of pardon and life 7. If Christ will condemn men at the Great Day for sins of Omission It may inform us of the excellency of the Christian Religion above all other Religions The excellency of any Religion consisteth in the purity of its Precepts and strictness of its Commands now no Religion is so holy in its Commands and so exact in its Laws as the Christian Religion Moral Duties are advanced by it to their highest perfection and moral Vices are debased by it to their lowest degradation The Commandment of the Lord is pure Psal 19. Thy Word is very pure Christ will condemn men to Hell at the last Day for Omissions as well as Commissions for neglect of known Duties as well as
Servants Ephes 5. Ephes 6. Col. 3. Col. 4. It directs us in all Conditions how to demean our selves in Prosperity to be joyful in Adversity to consider how God hath set the one against the other In Afflictions to be patient and prayerful and more studious of a right improvement of them than of deliverance out of them Under Mercies it directs us to be thankful to God the more chearful in his Service and faithful in the use of our Talents for the honour of our Master It directs us in all our Thoughts Jer. 4.14 Words Psal 39.2 Works Prov. 4.23 24 26. It directs us in all our natural Actions as Eating Drinking Sleeping 1 Cor. 10.31 Tit. 2.12 In our civil Converses Micah 6.8 In our religious Duties how to pray James 5. James 1. How to hear how to receive 1 Cor. 11. 3. It s purity above and beyond all other Religions appears in this That it forbids Evil all Evil nothing but Evil it commands Good whatsoever is Good and nothing but Good Isa 1. Psal 32.14 The Laws of Lycurgus among the Grecians and Numa among the Romans had somewhat of good in them but not all prohibited somewhat that was evil but not all that was evil But the Christian Religion is of a larger extent both in its Precepts and Prohibitions I have seen an end of all Perfections but thy Commandments are exceeding broad Psal 119.96 A man with the eye of his Body may behold an end of many worldly Perfections of many fair Estates great Beauties large Parts hopeful Families but a man with the eye of his Soul for by Faith may see an end of all earthly Perfections He may see the World in a flame and all its Pomp and Pride and Glory and Gallantry and Crowns and Scepters and Riches and Treasures turn'd into ashes he may see the Heavens passing away like a scroll and the Elements melting with fervent heat and the Earth with the things thereon consumed and all its Persections which men doted so much on vanished into smoke and nothing It 's easie to see to the end of all terrene Perfections but its difficult yea impossible to see to the end of Divine Precepts But thy Commandments are exceeding broad Of a vast Latitude beyond our apprehension They are so deep that none can fadom them Psal 36.6 So high that they are established in Heaven Psal 119.48 So long that they endure for ever 2 Pet. 1. And so broad that none can measure them They are not only broad but exceeding broad Higher than Heaven longer than the Earth broader than the Sea The Commands of God reach the inward parts the most secret motions and retired recesses of the Soul They reach all the privy thoughts They pierce even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the Joynts and Marrow and discern the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4.12 They reach to all our Actions to those that seem smallest and of less concernment as well as to those that are greater and of more concernment They reach to the manner nay circumstance of Actions The Divine Law takes notice of all the circumstances of sins as aggravations of sin As 1. From the time of Gods patience towards the Sinner These three years I came seeking fruit Luke 13. 2. The place where the sin was committed The Sons of Eli lay with the Women that assembled at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation 1 Sam. 2.22 3. From the season of committing the Sin Isa 58.3 4. Behold in the day of your Fast ye find pleasure and exact all your labour c. 4. From the Condition of the person that sins He that eats bread with me lifts up his heels against mee Joh. 13.18 A familiar Friend proves a treacherous Enemy So Joh. 3.10 Art thou a Master in Israel and knowest not these things 5. From the means the person enjoys You only have I known therefore you will I punish for your Iniquities Amos 4. Rom. 2.7 6. From the manner of committing the Sin So they spread Absalom a Tent on the top of the house and Absalom went in to his Fathers Concubins in the sight of all Israel 2 Sam. 16.22 Impudency in sin doth highly increase it Were they ashamed when they committed all these Abominations No they were not ashamed But how far are other Religions from observing much more from condemning men for such sinful circumstances CHAP. XXXI The holiest have cause of humiliation 8. IF Christ will condemn men at the Great Day for sins of Omission I was hungry and ye gave me no meat c. Then it may inform us That the best have abundant cause of humiliation for the best have in them abundant matter of Condemnation O how many are our Omissions every day every hour and by reason of them we are obnoxious to Hell flames Good Bishop Vsher who for Piety and Learning was honoured through the Christian World though he was early converted and feared the Lord in his Youth though he was eminently industrious in private in his Family in chatechising and instructing and praying often every day with and for them that were committed to his Charge Though he was a constant Preacher and that with Judgment and Affection Though he was singularly famous for his many worthy pieces which he wrote in Latin and English yet after all this diligence and labour when he came to die Usher's Life the last words almost which he was heard to speak were Lord in special forgive my Sins of Omission Sins of Omission will at death lie heavier on our hearts than we think for in life If such a laborious person found cause of bewailing his Omissions surely much more cause have Loyterers as we are Omissions are fruits of Original Corruption as well as Commissions It 's from that dead stock that we are so defective in bringing forth good fruit Paul layeth his Omissions at this door Rom. 7.17 to 23. In my flesh is no good When I would do good evil is present with me c. Now whatsoever is the Child of such a monstrous Parent is loathsome and calls on us for sorrow and self-abhorrency Holy Job did but suspect his Children to be guilty of Omissions of not sanctifying the Name of God in their Hearts according to their Duties at their Feasts and Meetings And he riseth early and offereth Sacrifice according to the number of them all Job 1.4 5. He goeth to God and begs Pardon for them and the blessing of God upon every one of them It may be saith he my Sons have sinned and cursed and not blessed God so Calvin reads it God in their hearts Thus did Job continually Now if Job upon a supposition that his Sons might be guilty of Omissions was so constant in his addresses to God on their behalf by way of humiliation acknowledging their Iniquity and beseeching his Mercy What cause have we on the behalf of our own Souls who know that we often offend God
Knife of the Laws Curse was even at the Creatures throat as Abraham's at the throat of Isaac Thy Redeemer call'd to his Father O Father Father hold thine hand slay not those poor Creatures I have provided a Sacrifice such as thou wilt accept I know that Beeves and Goats and Lambs are not the Sacrifices for Sin which thou wouldst have what proportion hath the blood of Beasts to the infinite demerit of Sin but I know what Sacrifice thou wouldst have thou wouldst have me to offer my self upon the Cross as a Sacrifice to thy Justice that the whole World might know the Holiness of thy Nature the Righteousness of thy Law and thine infinite kindness to thine Elect Well I come to do thy Will O God Though the Task be so great and the Work so grievous that no other dares so much as touch it and though I am wholly free and none can oblige or compel me to it yet I will undertake it Now Reader was Christ so forward so willing to obey such a Command of dying a cursed painful shameful death that he tells his Father I delight to do thy Will O God and art thou so backward to obey his Commands and to walk in his ways When his ways are ways of pleasantness and all his paths are peace Psal 40.6 Heb. 10.5 Prov. 3.17 Was Christ so careful and tender of thee that he would not omit any thing needful for thy good and art thou so careless and forgetful of him as to omit that which is of such concernment to his Glory Friend bethink thy self doth not thy Redeemer deserve fairer dealings at thy hands Heathens and Publicans would not be so base and unworthy to their Friends and Benefactors CHAP. XXXIX Arguments against sins of Omssion The new Nature in Believers inclines them to positive as well as negative Holiness and the profit will answer the pains 11. COnsider if thou art a Believer thy predominant new Nature inclines thee to positive as well as negative Holiness And shall this be given thee in vain shall God be at such cost and charge as to infuse a principle of life into thee to no purpose Pray observe what end God hath in this regenerating Work Of his own Will begat he us again by the Word of Truth that we should be a kind of First-Fruits of his Creatures Jam. 1.18 Where we have the causes of Regeneration 1. The efficient Principal He. 2. The moving His alone Will. 3. The formal Begat us again 4. The instrumental The Word of Truth 5. The final That we should be a kind of First-Fruits God begets us again that we should be devoted to him as the First-Fruits of all the sheaves were consecrated to God and that out of thankfulness to him for his innumerable blessings Prov. 3.9 Rom. 12.1 The First-Fruits were holy to the Lord and so should all Christians be Again he tells us his design in giving a new Spirit and putting his Spirit into them That they may walk in his Statutes and do them Ezek. 36.26 27. So that 't is Sacriledge and God-robbery for a Christian to imploy himself to the use of any but God because he is devoted to God and it 's also below a Christian as for a man to live as doth 〈◊〉 Beast for him that hath a noble Diâ—ine Principle to live as other men As all the Children of the first Adam derive from him a depraved Nature which inclines them not only to omit what is good but also to do what is evil therefore his Seed 〈◊〉 known by both those signs Psal 36.3 4. Hos 4.1 2 3. So all the Children of the second Adam derive from him a renewed Nature For they are made partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 which doth not only take them off from what is evil but also put them forward to that which is good Rom. 6.11 As the Branches derive from the Root that sap and moisture which enableth them to fruitfulness so the Christian draweth that Virtue from Christ even in his first Conversion that inclines him whilst he lives to bring forth fruit to God Ephes 2.10 We are his Workmanship created in Jesus Christ unto good Works which God hath ordained that we should walk in them Mark this new piece that is indeed Gods Master-piece for the New Creation doth far excel the old Heavens and Earth is formed in Christ as the efficient Cause unto good Works unto such Works as flow from the Spirit of God as the Principle as are according to the Will of God as the Rule and for the Glory of God as the end Gal. 5.20 Gal. 6.16 Phil. 1.11 Each Convert hath â—â—â—munion with Christ in his Death and also in his Life He knoweth Christ and hath fellowship with him in his Death whereby he dieth to Sin Hence he is said to be dead and buried with Christ Rom. 6.6 knowing this that our old man so Sin is called because it 's nigh as old as man is full of subtilty and craft and should be always decaying and dying is crucified with him i. e. Christ whom Sin crucified and whose Death crucifieth Sin that the body of sin sin is said to have a body because it consisteth of many members Col. 3.5 might be destroyed for as the life of Sin gave Christ his deaths-wound so the death of Christ gave Sin its deaths wound that henceforth we should not willingly chearfully customarily serve sin as our Lord and Master And as the Convert hath fellowship with Christ in his Death so also in his Resurrection That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection Phil. 3.10 i. e. Have experience for 't is such a knowledge he speaks of of the power and energy of the Life of Christ to quicken me unto new Obedience Besides the true Convert hath the Law of God written in his Heart which cannot but move him to the observation of the Law in his Life Psal 37. Heb. 8. According to the predominant principles that are in every mans nature such are his inclinations whether to God or evil and such are ordinarily his practices As a bowl moves this way or that way according as the Byass inclines Now Reader Consider either thou art a Believer or not If thou art not it concerns thee speedily to look about thee lest thou die in this estate and be damned for ever Joh. 3. ult If thou art a Believer it would be very strange for thee to continue in any Omission for all this while thou actest against thy nature It 's very much easier to sin with thy nature than against it A wicked man that hath knowledge cannot sin with such pleasure and easiness as another because he doth in sinning oppose and fight with Conscience within him but it seems harder for thee for thou dost not only offer violence to thine enlightned Conscience but also to the new Nature that is implanted in thee By thy Omissions thou dost not only sin against thy natural Light
abhorrency of them no wonder then if it live in the Omission of them The Carnal Mind Lady Reason her self the chief and principal faculty of man is enmity against God It is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 He who is an enemy to a mans Person will never be a friend to his Precepts much less will he who is enmity against Gods Life be subject to his Law There is an impossibility hereof Neither indeed can be Till the Heart be changed it will never like the Divine Commands that are so contrary to its lusts and till it be brought to love them it will neglect Obedience to them When the Will the great Commander is set against the Laws of God how can any of the other faculties submit to them As in fleshly lusts the titillation is from sense and appetite but the consent of the reasonable Will is that which makes it a vice so unto good the inclination may possibly be from example or education but the royal assent of the Will is that which makes it a virtue The Devil finds it no hard work to part Sin and his Duty whose Will never chose it and whose Heart never loved it but it will be much easier to part him and his Duty whose Will and Heart have an enmity and reluctancy against it If a Lads calling doth not suit his genius he seldom comes to do any thing well or to be expert at it much less when he hates it The Scholar who loves not his Book will hardly proceed from the degree of a Dunce much less he who loatheth his Book If the nature of a man be contrary to God and his Ways the presence of God is troublesome to him Job 21.14 They say to God depart from us and the Worship of God is tedious to them When will the new Moon be gone and the Sabbath be over And the Precepts of God are Fetters and Cords to them Psal 2.3 Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us Common gifts of the Spirit as Illumination Convictions sudden flashes of Affection may do somewhat against this distemper of Nature but the virtue of that Physick is soon spent and then it returns to its former illness Colours not laid in Oyl will soon be washt off Indeed how can it be expected that a Body separated from a Soul should stir or move and much less can it be expected that a Soul without Christ its life should pray or hear or watch or do any thing according to the Will of God Paul tells us I live i. e. to God according to his Will doing what is good But how comes this about at whose cost doth he keep house yet not I but Christ liveth in me I may thank my Lord Jesus I am beholden unto him for all ability unto sacred actions And the life that I live in the Flesh is by Faith in the Son of God It 's from Christ alone that I receive supplies of strength and virtue to live to God What will then become of the Unregenerate person who is without Christ Ephes 2.12 He who hath not the Son hath not life And he who hath not life I am sure cannot live to God The Apostle fitly joyns them together Trees without fruit twice dead i. e. certainly dead or dead indeed Jude vers 12. Where the stock is dead the branches must needs wither and if they wither there is little likelihood of fruit Besides an unregenerate Soul is necessitated as to internal Omissions in regard of his want of spiritual life so to external Omissions in regard of his engagements to his carnal interest One is possibly married to Profit and when that calls him he must go though Closet or Family or any other Duties bid him stay Matth. 8. No man can serve God and Mammon but he will love the one and hate the other or dispise the one and cleave to the other When once there comes a competition between godliness and gain in the life it will quickly appear which hath the greatest sway and predominancy in the heart The young man would not follow Christ because his Estate denied to give him leave Had he been less rich he had been probably more religious but having once espoused the interest of his Wealth he could not leave it though he left God and Christ and Heaven for it Another is ingaged to Pleasures and when they require his presence it cannot be supposed that he will deny them for the exercises if Religion which are so painful to him Herod may pretend fair for Religion and profess some kindness to the Baptist but when his Dalilah commands his love to her over-comes his fear of John and instead of doing many things or any thing that was good he cuts off that Head which had a Tongue in it so bold as to reprove him for his sin A third is wedded to Honour and if that be inconsistent with Holiness as sometimes the case may be he will neglect his Duty to God to pay his Homage to this Diana Jehu will do one good work because Gods and his interest were both conjoyned His slaughter of Ahabs Sons and Prophets tended to settle him the firmer in his Throne and so his ambition call'd for the same with Gods Command But Jehu will omit another good work he will not destroy the Idolatry at Dan and Bethel because there his interest and Gods were divided for though God enjoyned the destruction of Idols in one place as well as another yet Jehu was fearful as his Predecessor Jeroboam that the Crown would not be fast on his Head if the people should have gone up to Jerusalem to Worship therefore when his carnal interest forbids what God commands he disobeys God to serve that There is no unsanctified person in the World but hath some worldly interest of his own superiour and paramount nay in many things opposite and contrary to the interest of God and therefore though he may obey God while both those Interests can agree and walk together in the same way yet when there is a necessity of their parting he will cleave to that which hath the predominancy within him Where God hath some residence and is entertain'd but as an underling to the Flesh when it comes to this pass that one must be turn'd out of doors for they cannot agree long together you may easily guess which it shall be The Cure of this Reader must be if thou art not born again to get a new heart An old heart will never serve for or enable unto the acts of new Obedience The water will rise no higher than the Fountain head a whence it floweth If you would have a Clock to move regularly and the hand without to go true you must have the wheels and poizes right within A good temperament of Body may cause a propensity to some things that are honest but that excellency must be of little worth that hath
blindness of their hearts A blind man may well miss his way and a blind Mind can never do his work Whatever the World talks of their honesty and goodness notwithstanding their ignorance Without knowledge the mind is not good Prov. 19.2 They presume to excuse their dark Heads with their good Hearts but these two are inconsistent A dark Cellar is not fuller of Vermine nor a dark hole of dust than a dark Heart is of filthiness Hos 4.1 2. They who want the knowledge of God are under the dominion of the Devil He is the Ruler of the darkness of this World Ephes 6. And I am sure the unclean Spirit never bears sway in a clean Heart nor this evil Spirit in a good Heart No as the Eagle he first pecks out the eyes of his prey and then devours it How easily is a blind Soul conquer'd and kill'd by the enemies of his Salvation What Error will not an ignorant Creature swallow down he is like water ready to take the impression and form of what Vessel you please to pour him into Matth. 22.29 Our Saviour tells the Sadduces That they erred not knowing the Scriptures And the Apostles told the Corinthians who doubted at least about the Resurrection as the Sadduces denied it Some have not the knowledge of God 1 Cor. 15.32 What crime will not an ignorant man commit Knowledge to the Mind is as Light to the World which discovers our way and thereby prevents our wandrings but it 's no wonder at all for men in the night and darkness of ignorance to go astray or to stumble and fall If a man walk in the night he stumbleth because he seeth not the light of this World Joh. 11.9 Why do we think Sin is called a work of darkness truly not only because it 's from the Devil the Prince of Darkness and he that doth evil loveth darkness hates the light and it 's the way to blackness of darkness but also because it 's conceived in the Womb of a dark Heart The Prince of Darkness may beget what Monsters he pleaseth on such Persons 2 Tim. 3.3 Ignorant women were laden with divers lusts No soil fuller of such weeds than that which is not manured with knowledge St. Paul's ignorance was the ground of his wasting the Church at such a cruel rate I was a Blasphemer a Persecutor injurious but I did it ignorantly 1 Tim. 1.13 That Monster Sin which the Sun hid his head as ashamed to behold the Murther of our Lord Jesus Christ had ignorance for its Mother Acts 3.15 Ye killed the Prince of Life vers 17. And now Brethren I wot that through ignorance ye did it as did also your Rulers So the Apostle Paul Had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory Now if ignorance be the cause of such grieveous Commissions it must much more be the cause of Omission for in all these Commissions there are great Omissions but I shall shew particularly that Ignorance is one cause of sins of Omission We are bound to love God and that with all our Hearts and with all our Souls and with all our Strength Matth. 22.37 But is it possible to love one whom we are ignorant of Did ever any fear an unknown Evil or desire or delight in an unknown Good Are not the greatest Rarities and richest Jewels of the World that are undiscovered undesired The Apostle saith He that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen 1 Joh. 3. I am sure he that doth not so much as see God with the eye of his Soul his Understanding can never love him We say What the eye sees not the heart grieves not it 's as true what the eye seeth not the heart loves not Who can obey Divine Precepts who is ignorant of them or fear Divine Threatnings who doth not know them or be allured by Divine Promises who is altogether a stranger to them God and Christ and Pardon and Life and Promises Covenant may stand long enough knocking at the door of an Heart fastened with Ignorance before they will find admittance It is our Duty our great Gospel-Duty to believe in Christ Joh. 6. This is his Commandment that ye believe in him whom he hath sent 1 Joh. 3.23 But ignorance hinders this How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard Rom. 10.10 Who will trust a meer stranger especially in a matter of weight I had need to know him well whom I trust with my Soul and Salvation with all I am worth for this and the other World A wise man will not venture his Estate much less his Life least of all his Soul with one of whose integrity and faithfulness and ability and responsibleness he hath not good assurance The Psalmists saying is They that know thy Name will trust in thee Psal 9.10 They who know thy Grace Goodness thy Promise and Power and Truth they will trust thee but others will not Paul's hope could not have been so high nor the Wine of his joy so brisk when his Death drew near had it not been for his great acquaintance with him with whom he had ventured his all 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed how willing how ready how able to save me and what I have committed to him he is able to keep for me against that day Knowledg is so requisite to Faith that it 's once again put for Faith Isa 53.10 1 Cor. 2.2 Joh. 17.3 Phil. 3.8 9. but Ignorance is Faiths great hinderance Again Our Duty is to repent even pain of eternal perdition Luke 13.3 Matth. 11.22 23. But ignorance causeth men to omit this as well as the other Where there is a vail upon the Understanding there is ever a caul upon the Heart and Conscience As in the night season we have always the hardest Frosts and the coldest weather Therefore the Holy Ghost tells us when Israel shall repent and turn to the Lord The vail shall be taken away 2 Cor. 3.16 17. While the vail remains they are still turning more and more from God till wrath come upon them to the uttermost but when the Vail shall be taken away that they shall see the evil and mischief and loathsomeness and folly of those ways they have turned to and also for the beauty and amiableness and bounty and kindness of that God they have turned from then they will quickly return unto the Lord. Indeed men may thank their Ignorance for most of their Omissions especially the Heathen and many Christians who live in dark corners of the Land I and many who are as void and empty of Knowledge as the Heathen who live under the Gospel Many of these neglect Family-Duties Closet-Prayer a strict Sanctification of the Lords-Day edifying others to their power as opportunity is offer'd them and several others because they do not understand them to be their Duty Reader the cure of this must be for
easie to forbear cursing and swearing and blaspheming the Name of God these may suit well with a torpid idle person but to call on the Name of God to pray fervently to pray without ceasing to lift up to the Soul in prayer to pour out the heart to stir up ones self to wrastle with God to seek him with all the heart with the whole heart this will require some pains and labour and this makes him forbear it Again it 's no great pains for a man to keep himself from hearing lascivious vain backbiting or flattering or evil Language a man may but forbear coming into such company or depart from them when he understandeth them about such wickedness but for a man to hear the Word of God with reverence as the Word of God with meekness as willing to be govern'd by it with Faith as believing all the Promises and Threatnings of it to be of unquestionable certainty and with a resolution to practise it as knowing we shall be judged by it at the day of Christ this will cost some head and heart work which the sleepy Drone is unwilling to come to Again the right performance of Duties in regard of the manner requires much more pains than in regard of the matter therefore they who take upon them a Form deny the power of Godliness and who are not guilty of external are yet of internal Omissions How many pray or mumble over a few words Morning and Evening to God and are pleased with it as if therefore all were well and think God pleased too who never trouble themselves with minding that reverence humility uprightness sense of want Faith in Christ importunity of desires which God expects in every prevalent Prayer and the reason is because the former is so easie and the latter so laborious Besides for a man to examine his own heart frequently and impartially and to call himself to a strict account what he hath been and done in the World and what is like to become of him and to befal him for ever for him to take the Looking-Glass of the Law of God and therein to behold his Heart and Life and having compared his practices with the Divine Precepts which are exceeding broad to accuse and judge and condemn and loath and abhor himself for him to lay himself low before the Lord and to acknowledge and confess with shame and anger and grief his filthiness and wickedness and to beg Pardon Grace as earnestly as one that believes if his requests be denied his poor Soul is damned for ever Friend Friend this is hard and painful work and the idle man will not meddle Once more he that will be positively holy must watch himself in all his ways must watch for opportunities of Service to God he must catch at them and improve them when he hath them put into his hand he must stand always upon his guard to defend himself against his enemies and be as a Sparrow upon the house-top to look about and consider where he may pick up any spiritual food for his Soul he must design and study and contrive how he may spend his time and parts and strength and estate to the best advantage of his Lord and Master and think nothing too much no pains no labour no not his blood for his Lord's Honour and will a sluggard that lieth with his hands in his bosom do this or any part of this Ah Friend the sleepy World dream of Happiness upon easie terms as if they could walk to Heaven in a pleasant Meadow or be carried to Heaven in a Down-bed but it must not be it cannot be Difficilia quae pulchra Canst thou obtain any thing that is excellent unless thou art diligent Doth the Tradesman get an Estate who is not industrious to look after his Customers his Books and whatsoever concerns his Calling Can he who sits still in his Chimney-corner and neither minds buying in nor selling out nor takes care how things are order'd in his Shop ever exspect to be rich Reader if ever thou wilt make any thing of it there is a necessity of shaking off this slothfulness I must tell thee an idle person is the Devils Cushion his own burden unlike and loathsome to God and a wem in the Body Politick where he lives To cure this Reader I must say to thee as the Apostle to the Ephesians Awake thou that sleepest arise from the dead Ephes 5.14 Friend thy work is not to be done sleeping God-work Soul-work Eternity-work is not to be done sleeping Labouring wrastling fighting striving running are not to be done sleeping Joh. 6.27 Gen. 32.24 Matth. 6.13 1 Cor. 9. Dost thou think to attain everlasting Pleasures and not to take pains Doth God value his blissful Mansions at so low a rate as to throw them away upon those who slight them and judge them unworthy their utmost endeavours Is the price of Heaven fallen since the Redeemers being in the World then it was Seek first the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof Matth. 6.33 And strive to enter in at the strait Gate Matth. 7.33 And labour for the meat that endureth to everlasting life Matth. 6.27 And is it now laze and loyter and be blessed for ever Though God doth not exspect from thee a natural price for his Son that is impossible for Men or Angels to give yet he doth exspect that pactional price which he hath set down in his Word as the condition of those that shall have a part in him Reader dost thou know what pains the Merchant takes for corruptible Treasures how he ventures his life in a wooden-bottom and a tempestuous Ocean and is every moment in danger of death how he sails from Haven to Haven disposing and exchanging Commodities trading and trafficking with persons of divers Countries and Languages and all to get a little wealth and if worldly Pearls cannot be had without pains dost thou think the Pearl of great and inestimable price the Lord Jesus Christ and the fruits of his precious blood may be had for nothing I tell thee as God valued his Son at so high a rate as to accept of his temporary sufferings as fuller satisfaction to his Justice on the behalf of millions of Souls than if they had fryed millions of millions of millions of years in Hell so God will make thee value and prize him if ever thou partake any benefit by him And if thou once comest to know his worth and to esteem him accordingly thou wilt think no toil no sweat nay no blood too good or too much for him Friend ponder the work of positive Godliness and then judge whether diligence be not requisite Closet-Duties as praying reading self-examining and Family-Duties must daily be performed and that with life and vigor and all the Soul and all the strength Thy earthly Calling must be followed with heavenly affections and whilst thy Occupation is amongst men thy Conversation must be with God In all Companies and
at all Seasons and in all Conditions thou art to be in the fear of God and watchful over thy self that thou dost nothing to displease him and solicitous how thou mayst do that which is most pleasing to him Thou must love God with all thy heart when he seems most angry with thee and trust in his goodness when he inflicts never so great or so many evils on thee Thy duty is to believe in a crucified Christ and so venture thy Soul on the death of another upon the bare warrant of Scripture thou art required to deny and bemoan and abhor thy self as near and dear as thou art to thy self to mortifie thy earthly members and to cut off thy right hand and pluck out thy right eye Not a Relation not a Condition not an Ordinance not a Providence but calls for Duties suitable Duties to be performed and not one of these Duties but calls for suitable Graces to be exercised Besides ere these Duties can be performed and these Graces exercised many strong and sturdy lusts must be subdued the allurements on one hand of a flattering gaudy giddy skin-deep World as Babies to please Children trampled on and its afrightments as Cloths stuft with straw to scare Birds must be despised I and all the Powers and Policies of Hell combated with and conquered And Friend can all this be done with thy hands in thy Pocket or without pains It 's in vain to think of freedom from Omissions whilst thou liest on the bed of Security Water corrupteth and breeds venemous Creatures whilst it standeth still it is preserved sweet by motion as we experience in running-streams The unused Iron rusteth whilst that which is used groweth daily more bright Neither Nature nor Art will afford us any thing that is good without labour The ground will not yield its fruit unless the Husbandman dung and plow and dress and harrow it Can any Artist make an excellent Clock or Watch or curious Vessel without pains And wilt thou presume of Holiness and Heaven without it The Heavens are ever in motion for the benefit of this lower World and never stand still but by a Miracle The Earth is always labouring to bring forth fruit for our profit and delight and never idle and barren but as cursed of God for mans sin Adam in his estate of Innocency was by God himself taught a Lesson of Industry and commanded to till the ground Our blessed Saviour was not idle but when he undertook the work of mans Redemption went up and down doing good denying himself his sleep A great while before day he was at prayer Mark 1. and he prayed all night He denied himself his Food when he was hungry and disappointed of Food at the Figg-Tree he goeth not to an house to eat but to the Synagogue to preach He denied himself his ease and pleasure and all to follow his business Joh. 9.4 As he said so he did I must work the work of him that sent me whilst it is day And did Christ contend and fight and strive and wrastle night and day before he was crown'd or could enjoy the Joy set before him and dost thou think to have all for nothing Reader to conclude this Head consider Rom. 12.11 Not slothful in business fervent in Spirit serving the Lord. Where we have the Duty I am perswading thee to commanded by the Apostle in regard of its great weight extraordinary difficulty or backwardness to it both ways 1. Negatively not slothful in business i. e. you will do nothing at it if ye be sleepy or slothful the business is not such as may be done in a dream As idleness is the burial of our persons so slothfulness is the burial of our actions It 's bad to be slow at our business but much worse to be slothful 2. Affirmatively fervent in Spirit this is the greatest diligence possible Fervency is the heat and height of the Affections and is as contrary to slothfulness as fire to water When the powers and faculties of the Soul are wound up to their highest pitch in the Service of God then a man may be said to be fervent in Spirit The labour of the body is nothing to the labour of the brains and the sweating of the outward man is little to the industry of the inward man He that hath the heart of a man may command his purse and hands and what he hath Fervency of Spirit or intension of Mind about any business will call in his time and wealth and strength and all to its assistance 2. The Duty is urged by an high and weighty reason serving the Lord. It 's the Majesty Excellency Purity and boundless Perfection of the Object which requires such warmth and life and heat and fervency of Spirit in those that adore him Though we may make bold with our fellow-dust and ashes with those that are of the same make and mould with our selves yet the most High he whose Name alone is Excellent the God of the Spirits of all Flesh to whom the whole Creation is less than nothing he is not to be made bold with His immense Being and Perfections command the highest and the hottest affections The greatest Prince must not be put off with less than the greatest Present CHAP. XLIV Another cause of Omissions is vain excuses men have that Omissions are little sins with the cure of it 4. A Fourth cause of sins of Omission is a Presumption or false Opinion that men have concerning them and so they think to excuse them 1. That they are little sins and so not much to be minded 2. That the performance of them would be unseasonable at this or that time and so they are put off to another time that never comes 3. That when they are called to the performance of this or that Duty they neglect it with this excuse that it is but one Duty they live in the neglect of or it can be no great matter for once to omit it Reader I shall handle these severally and shew first that these foolish excuses which men please themselves with do cause Omissions and then direct to the cure of each severally 1. The first excuse is that Omissions are small sins and this Opinion is generally rooted in all men Because they do not fly in the face of Conscience disturb the light of Reason trouble the Societies where and debauch the persons amongst whom we live as some sins of Commission do therefore thy fancy for it is but a fancy that they are light and little and no great matter is to be made of them When once a man hath suckt in this poysonous Opinion no wonder if his heart swell and his life swarm with such sins For when his Nature hath a reluctancy against the positive Precepts much more than against the negative and his lazy temper sets him farther off and he believes that they are Peccadilloes and little taken notice of by God yea that a pardon in the High