:.ymuawmvmfmui«imuiimB(mmmmfmm^ m . niMf^ ' \" mmimm>^ mittmiHMhttiimitt*iminmmi'nii»HititiManjrtJitor. REV. THOMAS SMITH, D.D., Edinburgh. THE COMPLETE WORKS THOMAS MANTON, D.D, VOLUME X. CONTAININO SEVERAL SERMONS UPON THE TWENTY-FIFTH CHAPTER OF ST MATTHEW; ALSO SERMONS UPON THE SEVENTEENTH CHAPTER OF ST JOHN. LONDON: JAMES NISBET & CO, 21 BERNERS STREET. 1872. CONTENTS. Several Sermons upon Matthew xxv. PAGE Sermon XVII. " And cast ye the unprofitable servant into utter darkness : there shall be weeping and gnash- ing of teeth," ver. 30, . . .3 „ XVIII. " When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory : and before him shall be gathered all nations ; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats : and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left," ver. 31-33, . . . . U, „ XIX. " When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory," ver. 31, 23 jj XX. " And before him shall be gathered all nations ; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats : and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left," ver. 32-33, . . . .33 , XXI. "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," ver. 34, . 45 „ XXII. "For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink ; I was a stranger, and ye took me in ; naked, and ye clothed me ; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me," ver. 35, 36, . . . .56 „ XXIII. " I'hen shall the righteous answer and say. Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee '? and thirsty, and gave thee drink ? when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in ? and naked, and clothed thee 1 or when VI CONTENTS. PACE saw we thee sick and iu prison, and came unto thee ? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inso- much as you have done it unto one of the iif^ least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me," ver. 37-40, . . .66 Sermon XXIV. "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels," ver. 41, . . . . .77 „ XXV. " Then shall he say to them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels," ver. 41, . . . . .83 ,, XXVI. " Depart from me, ye cui'sed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels," ver. 41, . . . . .92 „ XXVII. "And these shall go away into everlasting pun- ishment : but the righteous into life eternal," ver. 46, . . . . . 100 Sermons upon John xvii. Sermon I. " These words spake Jesus, and lift up his eyes to heaven, and said. Father, the hour is come ; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee," ver. 1, . , .109 J, II. " As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him/' ver. 2, . .125 J, III. " And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent," ver. 3, . . 139 ,^ IV. " And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent," ver. 3, . .156 ^^ V. " I have glorified thee on the earth : I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do," ver. 4, . . . .169 VI. "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory Avhich I had with thee before the world was," ver. 5, .185 „ VII. "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world : thine they were, and thou gavest them me ; and they have kept thy word," ver. 6, . 195 CONTENTS. Vll PAGE Sermon VIII. "I have manifested thy name ■unto' the men which thou gavest me out of the world : thine they were, and thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word." ver. 6, . 203 _, iX. "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the workl : thine they were, and thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word," ver. G, . 210 „ X. " Now they have known that all things, what- soever thou hast given me, are of thee," ver. 7, . . . . .218 „ XI. " For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me ; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me," ver. 8, . . 226 „ XII. " I pray for them : I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me ; for they are thine," ver. 9, . • . 241 „ XIII. " And all mine are thine, and thine are mine ; and I am glorified in them," ver. 10, , 255 „ XIV. " And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are," ver. 11, . . 269 „ XV. " And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are," ver. 11, . . 281 „ XVI. " And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are," ver. 11, . . 291 „ XVII. " And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are," ver. 11, . . 300 3, XVIII. " And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are," ver. 11, . .313 Vni CONTENTS. PAOK Sermon XIX. " And now T am no more in the world, but these are in the Avorld, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom tliou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are," ver. 11, . . 322 „ XX. " While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name : those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition ; that the scripture mightbefulfilled," ver. 12, . . 334 „ XXI. " And now I come to thee ; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves," ver. 13, . 352 „ XXII. " I have given them thy word ; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world," ver. 14, . . . . . 363 XXIII. " I have given them thy word ; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world," ver. 14, . . . . . 376 ., XXIV. " I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil," ver. 15, . .389 „ XXV. " They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world," ver. 1 6, . . . 403 „ XXVI. " Sanctify them through thy truth : thy word is truth," ver. 17, . . . .411 „ XXVII. " Sanctify them through thy truth : thy word is truth," ver. 17, . . . .422 „ XXVIII. "Sanctify them through thy truth : thy word is truth," ver. 17, . . . . 438 XXIX. " Sanctify them through th}^ truth : thy word is truth," ver. 17, . . . .450 „ XXX. "As thou hast sent me into the Avorld, even so have I also sent them into the world," ver. 18, . . . . . 461 „ XXXI. " As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world," ver. IS, . . . . . 470 „ XXXII. "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world," ver. 18, .... . 482 SEVERAL SERMONS UPON THE TWENTY-FIFTH CHAPTER OF ST MATTHEW. VOL. X. SEVERAL SERMONS UPON THE TWENTY-FIFTH OF ST MATTHEW. SERMON XVII. And cast ye the improfitable servant into utter darkness : there shall he loeeping and gnashing of teeth. — Mat. XXV. 30. In these words is fhe positive part of the sentence ; the master doth not only take away the talent, but condemneth him to eternal torments. In them take notice — (1.) Of the reason of the punishment ; and then, (2.) The punishment itself. 1. The reason of the punishment is represented in the notion and character by which the party sentenced is expressed, * The unprofitable servant.' The word unprojitahle is sometimes used in a larger, and sometimes in a stricter sense. In a larger sense it is used for him that deserveth no reward ; so it is said, Luke xvii. 10, ' We are unpro- fitable servants.' Sometimes more strictly and properly for the idle and the negligent, for them that do not their duty, and make no improvement of their gifts. So it is taken here, and in many other places ; koX top d'^^pelov BovXov eKJBuXkere, ' Cast ye the unprofitable servant' 2. The punishment itself is represented by two notions : — [1.] It is dismal, ' Cast him into utter darkness.' [2.] It is doleful, ' There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' First, Dismal ; eh to aK6ro<; to i^oorepov. (2.) It is doleful ; i/cet £(TTac 6 KkavOfio^ Kol 6 jSpvjfio'? Toiv 686vT(ov. Sometimes hell is expressed by one of these notions ; as Mat. xiii. 42, ' He will cast the tares into a furnace of fire : there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth ;' so Mat. xxiv. 51, ' He shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with hypocrites, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' It is notable, that is the punishment of the luxurious servant, that did eat and drink with the drunken, and beat his fellow-servants ; and here the unprofitable servant is threatened with the same, though he was not riotous, but negligent. Sometimes by both together ; as Mat. viii. 11, 12, 'The children of the kingdom shall be cast into utter darkness ; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth ;' and Mat. xxii. 13, ' Take him away, and cast him into utter darkness ; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 4 • SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XVIL Now, let lis first consider the punishment as it is dismal, 'Cast him into utter darkness.' There are two terms to be explained — darkness, and utter darkness. 1. Darkness. Heaven is set forth by light, and hell by darkness. The inheritance of the saints is called an ' inheritance in light,' Col. i. 12, because that is an estate full of knowledge ; for there we ' see God face to face,' 1 Cor. xiii. 12 ; an estate full of joy and comfort, Ps. xvi. 11 ; an estate full of brightness and glory : Dan. xii. 3, ' They shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and as the stars for ever and ever ; ' Mat. xiii. 43, ' The righteous shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of heaven.' How base soever the children nf God appear in this world, in the world to come they shall be wonderful glorious. Now the opposite state of this is set forth by darkness ; as the fallen angels are said to be ' held in chains of darkness,' 2 Peter ii. 4 ; or as Jude hath it, in ' chains under darkness,' Jude 6. Hell is compared to a prison or dungeon, 1 Peter iii. 19. So Christ speaketh of hell as the prison wherein damned spirits are held in a wretched and comfortless estate, in a state most remote from joy and blessedness. 2. It is called utter darkness, either because their prisons or dun- geons were out of the city, as appeareth Acts xii. 10, or because they shall be shut from the feast or rooms of entertainment. Their feasts were usually kept by night ; suppers, and not dinners ; and then cele- brated with a great many lamps and candles or torches. Now, those that were not only shut out from those rooms of entertainment, but cast into dungeons, were left in a comfortless condition. That it is opposite to the feast, these two places, Mat. viii. 12, and Mat. xx. 13, show. And here, when the good servants ' enter into the master's joy,' or sit down and feast with him, then is the naughty servant ' cast into utter darkness ; ' that is, shut out of the communion of the blessed spirits (who in the place of happiness have eternal joy), and cast into the dungeon of hell. Secondly, Let us consider it as it is doleful, * Where shall be weep- ing and gnashing of teeth.' Their estate shall be sad, and they shall have a bitter apprehension of it. Their apprehension is expressed by two things — their sorrow and indignation. 1. Their desperate tormenting sorrow, eVet KXavOfio^, ' weeping.' This dolour shall arise from the inexplicable torments of body and soul. 2. Their indignation or vexation, ' gnashing of teeth.' It is a token of indignation and impatience ; as Acts vii. 54, ' When they heard these things, they were cut at the heart, and gnashed on him with their teeth.' I shall explain it more by and by. Two points will arise hence : — JDoct. 1. That hell is a place and state of inexpressible torments. Docf. 2. That unprofitableness is a damning sin. The unprofitable servant is condemned, though he did not waste his master's goods, yet because he did not increase them. There is no treachery laid to his charge, no riot and wasteful profusion, no oppo- sition to his fellow-servants, to vex or hinder them in their work. We hear nothing of this laid to his charge ; but he neglected to do that which is good. VeE. 30.] SERMONS UPON llATTHEW XXY. 5 For the first point, that hell is a place and state of inexpressible torment, the argument may seem harsh and ingrate, but this is part of the doctrine that we must unfold. See the commission of the ministers of the gospel : Mark xvi. 16, ' He that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned.' It is gospel preaching to warn men of damnation ; we must curse, as well as bless ; and this part of doctrine hath its profit, as well as the more comfortable. 1. To those that are carnal, to rouse them out of their security. If men did believe the torments of hell, they would not sin as they do. Sermons of hell may keep many out of hell. Ne fugiamus sermones de Gehenna, ut Geliennam fugiamus. John startled many by pressing them ' to flee from wrath to come.' And it is God's usual course to bring to heaven by the gates of hell. 2. To Grod's children ; partly that they may know what they have escaped, to be the more thankful to their Eedeemer. We were all involved in this condemnation ; and it is the Lord's mercy that we are *as brands plucked out of the burning,' Zech. iii. 2. A child of God is a fii'ebrand of hell quenched, Eph. ii. 3. It was the pity of our Lord Jesus to rescue us, 1 Thes. i. 10. It is a part of a christian's heaven to think of hell. The miseries of this life commend heaven to us ; much more the torments of hell. We know good the better by the opposite evil ; as the Israelites, when they looked back, and saw the Egyptians tumbling in the waters, it heightened the deliverance, and made them the more sensible of their own safety. And partly to warn them, and quicken them to their duty. This motive alone would beget slavish fear and compulsory obedience ; but mixed with others, it doth good. We need this discipline as long as we are in the world. We are flesh as well as spirit. Adam in innocency needed to be threatened and told of death. Paul saith, 1 Cor. ix. 27, * I keep under iny body, and bring it into subjection ; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.' If so sanc- tified a man as Paul, much more we ; and Kom. viii. 13, ' If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die ; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.' It is one of the saints' motives. And partly because they that cannot endure to hear of such discourses discover much of the guilt and security of their own hearts. As Ahab said of Michaiah, 'He prophesieth nothing but evil,' so men say of many of the preachers of the gospel (that yet speak with tenderness and compassion), He preacheth nothing but hell and damnation. Presumption is a coward and a runaway ; but faith meeteth its enemy in open field : Ps. xxiii. 4, 'Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, yet I will fear no evil.' It supposeth the worst ; it can encounter the greatest terrors ; but a false unsound peace is a tender thing, loath to be touched, cannot endure a few sad and sober thoughts of the world to come, as sore eyes cannot endure the light. I shall only speak of this dreadful place and estate as it cometh under the view of this text, leaving a more full discussion of this point to the 41st verse of this chapter. 1. That there is a hell, or everlasting torments prepared for the wicked. It is good to prove a hated truth strongly. Now, it is so, that there is a hell, if God, or man, or devils be competent witnesses 6 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XVII. in the case. God hath ever told the world of it, and his witness is true. In the Old Testament but sparingly, because the state of the world to come was reserved as a discovery fit for the times of the gospel, 2 Tim. i. 10 ; yet there God speaketh, Deut. xxxii. 22, of a ' fire kindled in his anger, that shall burn to the lowest hell.' God's wrath is repre- sented by fire, which is an active instrument of destruction ; and the seat and residence of it is in the lowest hell. So Ps. xi. 6, ' IJpon the wicked shall he rain snares, fire, and brimstone.' See more, ver. 41. 2. Let us see it described here. First, As a dismal state, ' Cast them out into utter darkness ; ' that is — (1.) Shut them out of the feast ; and (2.) Cast them into the dun- geon of hell. There they shall be deprived of all consolation and joy and happiness. As — 1. Of the sight of God, the company of the good angels and blessed spirits ; to which loss there is added the most inexplicable torments of body and soul, which is exceeding great. And it is a dreadful thing to be deprived of the light of God's countenance, to be banished out of his presence. The disciples wept when Paul said, ' Ye shall see my face no more/ Acts xx. 38. What will the damned do when he shall say, ' Depart, ye cursed,' as it is in the 41st verse ? Here in the loss all are equal, but not in the pain ; all alike depart from God ; they all lose heaven's joys, the favourable presence of God, and the sight of Christ, the company of the blessed, and their abode in those happy mansions in Christ's Father's house. Hell is a deep dungeon, where the sunshine of God's presence never cometh. God is summuni bonum, the chief est good ; and in the other world, omne honum, all iu all. All things there are immediately from God, rewards and punish- ments. Better lose all things than God: Exod. xxxiii. 15, 'If thy presence go not with us, carry us not up hence.' Object. But is it any grief to the wicked to want God, from whom they have such an extreme averseness and hatred ? Ans. They are sensible of the loss of happiness ; their judgment is changed, though not renewed. Fogs of error, atheism, and unbelief then vanish ; they are confuted by experience. There are no atheists in hell ; they know there is a God, and that all happiness consists in the full enjoyment of him ; which happiness they have lost by their own folly, as by their bitter experience they can find, being in a place most remote from him : therefore, as rational creatures, they cannot but be sensible of their loss ; and that sense must needs breed sadness and dejection of spirit ; being they look not upon God as lovely in himself, but as one that might be profitable to them : oculos qiios occlusit culpa, a2:)eriet i^oena. It would lessen their torments if their understandings might be taken away : they know what it is to want God, though their hatred of him still remaineth. 2. The sight of Christ. They had a glimpse before they went into hell, by the glory of his presence : 2 Thes. i. 9, ' They shall be pun- ished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord.' That short experience of Christ's appearing will remain in their minds to all eternity ; it will stick by them. How are they thrust out ? Christ himself, who hath the keys of death and hell, shall bid them go; as if he had said, I cannot endure your presence. VeR. 30.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 7 3. From the company of the blessed : Luke xiii. 28, ' There shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.' Envy is a great part of their punishment, as well as horror : Luke xvi. 27, ' And being in torments, he lift up his eyes, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.' It is a torment to think that others of the same nature, interests, instruc- tion, do enjoy what they have forfeited. 4. From an abode in the palace of heaven : Eev. xxii. 15, * With- out shall be dogs and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.' If the pavement of heaven is glorious, what will the place itself be ? And from this glori- ous place they are banished. Secondly, This utter darkness implieth positively a state of woe and misery most remote from this blessedness ; for as they are shut out of the palace of heaven, so they are cast into the prison of hell, where all is dark, without hope of ever coming out more : 2 Peter ii. 17, ' To whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.' Hell is a region upon which the sun shall never shine. They know they shall never be reconciled to God, nor their punishment ended or lessened : ' Their worm shall never die, their fire shall never be quenched,' Mark ix. 44. They can never hope to be admitted into God's presence more. There are many ups and downs in a christian's experience. God hideth his face sometimes, that he may show it afterwards the more gloriously. The church prayeth, Ps. Ixxx. 19, * Turn again, and cause the light of thy countenance to shine upon us, and we shall be saved.' But this is an everlasting darkness. God doth, as it were, by chains hold them under everlasting torments. It is a curse that shall never be reversed, a comfortless life that shall never have an end. Men might lose the face of God if they were annihilated ; but the souls of men and women do not go to nothing, or die as their bodies, but subsist in a dolesome miserable state of darkness, and in the place of everlasting imprisonment, where the devils and damned spirits torment one another. All here are kept safe, without any possibility of escaping ; here God holdeth them in everlasting chains. Now this is just ; they that rejected the light are thrust into utter darkness. They reject the light of the gospel : John iii. 19, ' Men love darkness more than light.' They despise the light of glory, in com- parison of worldly things and present satisfactions : Ps. cvi. 24, * They despised the good land.' They forsake God and their own happiness ; that which is now their sin is then their misery. They first excom- municated God, Job xxii. 17, and that for a trifle. They think his pre- sence a torment : Mat. viii. 20, ' What have we to do with thee ? art thou come to torment us before the time ? ' Kom. i. 28, ' They did not like to retain God in their knowledge.' They could not endure to think of God, and abhorred their own thoughts of God, that they were their burden. Secondly, It is a doleful place and state. Here are two notions, the one expressing their grief and sorrow, the other their vexation and indignation. 1. Their gfrief and sorrow. In hell there is nothing but sorrow and 8 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XVII. fear, overwhelming sorrow and despairing fear : it is a helpless and liopeless grief. Carnal men are prejudiced against godly sorrow ; but that is useful and profitable, 2 Cor. vii. 10. These sorrows would pre- vent those that the damned suffer in hell. The sorrows of repentance are joys in comparison of these sorrows ; the sorrows of repentance are full of hope. God will afford comforts to his mourners ; but the sor- rows of the damned are heightened by their own desperations ; it is for ever and ever. These are small, those swallow us up ; these are curing, those tormenting ; here it is like pricking a vein for health, hereafter wounds to the heart. These are mixed with love : Luke vii., she that loved much, wept much. The cup of wrath is unmixed, confounding and overwhelming us with continual amazement. These are short, those endless. 2. Their vexation and indignation. The grinding and the gnashing of the teeth is usually in pain or rage, in pain of body and soul. But of that afterwards, when I come to speak of hell under the notion of everlasting fire. Now, as it is a token and effect of rage. Now the damned are represented as full of rage, blasphemy, and indignation against God, against the saints, and against themselves. [1.] Against God ; they have despised his favour, and now feel the power of his justice and displeasure against them, and have still an implacable hatred against him. We see in Eev. xvi. 9, when they were ' scorched with great heat, they blasphemed the name of God, which had power over these plagues ; and repented not, to give glory to God : they blasphemed the God of heaven, because of their pains and sores, and repented not of their deeds.' I know that this pro- phecy doth not concern the state of the wicked in hell, but their plagues and disappointments in this world. However the fashion and guise of the reprobate is to be observed, here when they will not repent, so there when they cannot repent. Like men distracted and mad, they gnaw their tongues, and gnash their teeth ; like mad dogs, that bite their chains, or wild bulls in a net or toil, that roar and foam. They will curse God that created, and sentenced them to this death ; his power, by which they are continually tormented ; his wisdom, by which he governeth the world ; his goodness, that to them is turned into fury ; his Son's death and blood, which hath profited so many, and they have no benefit by it. [2.] Against the saints. They hate them, and have an envy at all the felicity that betideth them in this world : Ps. xxxvii. 12, ' The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth at him with his teeth ;' so Ps. cxii. 10, ' The horn of the righteous shall be exalted with hon- our : the wicked shall see it, and be grieved ; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away.' The godly are their opposite party ; then their blessedness shall be so great that they shall envy their happiness when they see the godly in good case, and themselves miserable. At the great day the wicked shall sec the believers' joy to the increase of their own sorrow. [3.] Against themselves; their own hearts shall reproach them: Hosea xiii. 9, ' Thou hast destroyed thyself.' They shall rave and vex at their own past folly, past neglects, and past abuse of grace, and past refusal of that happiness which others enjoy, when they find their own VeR. 30.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 9 delights salted with the present curse. Little comfort and satisfaction shall they have, when they rememher they came thither to avoid the tediousness of a few blessed duties. Use. Is to shame us that we make no more preparation to escape this dreadful estate ; or, in the language of the Holy Ghost, that we do not ' flee from wrath to come.' No motion can be earnest and speedy enough. There are two things that are very great wonders : — 1. Tliat any man should reject the christian faith, so clearly pro- mised in the predictions of the prophets, before it was revealed, and confirmed with such a number of miracles, when it was first set afoot, received among the nations by so universal a consent, in the learned jiart of the world, notwithstanding the meanness of the instruments employed in it ; and perpetuated to us throughout so many successions of ages, who have had experience of the truth of -it. And yet still we have cause to complain: Isa. liii. 1, 'Lord, who hath believed our report ? ' Some cannot outsee time and look beyond the grave : 1 Peter i. 9, ' He that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off;' and 2 Peter iii. 3, ' There shall come in the latter times scoffers, and mockers, walking after their own lusts.' Many dare not question the precepts of Christianity, because of their usefulness to human society and reasonable nature ; they doubt of the recompenses, and yet have a secret fear of them, and seek to smother it by their incredulity and unbelief. But alas ! it will not do. They scoff at others as simple and credulous ; none so credulous as the atheist ; there is a thousand to one against him : at least, if it prove true, in what a case are they ? It will do them no hurt to venture upon pro- babilities until further assurance. What assurance would you have ? Luke xvi. 30, 31, ' You have Moses and the prophets ; if you believe not them, neither will you be persuaded if one came from the dead.' Will you give laws to heaven ? God is not bound to make a sun for them to see that wilfully shut their eyes ; yet that way v/hat assurance would you have to prove this is nc phantasm ? Doth God need a lie to persuade you to your duty ? But — 2. The greater miracle is that any should embrace the christian faith, and yet live sinfully and carelessly ; that they should believe as christians, and yet live as atheists. You cannot drive a dull ass into the fire that is kindled before him : Prov. i. 17, ' Surely in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird.' How can men believe eternal torments, and yet with so much boldness and easiness run into the sins that do deserve them ? Many times not compelled by any terror, nor asked or invited by any temptation, but of their own accord they tempt themselves, and seek out occasions of sinning. On the other side, can a man believe heaven, and do nothing for it ? If we know that it will not be lost labour, there is all the reason we should not grudge at it : 1 Cor. XV. 58, ' Be steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord.' Now there are three causes of this : — (1.) Unbelief ; (2.) Inconsi- deration ; (3.) Want of close application. [1.] Want of a sound belief. Most men's faith is but pretended, as appeareth by the effects. 10 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XVII. (1.) By our proneness to sin. If God did govern the world by sense, and not by faith, we should be other manner of persons than we are, in all holiness and godliness of conversation. If we were sure and certain that for every law we break, or for every one whom we deceive and slander, we should hold our hands in scalding lead for half an horn', how afraid would men be to commit any offence ? Who would taste meat, if he knew there were present death in it ? yea, that it would cost him bitter gripes and torments ? How cautious are men of their diet that are prone to the stone, or gout or colick, where it is but probable the things we take will do us any hurt ? We know certainly that ' the wages of sin is death,' yet how little are we con- cerned at sin ! (2.) By our backwardness to good works. Sins of omission will damn as well as sins of commission, small as well as great. It is not said, Ye have robbed, but, Ye have not fed, ye have not clothed ; not, Ye have blasphemed, but, Ye have not invoked the name of God ; not done hurt, but done no good : * And cast the unprofitable servant,' &c. (3.) By our weakness in temptations and conflicts. AVe cannot deny a carnal pleasure, yet we are told, Eom. viii. 13, ' If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die.' Nor withstand a carnal fear, yet we are told, Mat. X. 28, ' Fear not him that can kill the body, but fear him that can cast both body and soul into hell.' But shrink at the least pains of duty, when we are told on the one hand, 1 Cor. xv. .58, ' That our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord ;' on the other side, Eev. xxi. 8, ' That the fearful and unbelieving shall have their part in the lake which burnetii with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.' On the other side, that it is the most irrational thing to go to hell to save ourselves the labour of obedience. The whole world promised for a reward cannot induce us to enter into a fiery furnace for half an hour. If one much desiring sleep, which is Chrysostom's supposition, should be told that if he once nodded he should endure ten years' tor- ment, would he venture ? (4.) By our carelessness in the matters of our peace. If we were in danger of death every moment, we would not be quiet till we got a pardon. All men by nature are children of wrath, liable to this horrible estate that hath been described to you ; but yet few run for refuge, Heb. vi. 18, 19, nor ' flee from wrath to come,' Mat. iii. 7. Seek ' peace upon earth," Luke ii. 14. Labour ' to be found of him in peace,' 2 Peter ii. 14. How can a man be at rest, till he be secured, and can bless God for an escape ? [2.] Want of serious consideration. The scripture calleth for it everywhere : Ps. 1. 22, ' Consider this, ye that forget God ;' and Isa. i. 3, ' My people will not consider.' Many that have faith do not act it, and set it a-work by lively thoughts. When faith and knowledge are asleep, it differeth little from ignorance or oblivion, till consideration awaken it. Carnal sensualists put off that they cannot put away, Amos vi. 3. Many that know themselves wretched creatures are not troubled at it, because they cast these things out of their thoughts, and so they sleep ; but their damnation slcepeth not, it lieth watching to take hold of them ; they are not at leisure to think of eternity. [3.] Want of close application : Kom. viii. 31, ' What shall we then VeR, 30.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 11 say to these things ?' Job v. 27, * Know this for thy good.' Whether promise or threatening, we must m'ge and prick our hearts with it. Self-love maketh us fancy an unreasonable indulgence in God, and that we shall do well enough, how slightly and carelessly soever we mind religion. We do not lay the point and edge of truths to our own hearts, and say, Heb, ii. 3, ' How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?' These are the causes. Now there is no way to remedy this but to get a sound belief of the world to come, and often to meditate on it, and urge our own hearts with it, Doct. 2. That unprofitableness is a damning sin. If there were no more, this were enough to ruin us. By unprofit- ableness I do not mean want of success ; to the best, gifts may be unprofitable : Isa. xlix. 4, ' I have laboured in vain/ saith the prophet Isaiah ; but want of endeavour, omitting to do our duty. The scope of the parable is to awaken us from our negligence and sloth, that we may not prefer a soft and easy lazy life before the service of God, and doing good in our generation. Now, because we think omissions are no sins, or light sins, I shall take this occasion to show the heinousness of them ; and here I shall show two things : — First, That there are sins of omission. Sins are usually distin- guished into sins of omission and commission. A sin of commission is when we do that which we ought not ; a sin of omission, when we leave that undone which we ought to do. But when we look more narrowly into these things, we shall find both in every actual sin ; for in that we commit anything against the law, we omit our duty, and the omitting of our duty can hardly or never fall out but that something is preferred before the love of God, and that is a commission. But yet there is ground for the distinction, because when anything is formally and directly committed against the negative precept and prohibition, that is a sin of commission; but when we directly sin against an affirmative precept, that is an omission. We have an instance of both in Eli and his sons. Eli's sons defiled themselves * with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,' 1 Sam. ii. 22. Eli sinned in that ' he restrained them not,' 1 Sam. iii. 13. His was an omission, theirs a commission. Secondly, That sins of omission may be great sins appeareth — ■ 1. Partly by the nature of them. There is in them the general nature of all evil ; that is, avofxla, ' a transgression of a law,' 1 John iii. 4 ; a disobedience and breach of a precept, and so by consequence a contempt of God's authority. We cry out upon Pharaoh when we hear him speaking, Exod. v. 2, ' Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice ?' By interpretation we all say so ; this language is couched in every sin that we commit, and every duty we omit. Our negligence is not simple negligence, but downright disobedience, because it is a breach of a precept ; and the offence is the more, because our nature doth more easily close with precepts than prohibitions. Duties enjoined are perfective, but prohibitions are as so many yokes upon us. We take it more grievously for God to say, ' Thou slialt not covet,' than for God to say, ' Thou shalt love me, fear me, and serve me.' AVe are contented to do much which the law requireth, but to be limited and barred of our delights, this is distasteful. To meet with 12 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXY. [SeR. XVII. man's corrnptions indeed, the decalogue consists more of prohibitions than precepts ; eight negatives, the fourth and fifth commandments only positive. To be restrained is as distasteful to us as for men in a fever to be forbidden drink ; nature is more prone to sin. But to return, there is nnich disobedience in a sin of omission. When Saul had not done what God bid him to do, he telleth him, ' Eeljellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness as iniquity and idolatry,' 1 Sam. XV. 11 ; implying that omission is rebellion, and stubbornness parallel to idolatry and witchcraft. 2. Partly by the causes of them. The general cause is corrupt nnture : ' They are all become unprofitable,' Rom. iii. 12, compared with Ps. xiv. 3, ' They are altogether become filthy.' There is in all by nature a proneness to evil, and a backwardness to good. Onesimus before conversion was unprofitable, good for nothing, Philem. v. 11 ; but grace made a change, make him useful in all his relations. The particular causes are — (1.) Idleness and security ; they are loath to be held at work : Isa. Ixiv. 7, ' None stirreth up himself to lay hold on thee;' 'They forget his commandments,' Jer. ii. 31, 32. (2.) Want of love to God : Isa. xliii. 22, ' Thou hast been weary of me, 0 Israel ;' and Rev. ii. 4, ' Nevertheless I have something against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.' And (3.) Want of zeal for God's glory : ' Not slotliful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord,^ Rom. xii. 11. Where there is a fervour, we cannot be idle and neglectful of our duty. There is an aversion from God before there is an express disobedience to him. 3. Partly by the effects — internal, external, eternal. [1.] Internal; gifts and graces languish for want of employment: 1 Thes. v. 19, ' Quench not the Spirit.' Thomas his omission made way for his unbelief, John xx. 24. [2.] External ; it bringeth on many temporal judgments. God put by Saul from being king for an omission : 1 Sam. xv. 11, 'It repenteth me for setting up Saul to be king, for he hath not done the thing that I commanded him ;' forbearing to destroy all of Amalek. For this he put by Eli's house from the priesthood: 1 Sam. iii. 13, 'I will judge his house for ever, because his sons made themselves vile, and he re- strained them not.' Eli's omission is punished as well as his sons' commission, yet it was not a total omission. Compare 1 Sam. ii. 23- 25, 'And lie said unto them. Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people ; nay, my sons, for it is no good report that I hear of you ; ye make the Lord's i)Cople to transgress : if one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him ; but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him ? Notwithstanding they hearkened not to the voice of their father.' His admonition was grave and serious, yet it was not enough. All Israel knew their sin before ; Eli took upon him to rei)rove them secretly, whereas the fact was open, and he should have put them to open shame : and then his rebukes were mild and soft ; he should have frowned upon them, punished them, but his fondness would not permit that. [3.] Eternal, here in the text : ' Cast the unprofitable servant,' &c. These sins ChrlsL will mainly inquire after at the day of judgment; and ver. 42, 43 of this chapter, and Mat. vii. 19, 'Every tree that VeR. 30.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV, 13 bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire;' though not bad or poisonous fruit. By all these arguments it appear- eth that sins of omission may be great sins. Thirdly, That some sins of omission are greater that others. All are not alike, as the more necessary the duties, the more faulty the omission : Heb. ii. 3, ' How shall we escape if we neglect so great sal- vation?' 1 Cor. xvi. 22, ' If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha.' Not if a man hate, but if he love not, &c. These are peccata contra remedium, as others contra officium. By other sins we make the wound, by these we refuse the plaster. Again, if the omission be total : Jer. x, 25, ' Call not on the name of the Lord;' Ps. xiv. 3, 'None seeketh after God.' Again, when seasonable duties are neglected : Mat. xxv. 44, ' When I was an. hungered 3^e fed me not;' 1 John iii. 17, 'He that hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother in need;' Pro v. xvii. 16, 'Why is there a price put into the hand of a fool?' And then when it is easy, this is to stand with God for a trifle : Luke xvi. 24, Desideravit giUtam, qui non dedii micam; Amos ii. 6, 'They sold the poor for a pair of shoes.' And when convinced of the duty : James iv. 17, ' To him that knoweth to do good, and doetli it not, to him it is sin.' Fourthly, In many cases sins of omission may be more heinous raid more damning than sins of commission. (1.) They are the ruin of most part of the carnal world. Carnal men are often described by their omissions, ' To be without God,' Eph. iii. 12 ; Ps. x. 3, 4, ' The wicked through the pride of their heart will not seek after God ; God is not in all their thoughts ;' Jer. ii. 32, ' None stirreth up himself to seek after God.' And (2.) Partly because these are most apt to harden us more. Foul sins scourge the conscience with remorse and shame, but these bring on insensibly slightness and hardness of heart ; and therefore Christ saith, publicans and harlots shall enter into the kingdom of God before pharisees that rested in a superficial right- eousness, but neglected faith, love and judgment, Mat. xxi. 31. And (3.) Partly because omissions make way for commission of evil : Ps. xiv. 4, ' They that called not upon God eat up his people like bread.' They lie open to gross sins that do not keep the heart tender by a daily attendance upon God. If a man do not that which is good, he will soon do that which is evil, John ii. 13. Oh ! then, let us bewail our unprofitableness, that we do no more good, that we do so much neglect God, and no more edify our neighbour, so that God's best gifts lie idle upon our hands. Fifthly, The first and main evil of sin was in the omission: Jer. ii. 13, 'My people have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters;' James i. 14, ' Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.' First enticed from God, and then drawn away to sin, therefore the work of grace is to ' teach us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts,' Titus ii. 12. By ungodliness is meant, not denying God, but neglecting God ; there our chief mischief began ; for when we do not look upon God as our chief good, then we seek happiness in the creature. _ Use 1. To show that if the unprofitable servant be cast into hell, what will become of them that live in open sins, that bid defiance to God ? 14 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XVIII. 2. To condemn the unprofitable lives of many ; they live as if they had only their souls for salt to keep their bodies from stinking ; cumber the ground, Luke xiii. 7 ; do not good in their relations, are neither comfortable to the bodies nor souls of others. Certainly how mean and low soever you be in the world, you may be useful. Dorcas made coats for the poor. Servants may adorn the gospel, Titus ii. 10. 3. If sins of omission be so dangerous, we may cry out with David, Ps. xix., 'Who can understand his errors?' The children of God offend in these kind of sins oftener than in the other kind. They are not guilty of drunkenness or uncleanness, but of omission of good duties, or slight performance of them. Paul complaineth, Eom. vii. 18, 19, ' For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, there dwelleth no good thing ; for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not ; for the good that I would, I do not.' And should not you complain likewise ? A child is not counted dutiful because he doth not wrong and beat his father ; he must also give him that reverence that is due to him. Alas ! how many duties are re- quired of us to God and men, the neglect of which we should humble ourselves before God for ! SERMON XVIII. WJien the Son of ma7i shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels ivith Mm, tlien shall he sit upon the throne of his glory : and before him shall he gathered all nations ; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats : and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, hut the goats on the left.— Mat. XXV. 31-33. This latter paragraph I cannot call a parable, but a scheme and draught or a delineation of the last judgment, intermingled with many passages that are plainly parabolical ; as that Christ setteth forth him- self as a king sitting upon the throne of his glory, and as a shepherd dividing his flock ; that he compareth the godly to sheep and the wicked to goats. Those allegations and dialogues between Christ and the righteous, Christ and the wicked, ' When saw we thee an hungry ? ' &c., have much of the nature of a parable in them. In these three verses we have described — 1. The appearance, or sitting down of the judge, 2. The presenting the parties to be judged. The former is in ver. 31, the latter in ver. 32, 33. In ver. 31 we have — [1.] The person who shall be the judge, the Son of man. [2.] The manner of his coming ; it shall be august and glorious. Where note — (1.) His personal glory, he shall come in his glory. (2.) His royal attendance, and all the holy angels loith him. (3.) His seat and throne, then shall he sit upjon the throne of his glory. Pirst, The person is designed by this character and appellation, Vers. 31-33.] seemons upon matthew xxv. 15 * the Son of man.' He is called so to show that he is true man, and descended of the present race of men. He might have been true man if God had framed his substance out of nothing, as he did Adam out of the dust of the ground. And this title is given him here, as in many other places, when the last judgment is spoken of, as I shall show you by and by — 1. Partly to recompense his foregoing humiliation, or despicable appearance at his first coming. 2. Partly because of his second coming : he shall appear visibly in that nature' as he went from us: Acts i. 11, 'In like manner,' &c. Christ shall come in the form of a man, but not in the same humble and mean appearance as now when he spake these things to them ; for it is added for the manner — [1.] For his personal glory, ' He shall come in his glory.' Not in the form of a servant, but becoming his present state. All infirmities shall be removed from his soul and body. It is not a borrowed glory, but he shall come in his own glory. It is said, Mat. xvi. 27, ' The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father.' Here, in his own glory. The Son of man and the son of God is only one person ; and his glory as God and his Father's glory is the same. So that he ' shall come in his glory,' noteth either — (1.) His divine power and majesty, which shall then conspicuously shine forth ; or (2.) The glory put upon the human nature ; and so it will note his plenary absolution as our surety. The Father sendeth him from heaven in power and great glory : ' He appeareth without sin,' Heb. ix. 28. He doth not say, They that look for him shall be without sin ; but ' He shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation ;' that is, fully discharged of our debt. First, he came in carnem ; he showed himself in the nature of man to be judged: then, in came ; he shall show himself in the nature of man to judge the world. At his first coming he was holy, yet in the garb of a sinner ; we judged him as one forsaken of God : his second coming shall make it evident that he is discharged of the debt he took upon himself. [2.] His royal attendance. The angels shall attend him, both to honour him and to be employed by him. [3.] His royal posture, he shall ' sit upon the throne of his glory.' A glorious throne, beseeming the Son of God and the judge of the quick and the dead, shall be erected for him in the clouds, such as none can imagine how glorious it shall be till they see it. Secondly, The next thing that is ofi'ered in these words is the pre- senting the parties to be j udged ; and there you may take notice — 1. Of their congregation, and before him shall he gathered all nations. 2. Their segregation, and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. In the segregation we have — [1.] The ordering them into two several ranks and companies, sheep and goats, ver. 32. [2.] As to posture and place, ver. 33, ' And he shall set his sheep on the right hand and the goats on his left.' Not only a separation as to Christ's knowledge and discerning them, but a separation in place. 16 SERMONS UrON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XVIII. I begin with the first branch, the appearance and sitting down of the judge. Two points I shall observe: — Doct. 1. That the judge of this world is Jesus Christ. Doct. 2. That Christ's appearance for the judgment of the world shall be glorious and full of majesty. For the first point, that Jesus Christ is the world's judge — 1. Here I shall inquire why he is judge. 2. In what nature he doth act or exercise this judgment, whether as God or man, or both. First, Let us inquire how Christ cometh to be the world's judge, and with what conveniency and agreeableness to reason this honour is put upon him ? To a judge there belongeth these four things — (1.) Wisdom; (2.) Justice; (3.) Power; and (4.) Authority. 1. Wisdom and understanding, by which he is able to judge all persons and causes that come before him, according to the rules and laws by which that judgment is to proceed ; for no man can give sen- tence in a cause wherein he hath not skill, both as to matter of right and wrong, and sufficient evidence and knowledge as to matter of fact. Therefore, in ordinary judicatures, a prudent and discerning person is chosen. 2. Justice is required, or a constant and unbiassed will to determine and pass sentence, ex cequo, et bono, as right and truth shall require. He that giveth wrong judgment because he doth not accurately under- stand a thing is imprudent, which in this business is a great fiiult ; but he that doth rightly understand a matter, and yet is biassed by perverse affections and aims, and giveth wrong judgment in the cause iDrought before him, that is highly impious and flagitious ; therefore, the judge must be just and incorrupt. 3. Power is necessary that he may compel the parties judged to stand to his judgment, and the offenders may receive their due punish- ment ; for otherwise all is but precarious and arbitrary, and the judg- ment given will be but a vain and solemn pageantry. 4. There is required authority ; for otherwise, if a man should obtrude himself of his own accord, they may say to him, ' Who made thee a judge over us?' Or if he by mere force should assume this power to himself, the parties impleaded have a pretence of right to decline his tribunal, and appeal from him. Certainly he that rewards must be superior, and much more he that punisheth ; for he that punisheth another bringeth some notable evil and damage upon him ; but for one to bring evil upon another, unless he hath right to do it, is unjust ; therefore good authority is required in him that acts the part of a judge. These tilings, as they stand upon evident reason, and are necessary in all judicial proceedings between man and man, so much more in this great and solemn transaction of the last judgment ; for this will be the greatest court that ever was kept both in respect, of the persons to be judged, which shall be all men and evil angels, high and low, small and great, rich and poor, princes and subjects ; and in respect of the causes that shall be produced, tlie whole business of the world for six thousand years, or thereabouts ; or the retributions made, which shall be punishments and rewards of the highest nature YeUS. 31-33. j SERMONS UPON" MATTHEW XXV. 17 and degree, because everlasting. And therefore there must be a judge sought out that is exactly knowing not only of laws, but of all persons and causes : ' That all things should be naked, and open to him with whom we have to do,' Heb. iv. 12, 13, and 1 John iii. 20. Again, exceeding just, without the least spot and blemish of wrong dealing : Gen. xviii, 25, ' Shall not the judge of all the earth do right ? ' and Rom. iii. 5, 6, 'Is God unrighteous, that taketh vengeance ? God forbid : for then how shall God judge the world?' It cannot be that the universal and final judgment of all the world should be committed to him that hath or can do anything wrongful and amiss. And then, that power is necessary both to summon offenders, and make thetu appear, and stand to the judgment which he shall award, without any hope of escaping or resisting, will as easily appear ; because the offen- ders are many, and they would fain hide their guilty heads, and shun this tribunnl, if it were possible : Rev. vi. 16, ' Say to the mountains and rocks. Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.' But that must not, cannot be : Ps. xc. 11, ' Who knoweth the power of thine anger ? According to thy fear, so is thy Avrath.' Authority is necessary also, or a right to govern and to dispose of the jjersons judged into their everlasting estate ; which being all the world, belongeth only to the universal king, who hath made all things, and preserveth all things, and governeth and disposeth all tilings for his own glory. Legislation and execution both belong to the same power. Judgment is a part of government. Laws are but shadows if no execution follow. Now, let us particularly see how all this belongeth to Christ. [1.] For wisdom and understanding. It is in Christ twofold — divine and human ; for each nature hath its particular and proper wisdom belonging to it. As God, it is infinite : Ps. cxlvii. 15, * His understanding is infinite.' And so by one infinite view, or by one act of understandino^, he knoweth all thin2:s that are, have been, or shall be, yea, or may be, by his divine power and all-sufficiency. They are all before his eyes, as if naked and cut down by the chine-bone. We know things successively, as a manreadeth a book, line after line, and page after page ; but God at one view. Now his human wisdom cannot be equal to this. A finite nature cannot be capable of an infinite understanding, but yet it is such as it doth far exceed the knowledge of all men and all angels. When Christ was upon earth, though the forms of things could not but successively come into his mind or understanding, because of the limited nature of that mind and understanding, yet then he could know whatever he would, and to whatsoever thing he would apply his mind, he did presently under- stand it ; and in a moment, by the light of the divinity, all things were presented to him ; so that he accurately knew the nature of whatever he had a mind to know. And therefore then he was not ignorant of those things that were in the hearts of men, and were done so secretly as they were thought only to be known to God himself. Thus he knew the secret touch of the woman, when the multitude thronged upon him, Luke viii. 45, 46. So Mat. ix. 3, 4, ' When certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth : Jesus knowing their thoughts, said, Why think ye evil in your hearts ? ' He discerneth VOL. X. B 18 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XVIIL the inward thoughts, and turneth out the inside of the scribes' minds. So Mat. xii. 24, 25, Jesus knew their thoughts when they imagined that ' by Beelzebub the prince of the devils he cast out devils.' But most fully, see John ii. 24, 25, ' He committed not himself to them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man ; for he knew what was in man.' It may be they knew not them- selves, but he knew what kind of belief it was, such as would not hold out in time of temptation. We cannot infallibly discern professors before they discover themselves ; yet all hypocrites are seen and known of him, even long before they show their hypocrisy, not by a conjectural, but a certain knowledge, as being from and by himself, as God. He doth infallibly know what is most secret and hidden in man. Now, if he were endowed with such an admirable understanding even in the days of his flesh, while he grew in wisdom and stature, Luke ii., and his human capacity enlarged by degrees, what shall we think of him in that state in which he is now glorious in heaven ? Therefore, to exercise this judgment, he shall bring incomparable knowledge, so far exceeding the manner and measure of all creatures, even as he is man ; but his infinite knowledge as God shall chiefly shine forth in this work. Therefore he is a fit judge, able to bring forth the secret things of darkness and counsels of the heart into open and manifest light, 1 Cor. iv, 5, and disprove sinners in their pretences and excuses, and pluck off their disguises from them. [2.] For justice and righteousness. An incorrupt judge, that neither doth nor can err in judgment, must be our judge. As there is a double knowledge in Christ, so there is a double righteousness ; one that belongeth to him as God, the other as man ; and both are exact and immutably perfect. His divine nature is holiness itself : ' In him is light, and no darkness at all.' The least shadow of injustice cannot be imagined there. All virtues in God are his being, not superadded qualities. God's holiness may be resembled to a vessel of pure gold, where the substance and lustre is the same ; but ours is like a vessel of wood or earth gilded, where the substance and gilding is not the same. Our holiness is a superadded quality. We cannot call a wise man, Wisdom ; or a righteous man, Kighteousness. We use the concrete of man, but the abstract of God. He is love, he is light, he is holiness itself ; which noteth the inseparability of the attribute from God. It is himself ; God cannot deny himself : his act is his rule. Take Peter Martyr's similitude : A carpenter chopping a piece of wood by a line or square, may sometimes chop right and sometimes wrong ; he cannot carry his hand so evenly ; but if we could suppose that a carpenter's hand were his rule, he could not chop amiss. Christ's human nature was so sanctified, that upon earth he could not sin, much more now glorified in heaven. And there will be use of both righteousnesses in the last judgment ; but chiefly of the righteous- ness that belongeth to the divine nature ; for all the operations of Christ are theandrical ; neither nature ceaseth to work in them. As in all the works of men, the body and the soul do both conspire and concur in that w\ay which is proper to either ; only, as in the works of liis humiliation his human nature did more appear, so in the works that belong to his exaltation and glorified estate, his divine nature Vers. 31-33.] sermons upon matthew xxv. 19 appearetli most ; especially in this solemn action, wherein Christ is to discover himself to the world with the greatest majesty and glory. [3.] For power. A divine power is plainly necessary, that none may withdraw themselves from this judgment, or resist or hinder the execu- tion of this sentence ; for otherwise it would be passed in vain : Titus ii. 13, ' Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ.' Christ is then to show himself the great and powerful God. His power is seen in raising the dead, in bringing them together in one place, in opening their consciences, in casting them into hell : Mat. xxiv. 30, ' The Son of man shall come from heaven with power and great glory.' [4.] For authority. I shall the longer insist on this, because the main hinge of all lieth here, and this doth bring the matter home. That Jesus Christ, and none but Jesus Christ, shall be the world's judge. By the law of nature, the wronged party and the supreme power hath right to require satisfaction for the wrong done. Where no power is publicly constituted, possibly the wronged party hath power to require it ; but where things are better constituted, lest the wronged party should indulge his revenge and passion too far, it rests in the supreme power, and those appointed by it, to judge the matter, and to make amends to those that are wronged in their body, goods, or good name. Now, to God both these things concur. (1.) He is the wronged party, and offended with the sins of men. Not that we can lessen his happiness by anything that we can do ; for our good and evil reacheth not unto him ; his essential glory is still the same, whether we obey or disobey, please or displease, honour or dishonour him. That which is eternal and immutable neither is lessened nor increased by anything that we can do. He is out of the reach of all the darts that we can cast at him. Hurt us they may, but reach him they cannot. But sin, it is a wrong to his declarative glory as sovereign lord and lawgiver, as it is a breach of his law. There was hurt done to Bathsheba and Uriah, Ps. li. 4, but the sin and obliquity of the action was against God and his sovereign authority. If the injury done to the creature could be severed from the offence done to God, it were not so great, God is the author of the light of nature, and that order which begetteth a sense of good and evil in our hearts. God is the author of the law given by Moses, and the gospel revealed by his Son. Therefore, whatever things are committed against the law of nature, or the law of Moses, or the gospel, certainly it is a wrong to the justice of God, as being a breach of that order which he hath established : 1 John iii. 4, ' He that committeth sin, transgresseth also the law ; for sin is a transgression of the law.^ Laws cannot be despised, but the majesty of the lawgiver is contemned, disparaged, and slighted. Therefore upon this right God might come in as a very proper judge. But, indeed, God doth not punish merely as offended, or as a private man revengeth himself, where there is no power pub- licly constituted to do him right ; but he j^roperly judge th. (2.) A supreme and sovereign lord, and governor of the world, to whom it belongeth, for the common good, to see that it be well with them that do well, and ill with them that do evil, and that no com- passion be showed but where the case is compassionable, according tf> 20 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV, [SeR. XVIII, that declaration lie bath made ot liimself to the creatures. To declan; this more i)luinly, we shall see how this right accrueth to God. It may be supposed to accrue to him two ways — either because of the excel- lency of his being, or because of his benefits which he hath bestowed upon mankind. (1st.) The excellency of his being. This is according to the light of nature, that those that excel should be above others ; as it is clear in man, who is above the brute creatures; he is made to have dominion over them, because he hath a more excellent nature than they. And when God said, ' Let us make man after our own image,' he presently upon that account gave him dominion over the beasts of the field, and fowls of the air, and fishes of the sea. So God, being infinite, and far above all finite things, hath a power over the creatures, angels or men, who are as nothing to him, and therefore to be governed by him. But chiefly — (2d.) By virtue of the benefits bestowed by him ; for great benefits received from another do necessarily beget a power over him that receiveth them ; as parents have a power and authority over their children, who are a means under God to give them life and education; the most barbarous people would acknowledge this. How much greater, then, is the right of God, who hath given us life, and breath, and being, and well-being, and all things ! He created us out of nothing ; and being created, he preserveth us, and giveth us all the good things which we enjoy. And therefore we are obliged to be subject to him, and to obey his holy laws, and to be accountable to him for the breach of them. Therefore, let us state it thus : As the excellency of his nature giveth him a fitness and a sufficiency for the government of mankind, his creation, preservation, and other benefits give him a full right to make what laws he pleaseth, and to call man to an account whether he hath kept them, yea or no. His right is greater than parents can have over their children ; for in natural generation they are but instruments of his providence, acting only the power which God giveth them ; and the parents propagate nothing to the children but the body, and those things that belong to the body ; called, there- fore, ' The fathers of our flesh,' Heb. xii. 9. Yea, in framing the body God hatli a greater hand than they ; for they cannot tell whether the child will be maU) or female, beautiful or deformed. They know not the number and posture of the bones, and veins, and arteries, and sinews ; but God doth not only concur to all these things, but ' form the spirit of man in him,' Zech, xii. 1. And all the care and provi- dence of our parents cometli to nothing, unless the Lord directetli it, and secondeth it with his blessing. Therefore God naturally is the governor and judge of all creatures, visible and invisible; so that, from his empire and jurisdiction they neither can nor onght to exempt themselves. So that to be God and judge of the world is one and the same thing expressed in divers terms. Well, then, you will ask, Why is Christ the judge of the world, j-ather than the Father and the Spirit, who made us, and gave the law to us ? 1 answer — 1. That we have gone a good step to prove that it is the pecu- liar right of God, common to the three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ; 'for these three are one,' 1 John v. 7. They have one Vers. 31-33.] sermons upon matthew xxv. 21 common nature, and the operations that are with the divine essence are common to them all. So that as the creation of all things is equally attributed to all. so also the right of this act of judging the world doth alike agree to all. So that as j-et the thing is not explained enough, unless we should grant that it shall be exercised by all, or can prove out of the scriptures that one person of these three is ordained, and by mutual consent chosen out by the rest to exercise it for himself and for the other. Indeed, at the first, when the doctrine of the Trinity was not as 5'et openly revealed, it was not needful to inquire more diligently after it ; but this general truth sufficed, that God is the judge of the world. As wiien Enoch said, Jude 14., ' Behold, the Lord Cometh with ten thousands of his saints ;' and as David, Ps. Ixiv.. 2, 'Lift up thj'self, thou judge of the earth;' and Ps. 1. 6, 'God is judge himself ;' and in many other places. It was enough to under- stand it of one only and true God, without distinction of the persons ; but when that mystery was clearly manifested, then the question was necessar}^ which of the persons should be judge of the world ? 2. As there is an order among the persons of the blessed Tj'inity in the manner of subsisting, so there is also a certain order and economy according to which all their operations are produced and brought forth to the creatui-e ; according to which ordei- their power of judging fell partly to the Father, and partly to the Son. [1.] In the business of redemption. The act of judging, which was to be exercised u]ion our surety, who was substituted in our room and place, and offered himself not only for our good, in honum nostrum, but loco ct vice nosfri,'to bear our punishment, and to procure favour to us; there the act of judging belongeth to the Father, to whom the satisfaction is tendered, 1 John ii. 1 ; the advocate is to plead before the judge. But — [2.] As to the judgment to be exercised upon us, who either par- take of that salvation which was purchased by that surety, or have lost it by our negligence and unbelief; there the Son, or second person, is our judge. In the former, the Son could not be judge, because in a sense he made liimself a party for our good, and in our room and place ; and the same person cannot be both judge and party too ; give and take the satisfaction both ; that cannot be. Well, then, in this other judgment the Holy Ghost cannot be conveniently the judge ; for in this mystery he hath another part, function, and office prepared ; and being the third person in the order of subsisting, the Son was not to be passed over, but it fell to him. [3.] In the Son there is a double relation or consideration — one as he is God, the other as he is mediator; the one natural and eternal, and shall endure for ever ; the other of mediator, which as he took upon himself in time, so in the consummation of time he shall at length lay aside : in this latter respect, as mediator, he is judge by deputation. The primitive sovereign and judge is God ; and the king and judge by derivation is Jesus Christ the mediator, in his manhood, united to the second person in the Godhead ; and so the judgment of the world is put upon him. In regard of the creatures, liis authority is absolute and su])reme, for there can be no appeal from his judgment; but in regard of God, it is deputed. He is ordained ; so it is said, 22 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XVIII. Jolizi V. 27, ' The Father haili given him authority also to exercise judgment, ])ccause he is tlie Son of man.' He hath the power of life and death, to condemn and to absolve. So Acts x. 42, 'He is ordained of God to be the judge of the quick and the dead ;' and Acts xvii. 31, ' He hath a})pointed a day in which he will judge the world in right- eousness by that man whom he hath ordained.' In all which he acts as the Father's vicegerent ; and after he hath judged, * He shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father,' 1 Cor. xv. 24. So that the light of Christ as mediator is not that which befalleth him imme- diately from the right of creation ; but is derivative, and subordinate to that kingdom which is essential to him, common to the Father, Son, and Spirit. [4.] This power which belongeth to Christ as mediator is given to him partly as a recompense of his humiliation ; of which I shall speak in the second point. But chiefly — (1.) Because it belongeth to the fulness of his mediatory office; and therefore, being appointed king by the Father, his last function as a king was to judge the world. The Mediator was not only to pay a price to divine justice, and to separate the redeemed from the world, by his Spirit converting them to God, but also to judge the devil, and all those enemies out of whose hands he had freed the Church. He was to fight against the blind world, and triumph over them ; and when the world is ended, to judge them, and cast them into eternal tor- ments. (2.) His office is not full till this be done. It is a part of his ad- ministration as mediator. The last act of conquest is overcoming his enemies, and glorifying and redressing injuries and wrongs of his saints. Secondly, In what nature he doth act and exercise the judgment, as God, or man, or both. I answer — In both. Christ is the person, as God-man ; yet the judg- ment is acted visibly by him in the human nature, sitting upon a visible throne, that he may be seen of all, and heard. Therefore Christ is so often designed by this expresion, ' Son of man ;' as in the text, and Mat. xvi. 27, and Acts xvii. 31, and Mat. xxvi. 64, 'Ye shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds, with power and great glory;' John v. 27. The Son of man is the visible actor and judge. Because the judgment must be visible, therefore the judge must be such as may be seen with bodily eyes. The Godhead puts forth itself by the human nature, in which all these great works are acted. Use. You see what need there is to get in with Christ: Eom. viii. 1, 'There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ;' 1 John ii. 28, ' And now, little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.' Oh ! what a comfort will it be to have our Kedeemer in our nature to be our judge! Then we shall see our goel, our kins- man, whom we have heard so much of, whom we have loved, and longed for. But the contemners of his mercy will find the Lamb's face terrible : Eev. vi. 16, ' And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall upon us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.' But believers will find their advo- cate their judge, to reward those that trust in him, Ps. ii. 12. He that VeR. 31.] SERMONS UPON- MATTHEW XXV. 23 hath so often pleaded with God for us, he is to pass sentence upon us. Woukl a man be afraid to be judged by his dearest friend, or think his sentence would be terrible? If the devil were our judge, or wicked men, we might be sad ; but it is your dear Lord Jesus ; therefore let us comfort ourselves with the thoughts of it. David's followers were afraid ; but when he came to be crowned at Hebron, then he dignified and re- warded them. Christ's followers are now despised; but when he shall come in liis glory, they shall be invited into his kingdom : ' Come, ye blessed of my Father.' SERMON XIX. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the hohj angels ivith liim, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. —Mat. XXV. 31. I COME now to the second point : — Doct. 2. That Christ's appearance for the judgment of the world shall be glorious and full of majesty. I shall prove it by opening the circumstances of the text. Three things are offered here : — 1. His personal glory. 2. His royal attendance. 3. His glorious seat and throne. First, His jjersonal glory. Let us see what it is, and why he will come in such an appearance. First, What it will be. We cannot fully know till we see it ; but certain we are this glory must be exceeding great, if we consider — 1. The dignity of his person. He is Grod-man ; and now that mystery is to be discovered to the utmost ; therefore he must needs have such a glory as never creature was capable of, nor can be ; but at that day the creatures are capable of great glory ; for it is said, Mat. xiii. 43, ' The righteous shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of the Father.' And if it be thus with the saints, how shall it be with Christ ? The saints are but creatures ; they are not deified when they are glorified ; but he is God-man in one person. The saints are but .members of the mystical body, but Christ is the head ; and therefore he must needs far excel the glory of all the creatures. Ours is but a derived rtiy ; the body of light is in himself. We read, 2 Thes. i. 10, that 'he will be admired in the saints;' that is, in the glory he puts upon them. All the spectators shall stand admiring at the honour he puts upon them, that are but newly crept out of dust and rottenness. But how much more may he be admired for his own personal glory ! 2. The quality of his office. He is the judge of the world, who now Cometh to appear upon the throne, to be seen of all ; therefore there must be a glory suitable. We read. Acts xxv. 23, that Agrippa and Beruice came to the judgment-seat, ixeTa ttoXA,?}? ^avTaa-La<;, with a great deal of pomp and state. And we see in earthly judicatures, when great malefactors are to be tried, the whole majesty and glory of 24 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR, XIX.. a nation is brou.2jlit forth; the judge in gorgeous apparel, accompanied with nobles and gentry and officers, and a great conflux of ])eople, to inake it more magnificent and terrible. So here is a conflux of the whole world, angels, devils, men from all corners of the earth ; all the men that ever were and ever shall be ; and Christ cometh forth in Ids greatest glory. 3. Consider the greatness of his work, and that will show that his o-lory must needs be discovered. His work is, on the one side, to irvpl <; rjhvvavro amvuv, ' He spake the word unto them as they were able to hear it/ Mark iv. 33 ; as Jacob drove as the little ones and cattle were able to bear, Gen. xxxiii. 14. He calleth to work and suffering according as he giveth grace and strength, 1 Cor. x. 13. Propor- tioneth their temptations according to their growth and experience. He sendeth great trials after large assurances, Heb. x. 32. As castles are victualled before they are suffered to be besieged. There is a sweet con- descension in all his dispensations to every one's state and condition. (3.) The goodness of a shepherd lieth in a constant performing all parts of a shepherd to them: Ezek. xxxiv. 15, 16, ' I will seek that which was lost, bring back that which was driven away, bind up that which was broken, strengthen that which was sick : but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them with judgment.' There is all necessary attendance and accommodation conducing to the safety and welfare of the flock ; to protect them from violence from without, to jirevent diseases within, to keep them from straying by the inspirations of his Spirit and the fence of his providence (' Blessed be God, that sent thee to meet me this day,' saith holy David), and to reclaim and reduce them when strayed. It were endless to instance in all. (4.) There is this particularity in this good shepherd, of which there is no resemblance found in others : John x. 11, ' I am the good shep- herd, that giveth my life for the sheep.' He doth not only give life to 42 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XX. them, bat his own life for them, by way of ransom. This is a flock purchased by the blood of God, Acts xx. 28. He came from heaven to find out lost sheep ; left a palace for the wilderness, and the throne for the fold. David was called from the sheep-hook to the sceptre ; but Christ from tlie sceptre to the sheep-hook. Lost man had never been found if Christ had not come from heaven to seek him. We were forfeited, and therefore to be ransomed ; and no price would serve but Christ's own blood. (5.) There is this peculiar in this good shepherd, that he maketh us become the flock of his pasture, and sheep of his fold, Ps. c. 3. When other shepherds have the sheep delivered into their hands, he searcheth up and down for them in the woods and deserts ; wherever they are scattered abroad, a lamb here and a lamb there ; free grace findetli them out : Ezek. xxxiv. 4, ' I will search out my sheep, and seek them out ; ' Zeph. iii. 10, ' I will look after my dispersed from beyond the river of Ethiopia.' In the farthermost and unknov/n countries in every land, Christ knoweth where his work lieth, though it may be but one in a village, in the midst of wolves and swine. He maketh them to be what they are not by nature ; turneth and changeth sv^ine into sheep and wolves into lambs, [2.] He is the great shejiherd. (1.) Great in his person, the Son of God. Dominus exeixituum fit pastor ovium, saith Bernard — the Lord of hosts is become the shepherd of the flock. He needed us not ; if he had delighted in multitudes of flocks and herds, there are ten thousand times ten thousand angels that stand about the throne. He needed not leave his throne and die for angels as for us. And (2.) He is great in regard of the excellency of his gifts and qualifications : he is king, priest, and prophet. In the pastoral relation he manifesteth all his offices; he feedeth them as a prophet, dieth for them as a priest, defendeth them as a king ; never sheep had better shepherd. Redimit preciose, pascit cmcte, ducit solicite, collegit secure. Jacob was very careful, yet some of his flock were lost, or torn, or stolen, or driven away ; but it cannot be so with Christ's flock ; we are safe as long as he is upon the throne. (3.) Great in regard of his flock: he is the shepherd of souls ; millions of them are committed to his charge, and one soul is more worth than all the world. [3.] He is the chief shepherd. Though he doth employ the min- istry of men to feed his flock under him, yet doth he keep tlie place and state of arch-sheplierd and prince of pastors, as the chief ruler and feeder of his flock, from whom all the under-shepherds have their charge and commission, Mat. xxviii. 19, 20, their furniture and gifts, Eph. iv. 8, 11 ; upon whose concurrence dependeth the efficacy and blessing of the ordinances dispensed by them, 1 Cor. iii. 6, 7 ; and to him they give an account, Heb. xiii. 17, as he doth to God. Now this is a great comfort, that Christ taketh the prime charge of the flock. Some thrust in themselves, but he will require his flock at their hands. Use. Let all this encourage you to look for your supplies by Christ. He professeth by special office to take charge of you ; and you may be confident of his care and fidelity. Besides his love to the flock, he is bound as God's shepherd. By distrust you carry it so as if Christ were unfaithful in his charge and office. When you come to the ordinances, VeKS. 32, 33.] SEKMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 43 you do directly cast yourselves upon Christ's pastoral care to feed you to everlasting life ; and he will give you strength and refreshing. Only be not lean in Christ's pasture, nor faint, as Hagar, near a fountain. Secondly, The godly are as sheep. 1. Sheep are animalia gregalia, such kind of creatures as naturally gather themselves together and unite themselves in a flock. Other creatures we know, especially beasts of prey, live singly and apart ; but sheep are never well but when they come together and live in a flock. Such are christians, and such as are partakers of a heavenly calling. It is unnatural for them to live alone : they feed in flocks, Heb. x. 25. Man by nature is ^wov iroXiriKov ; he hath a nature that is apt to make him gather into a community and society. We are social, not only upon interest, as weak without others, but upon natural inclina- tion. We have a desire to dwell and live together, Eccles. iv. 10. The voice of nature saith, it is not good to be alone ; so it is true of the new nature ; there is a spirit of communion that inclineth them to some other, and to join with them. 2. Sheep, they are innocent and harmless creatures. They that belong to Christ are not bears and tigers and wolves, but sheep, that often receive harm, but do none. Christ was holy and harmless, Heb. vii. 26, and so are they. 3. Sheep are obedient to the shepherd. The meek and obedient followers of Christ are like sheep in this, who are docile and sequa- cious : John X. 4, ' He goeth before them, and they know his voice ;' and ver. 16, ' Other sheep must I bring in also, and they shall hear my voice ;' and ver. 27, ' My sheep hear my voice ; I know them, and they follow me.' All Christ's comforts,! in all places and all ages, have the same properties and the same impression. 4. They are poor dependent creatures. They are ever attendant on the shepherd, or the shepherd on them. [1.] Because of their erring property. They are creatures pliant to stray ; but being strayed, do not easily return. Swine will run about all day and find their way home at night. Domine, errare jper me potui, redire non potuissem, saith Austin. Christ bringeth home the stray lamb upon his own shoulders, Luke xv. ; and Ps. cxix. 176, ' AH we like sheep have gone astray.' If God leave us to ourselves, we still shall do so. [2.] Because of their weakness. They are weak and shiftless crea- tures, unable to make resistance. Other creatures are armed with policy, skill, or courage to safeguard themselves ; but sheep are able to do little for themselves ; they are wholly kept in dependence upon their shepherd for protection and provision. All their happiness lieth in the good wisdom, care, and power of the shepherd. Wolves, lions, and leopards need none to watch over them. Briars and thorns grow alone ; but the noble vine is a tender thing, and must be supported, pruned, and dressed. The higher the being the more necessitous, and the more kept in dependence. There needs more care to preserve a plant than a stone ; a stone can easily aggregate and gather moss to itself. There needeth more supplies for a beast than a plant, and more supplies to a man than to a beast. ^ Qu. ' consorts ' ? — Ed. 44 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XX. Thirdly, The wicked are cas o;oats. They are as goats both for their nnruliness and unclcanness. UnruKness: they have not the meek- ness of sheep, are ready to break through all fence and restraint ; so a wicked man is yokeless. They are also wanton and loathsome ; it is a baser sort of animal than the sheep ; therefore chosen to set forth a wicked and ungodly man. The second point expressed is this, that though now there is a con- fusion of godly and wicked, as of goats and sheep in the same field, yet then there shall be a perfect separation. There will not then be one of one sort in company with the other : Ps. 1. 5, 'He will gather his saints together;' and Ezek. xxxiv. 17, ' I will judge between cattle and cattle, the sheep and the goats ;' Ps. i. 5, ' The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.' When the saints meet in a general assembly, not one bad shall be found among them. Though now they live together in the same kingdom, in the same village, in the same visible church, in the same family, yet then a perfect separation. The reasons are briefly these two — (1.) The judge's wisdom and perspicuity ; (2.) His justice. They that will not endure them now shall not then abide with them in the same fellowship. Use 1. Here is comfort to them that mourn under the degenerate and corrupted state of Christianity. The good and the bad are mixed together ; many times they live in the same herd and flock. It is a trouble to the godly that all are not as they are ; and we feel the incon- veniency, for the carnal seed will malign the spiritual, Gal. iv. 29. But God will distinguish between cattle and cattle. Discipline indeed is required in the church to keep the sound from being infected, and the neglect of it is matter of grief But the work is never perfectly done till then ; then there is a perfect separation, and a perpetual separation, never to mix more. Use 2. This may serve to alarm hypocrites. Many hide the matter from the world and themselves, but Christ shall perfectly discover thein, and bring them to light, and show themselves to themselves and all the world. All their shifts will not serve the turn. Here are mixed together the sheep and the goats, the chaff and the solid grain, tares and wheat, thorns and roses, vessels of honour and dishonour. Many do halt between God and Baal. A man cannot say. They are sheep or goats ; neither do they themselves know it. Therefore it calleth upon us to make our estate more explicit. Yea, many that seemed sheep shall be found goats. Then it will appear whether they are regenerated to the image of Christ, or destitute of the spirit of sanctification, yea or no ; whether they loved God above all, or con- tinued serving the flesh, making it their end and scope. Use 3. Are we sheep or goats? There is no neutral or middle estate. Is there a sensible distinction between us and others ? Then we shall have the fruit and comfort of it at that day : 1 Peter ii. 25, ' Ye were as sheep going astray ; but now are returned to the bishop and shepherd of your souls.' We all should look back upon our former courses, betaking ourselves to Jesus Christ, seeking to enjoy his favour and fellowship, submitting to him as our ruler and guide, resigning up ourselves to be at his disposal, both for condition of life and choice YeR. 34.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 45 of way and course. I say, when by his powerful grace we are thus brought back from our sinful way and course, and made to follow him as our Lord, we are his flock, and he will mind us. Time was when you did run wild, according to your former fancies and the bent of your unruly hearts, and were wholly strangers to God, and could spend days, nights, and weeks, and months, and yet never mind com- munion with him ; but now the business of your souls is to give up yourselves to him, or take the way which he hath prescribed to ever- lasting glory, Eesolve no longer to live to yourselves, but to be under his discipline. Secondly, As to place, ' He shall set the sheep upon the right hand, and the goats upon the left. In the right hand there is greater strength and ability, and fitness for all kind of operations; therefore that place is counted more honourable. So Christ himself is said to ' sit down at the right hand of God the Father ; ' that is to say, hath obtained the highest place of dignity and power, above all angels and men, in bliss, honour, and dominion. Doct. The godly shall be placed honourably at the day of judgment, when the wicked shall have the place of least respect. A type and figure of this we have in Moses his division of the tribes. Some were to stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people, some on Mount Ebal to curse ; those born of Jacob's wives put upon Mount Gerizim, those of his servants on Mount Ebal, Reuben ex- cepted, who went into his father's bed. The saints, in their measure, enjoy all the privileges that Christ doth. Now the Father saith to the Son, Ps. ex. 1, ' Sit thou at my right hand.' So they have chosen the best blessings. It is said, Ps. xvi. 11, ' At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore ; ' and Pro v. iii. 16, ' Length of days is in her right hand.' They love God, and are beloved of him ; they honour God in the world : 1 Sam. ii. 30, ' They that honour me I will honour.' Use. Let us then encourage ourselves when we are counted the scurf and offscouring of all things. We shall not always be in this condi- tion, but Christ will put honour upon us in sight of all the world. SEPvMON XXL Then shall the King say unto them on Ms right hom,d, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom i^repared for you from the foundation of the luorld. — Mat. XXV. 34. We have considered in the former verses — (1.) The sitting down of the judge; (2.) The presenting the parties to be judged. Now (3.) The sentence. First, Of absolution, in these blessed words which I have now read to you. Observe in them — (1.) The preface ; (2.) The sentence itself. 1. The preface showeth the person by whom the sentence is pro- nounced, then shall the King say. 2. The parties whom it concerneth, to them on the right hand. 46 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XXI. Secondly, The form and tenor of the sentence itself ; it is very- comfortable and ravishing. Take notice — 1. Of a compellation used, ye Messed of my Father. 2. An invitation, expressed in two words, hevre, KkTjpovofji^ijcraTe, come and inherit. The first giveth warning for entering ; the second, for possessing of this blessed estate, and that by a sure tenure. 3. The happiness unto which we are invited ; and there the notion by which it is expressed, the Jcingdom. The adjunct, a kingdom pyrpared. The ai)plication of it to the parties concerned, for you. The ancientness of it, from the foundation of the ivorld. An estate excellent in itself, and made sure for us. Doct. That Jesus Christ, at his coming, will adjudge his people unto a state of everlasting happiness, by a favourable and comfortable sentence passed in their behalf. First, Observe the order, then. The godly are first absolved, before the wicked are condemned. Why ? Because — 1. It is more natural to God to reward than to punish, to save than to condemn. The one is called alienum opus, ' his strange work,' Isa. xxviii. 21. His self-inclination bendeth him to the one more than to the other. The absolution of the good maketh for the mani- festation of his mercy, the attribute wherein God delighteth, Micah vii. 18. But his justice, as to the punitive part of it, it is last. God doth good of his own accord, but punishment is extorted and forced from him. 2. It is suitable to Christ's love to begin with the saints. He is so pronely inclined to them, that he taketh their cause first in hand. He parted from them with thoughts of returning to them again. 3. For the godly's sake, that they be not for any while terrified with that dreadful doom which shall pass on the reprobate ; and that afterwards become judges of the wicked, by their vote and suffrage, when absolved themselves, 1 Cor. vi. 3. 4. For the wicked, that they may understand and be affected with their loss, and so be made more sensible of their own folly. Christ will, in their sight, put glory and honour upon his good servants, that they may have a stinging and vexatious sense of that hapjiiness which they have forsaken. Whether it be for this or that reason, let us the better bear it here. When judgment beginneth at the house of God, as it often doth, 1 Peter iv. 17, there absolution beginneth at the house of God ; and if upon us God first show his displeasure against sin, it is for the bettering of the saints, and reforming the world. First Christ will take in hand our absolution and coronation before he passeth sentence against the wicked. Secondly, The next thing observable is the title given to Christ, ' Then shall the King say.' Christ first calleth himself the Son of man, ver. 31, because in human nature he administerelh this judg- ment ; afterward sets forth himself by the notion of a shepherd, ver. 32, because of his office and charge about the flock, and then to show it in the exact discrimination he shall make between cattle and cattle. But now the notion is varied, ' The King shall say.' Partly because it belongeth to his kingly office to pass sentence, and prefer his faith- VeR. 34.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 47 fill subjects to dignitj^ and honour, as also to punish the disobedient. Partly because in that day he shall discover himself in all his royal magnificence, and call the godly to him, and solemnly put them in possession of the promised glory. The King shall crown and absolve us : it shall be a tribunal act ; and therefore valid and authentic. When the Redeemer of the world, as King, shall then sit in judgment in all his royalty, he shall then put this honour upon the saints. Thirdly, The next thing is — 1. The compellation used, ' Come, ye blessed of my Father.' [1.] Observe in the general, it is a friendly compellation, used to such, as were thought to be in favour with God. AVitness Laban's words to Abraham's servant ; Gen. xxiv. 31, ' Come in, thou blessed of the Lord;' and Judges xvii. 2, 'Blessed be thou of the Lord.' Those that were counted dear and beloved of the Lord were thus treated and spoken to. And because of the high favour vouchsafed to the Virgin Mary, in being the mother of the Son of God, it is said, ' All generations shall call thee blessed,' Luke i. 28, 42, 48. But what an honour is this, when Christ shall pronounce us to be so with his own mouth : ' Come, ye blessed of my Father.' [2.] More particularly, two terms must be explained — (1.) 'Blessed;' (2.) ' Of my Father.^ First, ' Blessed.' This term is — (1.) Opposed to the world's judgment of them. The world de- spiseth them, and counteth them execrable, vile, and cursed. There- fore it is said, Mat. v. 44, ' Bless them that curse you ; ' and Mat. v. 11, ' Blessed are ye when men shall say all manner of evil of you for my name's sake.' He is blessed whom Christ blesseth. The world rails at us as cursed miscreants, unfit to live in human societies. The world saith, Ahite mcdedicti; ' Away, ye cursed ;' it is not fit for such a one to live. But Christ saith, Venite henedicti, ' Come, ye blessed.' We should set one against the other. The least thing intended in this compellation is an absolution from the reproaches of the world and their censures, whether rashly vented, or pronounced under a colour of law and church power. They are not so ready to curse and fulminate dreadful censures on the true worshippers of Christ as he is to acquit and absolve them. Their Eedeemer in judgment will call them blessed, and publish to the world that all the censures of wicked men were preposterous and perverse. (2.) The term is opposed to the sentence of the law. The world's obloquy is the less to be stood upon, as being the product of wrath, bitterness, and hatred. But the law of God, that containeth in it the highest reason in the world, pronounceth them accursed : Gal. iii. 10, ' Cursed is every one that continueth not in all that is written in the law to do them.' And to this sentence we were once subject, and were so to look upon ourselves, Eph. ii. 3. Whatever we were in the purpose of God, our duty is to look upon what we are in the sentence of the law of God ; and so we were all of us condemned to a curse. And the wicked, that never changed copy and tenure, lie still under that curse ; as Christ himself showeth in his sentence on them, ver. 41, ' Depart, ye cursed.' The curse of the law taketh them by the throat, and casteth them into eternal torments. The devil would 48 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XXI. liave that sentence executed upon us now, according to our deserts ; but the judge on the throne pronounceth us blessed, as having taken hold of the privilege of the new covenant, and so escaped the curse of the law. In this term our justification is implied, Acts iii. 19, Christ dotli in effect say. These my friends and servants deserved in them- selves to be accursed and miserable for ever, but I have made satisfac- tion to God for them, and pronounce them blessed, and free from all sin and misery. (3.) The term is opposed to their own fears. Not only doth the vs^orld condemn us, and Satan urge the curse of the law against us, as having transgressed the bonds and rules of our duty in many cases, but our own trembling hearts are ever and anon casting up many a fearful thought : What shall become of us to all eternity ? This fear is so strong, and rooted in the hearts of the godly, that it is a long time ere the promises of the gospel can vanquish and quell it ; though the messengers of Christ come and tell them of the tender mercies of God, that there is enough in the merits of Christ, of the privileges and immunities offered by the new covenant, and beseech them that they would not obstinately lift up their fears against the whole design of Christ in the gospel, yet all will not do : if they can get a little peace and rest from accusations of conscience, it is almost all they can attain unto in the world : ' Perfect love casteth out fear,' 1 John iv. 10. But then the supreme judge, before whom all must stand or fall, will assure them with his own mouth that they are blessed ; and therefore they shall fully get rid of all disquieting and tormenting fears. He shall say. Tremble no more ; ' Come, ye blessed of my Eather.' (4.) It noteth what God liath done for them to bring them to this estate of blessedness : Eph. i. .3, * Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who liath blessed us with spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.' He hath loved them, and enriched them with grace, heaped many spiritual favours upon them, which now they are to receive the consummation and accomplishment of. Dei henedi- cere est henefacere — when we bless God, we declare him blessed ; when God blesseth us, he maketh us blessed; his saying is doing. Since ye are elected, called, justified, sanctified, at the will of my Father, come and freely possess yourselves of all that you have hoped, longed, and waited for. Secondly, ' Of my Father.' (1.) In this expression he pointeth at the fountain cause of all our happiness ; the beginning of our salvation was from a higher cause than our own holiness, yea, than Christ's merit, from the favour and blessing of God the Father. He was the princijxd efficient cause and ultimate end of the work of our redemption and the saints' blessed- ness. Christ as mediator is but the way to the Father, John xiv. 6. It is the Father appointed Christ, gave him to us, John iii. 16, gave them to Christ, John xvii. 6, and in time brought them to close with his grace, John vi. 44. It is the Father that prepared this kingdom for them before the foundation of the world ; they are the Father's chosen ones, those whom the Father lovetb. (2.) Tliis expression shows how the divine persons glorify one VeR. 34.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 49 another. As the Spirit glorifieth the Son, John xvi, 14, so here the Son glorifieth the Father, and referreth all to him ; he doth not say, My redeemed ones, but ' Ye blessed of my Father,' they are not less beloved and blessed by the Father than by the Son who redeemed them ; blessed in the Father's love who elected them, gave them to Christ, sent Christ and accepted his ransom, declared his will in willing their glorification. 2. The invitation, in two words, Sevre, KXrjpovofiijaaTe ; both have their emphasis and proper signification: the one signifieth our en- trance upon the glorified estate, the other our everlasting possession of it. [1.] Aevre, 'Come.' To the wicked he saith 'Depart,' but to the saints, ' Come.' As the quintessence of all misery lieth in the one, so the consummation of all blessedness in the other. He had said before. Mat. xi. 28, ' Come to me all ye that are weary and heavy- laden, and I will give you rest;' but that was but an acquaintance at a distance, and some remote service we were called unto. But now. Come into my heart, my bosom, my glory. Our nearest communion with Christ is not till we be translated into heaven. Come, draw near to me ; be not afraid of my majesty. This was it the saints longed for, and now they enjoy it : ' When shall I come and appear before God ? ' saith holy David, Ps. xlii. 2. You that had a heart upon my first invitation to come to me, and seek after me in the kingdom of grace, come near to me now in the kingdom of glory. The godly do not so much desire to come near to Christ, as Christ desireth to come near to them. Where have you been all this while ? Come, come ; I am ready to receive you ; you are welcome guests to me : we have been too long asunder. Oh ! how ravishing will this be to every gracious heart that loved and longed for tliis day ! [2.] KXr]povofji,i]aare, ' Inherit.' Our happy and blessed estate we have and hold by inheritance : 1 Peter iii. rison, and came unto thee? And the King shall ansvjer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Insomuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. — Mat. XXV. 37-40. We have handled the sentence and the reason. The reason is ampli- fied in some parabolical passages, which contain a dialogue or inter- changeable discourse between Christ the King and his elect servants. In which you may observe — (1.) Their question, ver. 37-39 ; (2.) Christ's reply and answer, ver. 40. Not that such formal words shall pass to and fro at the day of judgment, between the judge and the judged ; but only to represent the matter more sensibly, and in a more lively and impressive way to our minds. rirst, For their question ; certainly it is not moved — (1.) By way of doubt or exception to the reason alleged by the judge in his sentence, there being a perfect agreement and harmony of mind and will between Vers. 37-40.] seemons upon matthew xxv. 1S7 tliem. Neither (2.) Out of ignorance, as if they knew not that Christ was so much concerned in their works of love done to his chiklren for his sake ; for this they knew aforehand, that what was done to chris- tians is done to Christ, and upon that account they do it as to Christ ; and such ignorance cannot be supposed to be found in the glorified saints. (3.) Some say the question is put to express a holy wonder at what they hear and see ; and no question Christ will then be admired in his saints, 2 Thes. i. 10. And three causes there may be of this wonder: — 1. Their humble sense of their own nothingness, that their services should be taken notice of and rewarded ; that he should have such a respect for their mean offices of love, which they little esteemed of, and had no confidence in them. 2. The greatness of Christ's condescension, that he should have such a care of his mean servants, who were so despicable in the world. 3. The greatness of the reward. Christ shall so incomparably, above all that they could ask or think, reward his people, that they shall wonder at it. This sense is pious, taken up by most interpreters. I should acquiesce in it, but that I find the same question put by the reprobates afterwards, ver. 42-44 ; they use the same words ; there- fore I think the words are barely parabolical, brought in by Christ that he might have occasion further to declare himself how they fed him and clothed him, and what esteem he will put upon works of charity ; and to impress this truth the more upon our minds, that what is done to his people is accepted by him as if it were done to his person. However, because the former sense is useful, I shall a little insist upon it in this note. Doct. That when Christ shall come to reward his people, they shall have great cause to wonder at all that they see, hear, and enjoy. 1. They shall wonder at the reason alleged. They that are holy ever think humbly of their own works, and therefore, considering their no-deservings, their ill-deservings, they cannot satisfy themselves in admiring and extolling the rich grace of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, that he should take notice of anything of theirs, and produce it into judgment. See how they express themselves now : Ps. cxliii. 2, ' Enter not into judgment with thy servant ;' Non elicit, Cum liostihus tuts. So Ps. cxxx. 3, ' If thou shouldest mark iniquity, 0 Lord, who shall stand?' So 1 Cor. iv. 4, 'For I know nothing by myself, yet am not I thereby justified;' Isa. Ixiv. 6, 'But we are as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.' This thought they have of all they do, and their minds are not altered then, for this is the judgment of truth as well as of humility : Luke xvii. 10, ' When we have done all, we are unprofitable servants.' Their Lord hath taught them to say so and think so ; they did not this out of compli- ment. And for their works of mercy, they were not to let their left hand know what their right hand did. Mat. vi. 3. It is a proverb that teaches us that we should not suffer ourselves to take notice of what we give in alms, nor esteem much of it, as if there were any worth therein ;. and therefore, when Christ maketh such reckoning of these things, their wonder will be raised ; they will say, ' Lord, when 68 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XXIII. saw we thee an hungry or athirst ? ' Their true and sincere humility will make them cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ' Thou art worthy, 0 Lord, to receive glory and honour.' Lord, it is thy goodness ; what have we done ? The saints, when they are highest, still show the lowest signs of humility to their Eedeemer, and confess that all the glory they have they have it from him, and are contented to lay it down at his feet, as holding it by his acceptance, and not their own merit ; they have all and hold all by his grace, and therefore would have him receive the glory of all. 2. They shall wonder at the greatness of Christ's condescension and hearty love to his servants, though poor and despicable ; for in the day of judgment he doth not commemorate the benefits done to him in person in the days of his flesh, but to his members in the time of his exaltation: he doth not mention the alabaster box of precious ointment poured on his head, nor the entertainments made him when he lived upon earth, but the feeding and clothing of his hungry and naked servants. The greatest part of christians never saw Christ in the flesh ; but the poor they have always with them. Kindness to these is kindness to him. Again, among these he doth not mention the most eminent, the prophets and apostles, or the great instruments of his glory in the world, but the least of his brethren, even those that are not only little and despicable in the esteem of the world, but those that are little and despicable in the church, in respect of others that are of more eminent use and service. Again, the least kindness shown unto them : Mat. x. 42, ' Whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.' He had spoken before of kindness to prophets and righteous men, men of eminent gifts and graces ; then ordinary disciples ; among these, the least and most con- temptible, either as to outward condition or state of life, or to use and service, and, it may be, inward grace. Now all this showeth what value Christ sets upon the meanest christians, and the smallest and meanest respect that is showed them. The smallness and meanness of the benefit shall not diminish his esteem of your aftection : anything done to his people, as his people, will be owned and noted. When the saints, that newly came from the neglects and scorns of an unbe- lieving world, shall see and hear all this, what cause will they have to wonder, and say, Lord, who hath owned thee in these ? Alas ! in the world all is quite contrary. Let a man profess Christ, and resemble Christ in a lively manner, and own Christ thoroughly, presently he is (arjiJidov avrckeyofievov) set up for a sign of contradiction ; and that, not only among pagans, but professing christians ; yea, by those that would seem to be of great note in the church, as the corner-stone was refused by the builders, 1 Peter ii. 7. And therefore, when Christ taketh himself to be so concerned in their benefits and injuries, they have cause to wonder : Christ was in these, and the world knew it not. 3. At the greatness of the reward; that he should not only take notice of these acts of kindness, but so amply remunerate them. In the rewards of grace God worketh beyond human imagination and apprehension : 1 Cor. ii. 9, ' Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither Vers. 37-40.] sermons 'upon matthew xxv. 69 have entered into the heart of man, the things God hath prepared for them that love him.' We cannot, by all that we see and hear in this world, which are the senses of learning, form a conception large enough for the blessedness of this estate. Enjoyers and beholders will wonder at the grace, and bounty, and power of their Redeemer. It is a transcendent, hyperbolical weight of glory, 2 Cor. iv. 17. Where is anything that they can do or suffer that is worthy to be mentioned or compared with so great a recompense ? When these bodies of earth and bodies of dust shall shine like the stars in brightness, these sublime souls of ours see God face to face, these wavering and inconstant hearts of ours shall be immutably and indeclinably fastened to love him and serve him and praise him ; as without defection, so with- out intermission and interruption ; and our ignominy turned into honour ; and our misery into everlasting happiness : Lord, what work of ours can be produced as to be rewarded with so great a blessed- ness ? Use. That which we learn from this question of theirs, supposed to be conceived upon these grounds, is — 1. A humble sense of all that we do for God. The righteous remem- ber not anything that they did worthy of Christ's notice ; and we should be like-minded : Neh. xiii. 22, ' Remember me, 0 my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.' When we have done our best, we had need to be spared and forgiven rather than rewarded. On the contrary, Luke xviii. 11, ' The pharisee stood and prayed thus to himself, Gocl, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.' And those, Isa. Iviii. 3, ' Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not ? wherefore have we afflicted our souls, and thou takest no knowledge ?' They challenge God for their work. None more apt to rest in their own righteousness than they that have the least cause. Formal duties do not discover weakness, and so men are apt to be puffed up ; they search little, and so rest in some outward things. It is no great charge to maintain painted fire. The substan- tial duties of Christianity, such as faith and repentance, imply self- humbling ; but external things produce self-exalting. They put the soul to no stress. Laden boughs hang the head most ; so are holy christians most humble. None labour so much as they do in working out their salvation ; and none so sensible of their weaknesses and imperfections. Old wine puts the bottles in no danger, there is no strength and spirits left in it ; so do formal duties little put the soul to it. On the other side, they are conscious to so many weaknesses as serious duties will bring into the view of conscience, and have a deep sense of their obligations to the love and goodness of God, and a strong persuasion of the blessed reward. None are so humble as they : they see so much infirmity for the present, so much obligation from what is past, and such sure hope of what is to come, tliat they can scarce own a duty as a dut}'. None do duties with more care, and none are less mindful of what they have done. They discern little else in it, that they contribute anything to a good action, but the sin of it. This is to do God's work with an evangelical spirit ; doing our utmost, and still ascribiniir all to our Mediator and blessed Redeemer. 70 SERMONS UPON MATTfiEW XXV. [SeR. XXIII. 2. What value and esteem we should have for Christ's servants and faithful worshippers. Christ treateth his mystical body with greater indulgence, love, and respect than he did his natural body ; for he doth not dispense his judgment with respect to that, but these. He would not have us know him after the flesh, 2 Cor. v. 16 ; please ourselves with the conceit of what we would do to him if he were alive and here upon earth ; but he will judge us according to the respect or disrespect we show to his members, even to the meanest among them ; to wrong them is to wrong Christ : Zech. ii. 8, ' He that toucheth you touchetli the apple of his eye.' The church's trouble goes near his heart, which in due time will be manifested upon the instruments thereof. To slight them is to slight Christ : ' He that despiseth you, despiseth me.' To grieve and offend them is to grieve and offend Christ : Mat. xviii. 10, ' Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones ; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.' Did we but consider the value Christ puts upon the meanest christian, we would be loath to offend them. What comfort, love, kindness you show to them, it is reckoned by Christ as done to himself. If we would look upon things now as they shall be looked upon at the day of judgment, we would find our hands and tongues tied and bridled from injuring Christ's faithful servants; yea, we would show more of a christian spirit in relieving their bodily and spiritual necessities, and doing good upon all occasions. 3. It teacheth us to take off our thoughts from things temporal to things eternal ; both in judging of ourselves and others. The great miscarriage of the world is because they measure all things by sense and visible appearance : ' Now we are the sons of God ; but it doth not appear what we shall be,' 1 John iii. 2. Heirs in the world are bred up suitable to their birth and hopes, but God's sons and heirs make no fair show in the flesh. [1.] Do not judge amiss of others. God's people are a poor, despised, hated, scorned company in the world as to visible appearance ; and what proof of Christ is there in them ? Who can see Christ in a hungry beggar ? or the glorious Son of God in an imprisoned and scorned believer? or one beloved of God in him that is mortified with con- tinual sicknesses and diseases ? ' Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or sick, and in prison ? ' A pearl or a jewel that is fallen into the dirt, you cannot discern the worth of it till you wash it, and see it sparkle. A prince in disguise may be jostled and affronted. To a common eye things go better with the Avicked than with the children of God. They enjoy little of the honour and pleasure and esteem of the world, and yet they are the ' excellent ones of the earth,' Ps. xvi. 3. If you can see anything of Christ in them, of the image of God in them, you will one day see them other manner of persons than now you see them, or they appear to be. These will be owned when others are disclaimed, and glorified when they arc rejected and banished out of Christ's pre- sence ; and though your companying with them be a disgrace to you now, it will then be your greatest joy and comfort. [2.] Do not judge amiss of yourselves. When the world doth not esteem of us, but is ready to put many injuries upon us, and to follow us with hatred and sundry persecutions, we are apt to judge ourselves Vers. 37-40.] sermons upon matthew xxv. 71' forsaken of God ; that we have no room or place in his heart, or else these things would not befall us. Oh, no ! Christ may be imprisoned in his members, banished in his members, reduced to great straits and exigencies in his members ; yea, by the hand of God you may be made poor and hungry and naked ; but all this shall be recompensed to you. We must not walk by sense, but by faith, 2 Cor. v. 7. Time will come when they that wonder at our afHictions shall wonder at us for the glory that Christ will put upon us, when you and all the saints about you shall say, Little did I think that a poor, base, laborious, miserable life should have such a glorious end and close. Christians, wait but a little time, and you will have more cause to wonder at the glory that shall be revealed in you than at the afflictions you now endure. Secondly, We now come to Christ's answer and reply to this question. Wherein — 1. Take notice of the note of averment and assurance, ' Verily I say unto you.' I do the rather observe it, because I find the like in a parallel place : Mat. x. 42, ' Verily I say unto you, He shall in nowise lose his reward.' This showeth that it is hardly believed in the world, but yet it is a certain truth. 2. The answer itself ; wherein the former passages are explained of Christ's being hungry, thirsty, naked, exiled, imprisoned ; the riddle is opened. What is done to the afflicted, Christ taketh it as if it were done to him in person. In this answer observe — [1.] The title that is put upon afflicted christians ; they are his * brethren.' [2.] The extent and universality of this title ; the meanest are not excepted, ' The least of these my brethren.' The meanest as well as the most excellent ; the poor, the abject of the world, believing in Christ, are accounted his brethren. [3.] The particular application of this title, to every one of them, * To one of the least of my brethren.' We cannot do good to all ; yet if we do good to one, or to as many as are within our reach or the com- pass of our ability, it shall not be unrewarded. [4.] The interpretation of the kindness showed to these brethren, 'What you have done to the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.' 1. I shall first consider the force and importance of these expres- sions. 2. Their scope and intendment here, which is to bind us to acts of charity and relief to Christ's poorest servants. First, For the force and importance of these expressions. And there, first, observe, that whoever believeth in Christ are accounted as his brethren and sisters, and he will not be ashamed to own them as such at the last day. Here I shall show you— (1.) Who are brethren ; (2.) What a privi- lege this is. First, Who are brethren ? Some by brethren understand mankind ; and so, ' What you have done to the least of my brethren,' in their sense, is to the meanest man alive, partaker of that human nature 72 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XXIII. wliich I have honoured by assuming it. But that is brethren in the largest sense. No ; that is not his meaning liere. Upon what grounds charity is to be expressed to them I shall show you more fully by and by. To do good to a poor man, as to a poor man, is a work of natural mercy ; lut to do good to a poor man, as he is one of Christ's brethren,, is a work of christian charity : 2 Peter i. 7, ' Add to brotherly kind- ness, charity.' ^tXaSeX^to. and a^anrrj^ is distinguished. There is a more kindly and tender affection tliat we owe to those who are chil- dren of the same father, or are in charity bound to judge so, by sym- pathising with them in trouble, supplying their necessities, every way studying to promote their spiritual and temporal welfare. But a generariove to all we must thirst after, and endeavour the true good of all, to whom we may be profitable. But the title of brethren to Christ groweth from faith, by wliich we are made the children of God: John i. 12, 'But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.' And therefore Christ calleth them brethren. And it is very notable to observe : Heb. ii. 11, ' For both he that sanctifieth, and they that are sanctified, are all of one ; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.' Mark, the kindred is only reckoned to the sanctified : though all mankind have the same nature, come of the same stock, yet ' He that sanctifieth, and they that are sanctified, are all of one ; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.' There the relation holdeth of both sides. Christ is born of a woman, and they are born of God, John i. 13 ; and so he is a kinsman doubly. Batione incarnationis suce et recjenerationis nostrce, as Macarius. He taketh part of flesh and blood, partaketh of human nature ; and we are made partakers of a divine nature, 2 Peter i. 4 ; and Mat. xii. 47-50, ' Then one said unto him. Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee : but he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother ? and who are my brethren ? And ho stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said. Behold my mother and my brethren ; for whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.' Secondly, Now I shall show you, in the next place, what a privilege this is. I shall show you — 1. What condescension there is on Christ's part, that he should count the least of his people, not only for his own, but for his brethren. The apostle saith, ' He is not ashamed,' Heb. ii. 11. We are said to be ashamed in two cases : — [1.] When we do anything that is filthy. As long as we have the heart of a man, we cannot do anything that hath filthiness in it with- out shame. Or — [2.] When we do anything beneath that dignity and rank which we sustain in the world. The former consideration is of no place here ; the latter then must be considered. Those that bear any rank and port in the world are ashamed to be too familiar with their inferiors ; yet such is the love of Christ towards his people, that though he be infinitely greater and more wortliy than us, yet ' he is not ashamed to call us brethren.' It is said, Prov. xix. 7, ' All the brethren of the poor do hate him.' If a man fall behind-hand in the world, his friends Vers. 37-40.] sermons upon matthew xxy. 73 look askew upon him ; but Jesus Christ, though he be the eternal Son of God, by whom he made the world, the splendour of his Father's glory, and the brightness of his person, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, and we be poor, vile, and unworthy creatures, yet he dis- daineth not to call us brethren, notwithstanding our meanness and unworthiness, and his own glory and excellency. Divines observe that Christ never gave his disciples tlie title of brethren but after his resurrection ; before, servants, little children, friends, were their usual designations ; but then he expressly calleth them bretliren : John xiii. 13, 14, 'Ye call me lord and master, for so I am ; ' and John xii. 26, ' If any man serve me, let him follow me ; and where I am, there shall my servant be.' Friends : John xv. 15, ' I liave called you friends,' But after the resurrection the style of brethren is very fre- quent : Mat. xxviii. 10, ' Go tell my brethren, I go into Galilee ; ' and John XX. 17, ' Go to my brethren, and tell them, I go to my Father, and your Father.' And at the last day he giveth this title to all the elect, that are put at his right hand. Quest. But what is the reason of this ? Ans. Though the ground were laid in the incarnation, when Christ naturalised himself to us, and became one of our own line, yet he doth expressly own it after his resurrection, and will own it at his coming to judgment, to show that his glory and exaltation doth not diminish his affections towards his people, but rather the expressions thereof are enlarged. He still continueth our brother, and will do so as long as our nature remaineth in the unity of his j^erson, which will be to all eternity. 2. That it is a real privilege to us ; it is a title of great dearness and intimacy ; it is not an idle compliment, for there is cause and reason for it, hia rrjv alrlav. All mankind coming of one father, and being made of one blood, are brethren ; and Christ reckoneth him- self among us, and assumeth the relation proper to his nature, especially when we get a new kindred by grace. It is not an empty title, but a great and real privilege; not a nominal, titular relation, to put honour upon us, but to give us benefit, Kom. viii. 17, and for the present assureth us of his tender respect. Use 1. It comforts us against the sense of our own unworthiness. Though our nature be removed so many degrees of distance from God, and at that time polluted with sin, when Christ glorified it, and assumed it into his own person, yet all this hindered him not from taking our nature, and the title depending thereupon. Therefore the sense of our unworthiness, when it is seriously laid to heart, should not hinder us from looking after the benefits we need, and which are in his power to bestow upon us. This term should revive us. Whatever serves to our comfort and glory, Christ will think it no disgrace to do it for us. This may be one reason why Christ biddeth them tell his brethren, ' I am risen,' Mat. xxviii. 10. The poor disciples were greatly dejected and confounded in themselves ; they had all forsaken him, and fled from him ; Peter had denied him, and forsworn him ; what could they look for from him but a sharp and harsh exprobration of their fear and cowardice ? But he comforts them with this message, * Go tell my disciples, and Peter, that I am risen.' The fallen man is 74 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XXIII. not forgotten. Peter was weeping bitterl}'- for liis fault, but Christ sends him a comfortable message, ' Gro tell Peter I am risen.' Secondly, The next thing that I shall observe is — Doct. That what is done to his people, to the least of them, Christ will esteem it as done to himself 1. It holdeth true in injuries : Isa. Ixiii. 9, ' In all their afflictions he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them ; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them ; ' and Acts ix. 4, ' And he fell to the earth, and he heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, whyper- secutest thou me ? ' Christ was wronged when the saints were wronged. He is above passion, but not above compassion. The enemies of the church have not men for their enemies, but Christ himself. When they are mocked and scorned, Christ is mocked and scorned. 2. It holdeth also true of benefits. The least courtesy or act of kindness showed to them is showed to Christ ; that which is done in Christ's name, and for Christ's sake, is done unto Christ. You do not consider the man so much as Christ in him. The apostle saith they ' received him even as Christ Jesus,' Gal. iv. 14 ; that is, in his name, and as his messenger, 2 Cor. v. 10 ; and Luke x. 16, ' He that heareth you, heareth me ; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me ;' as a king is resisted in a constable armed with his authority. As when we go to Grod in Christ's name, whatever we obtain is put upon Christ's account (it is not for our merit, but Christ's), so whatsoever you do to any person in Christ's name, and for Christ's sake, is done to Christ. If you send another in your name, if he be denied, you take yourselves to 1)0 denied ; if granted for your sake, you think it granted to you. I come now to consider — Secondly, The scope. These things are parabolically represented, to increase our faith concerning the reward of charity. The doctrine is this — Doct. That one special end and use unto which rich men should employ their worldly wealth should be the help and relief of the poor. Consider — 1. In the general, it is not to the rich, but to the poor. Feasts and entertainments are usually for the rich ; but Christ saith, Luke xiv. 12-14, ' When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, thy brethren, neither thy kinsman, nor thy neighbour ; lest they bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the blind, the lame ; and thou shalt be blessed, for they cannot recomi)ense thee ; for thou shalt be recom- pensed at the resurrection of the just.' Many truck with their kind- ness ; they make merchandise rather than impart their charity : this is not charity, but merchandise. 2. Of the poor there are three sorts : — [1.] Paupei'es diaboli, the devil's poor ; such as have riotously spent their patrimonies and reduced themselves to rags and beggary by their own misgovernment. These are not wholly to be excluded when their necessity is extreme ; you give it to the man, not to the sin : it may work upon them, especially when you join spiritual alms with temporal. [2.] There are pauijeres immdi, the world's poor ; such as come of Vers. 37-40.] sermons upon matthew xxv. 75 poor parents and live in poor estate ; those are to be relieved : there is a common tie of nature between us and them : Isa. Iviii. 7, ' Thou shalt not hide thyself from thine own flesh.' [3.] There are pauperes Cliristi, Christ's poor ; such as have suffered loss of goods for Christ's sake, or being otherwise poor, profess the gospel ; these especially should be relieved : Kom. xii. 13, ' Distribut- ing to the necessities of the saints;' and Gal. vi. 10, ' Let us do good to all, especially to the household of faith.' There is an order ; first, our own families, our parents, our children or kindred, 1 Tim. v. 8 ; then strangers ; and among them those that profess the same faith with us ; and then them who do most evidence the reality of faith by a holy life ; and then to all, as occasion is offered. Reasons of this duty. 1. The near union that is between Christ and his people, Christ and believers are one and the same mystical body, with Christ their head : 1 Cor. xii. 12, ' For, as the body is one, and hath many mem- bers, and all the members of that one body being many, are one body ; so is Christ.' Now that union compriseth all : ' When one member suffereth, all the members suffer with it,' ver. 26. There is a sympathy and fellow-feeling. When you tread upon the toe the tongue will cry out, and say. You have hurt me. They cast themselves out of the body that have not common joys and common sorrows with the rest of the members. 2. Christ hath commended them to us as his proxies and deputies. He himself receiveth nothing from us ; he is above our kindness, being exalted into the heavens ; but in every age he leaveth some to try the respects of the world. Oh ! what men would do for Christ if he were now in the flesh ! It is a usual deceit of heart to betray our duties by our wishes. Now Christ hath put some in his place : 1 John iv. 20, ' If any man say, I love Grod, and hateth his brother, he is a liar ; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?' We would be as much prejudiced against Christ as we are against the godly poor. That which your servant receiveth by your order, you receive it. He receiveth your respects by the hands of the poor ; he hath devolved this right on the poor as his deputies : Mat. xxvi. 11, ' For ye have the poor always with you, but me ye have not always.' We pretend much love to Christ ; if he were sick in a bed, we would visit him ; if in prison, or in want, we would relieve him. What is done to one of these is done to him. 3. It is a great honour put upon us to be instruments of divine pro- vidence and preservation of others. You are God's substitutes in giving, as the poor in receiving. As gods to them, we relieve and comfort them. He could give to them without thee, but God will put the honour of the work upon thee. This is the greatest resemblance of God : Acts xx. 35, ' It is more blessed to give than to receive ;' that is, more God-like. It is a great mercy to be able and willing : Luke vi. 36, ' Be ye therefore merciful, as your heavenly Father is merciful.' The true advantage of wealth is in relieving and support- ing others ; nothing showeth our conformity to God so much as this. Christ saith not, If ye fast, ye shall be like your heavenly Father, or, If ye pray, or, If ye prophesy, or, If ye be learned ; but, ' If ye be 76 SERMONS UPON MATTHEAV XXV. [SeK. XXIII. merciful, as your heavenly Father is merciful.' Thou boldest the place of God, and art as it were a god to them. 4. The profit of this duty. It seemeth a loss, but it is the most gainful trade in the world. It is the way to preserve your estates, to increase them, to cleanse them, to provide for eternal comfort in them. [1.] To keep what you have. Your goods are best secured to you when they are deposited in God's hands ; you provide ' bags that wax not old.' Many ap estate hath been wasted for want of charity, James V. 2, 3. [2.] To increase it, as seed in the ground. The husbandman gettetli nothing by keeping the corn by him : 2 Cor. ix. 6, ' He which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly ; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully ;' Dent. xv. 10, ' When thou givest to thy poor brother, the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thy hand unto.' All your works of mercy and liberality shall be abundantly repaid : Luke vi. 36, ' Give, and it shall be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.' But above all, Prov, xix. 17, ' He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord ; that which he hath given he shall pay him again.' If you would put out your money to the best advantage, lend it to the Lord ; the interest shall be infinitely greater than the principal. What better security than God's ? He is a sure pay- master, and he will pay them to the full, great increase for all that he borroweth, a hundred for one, which is a usury not yet heard of in the world. You can expect nothing from the poor sort ; they have nothing to give you ; but God is their surety, he that is the great possessor of heaven and earth, that never broke his word. Nay, we have his hand and seal to show for it ; his bond is the scriptures, his seal the sacraments ; therefore he will pay you. But you will say, These are words. Venture a little and try : Mai. iii. 10, ' Prove me now herewith, saitli the Lord. Give, and it shall be given to you.' Whereas, on the contrary, if you forbear to give, God will forbear to bless ; as the widow's oil, the more it run the more it increased, and the loaves were multiplied by the distribution. And then — [3.] It cleanseth your estate ; you will enjoy the remainder more comfortably. Wells are the sweeter for draining ; so are riches, when used as the fuel of charity. There are terrible passages against rich men : ' How hard is it for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.' There is no way to free ourselves from the snare but to be liberal and open-handed upon all occasions : Luke xi. 41, ' Give alms, and all things shall be clean to you.' [4.] You may possess an estate with a good conscience. It will not easily prove a snare. Nay, you shall have comfort of it for ever ; you shall have treasure in heaven : Luke xii. 13, ' Sell that you have and give alms; provide j'ourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure iu the heavens that faileth not.' Whatever shift you make, rather sell than want to give out disbursements in this life, and your payment shall be in the next. Use is reproof, because there are so few true christians in the world. Many men have great estates, but they have not a heart to be helpful to their poor brethren and neighbours, are very backward and full of VeK. 41.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 77 repinings wlien they give auything. They are liberal to their lusts, gaming, drinking, rioting, luxury, in lawsuits, and costly apparel. Do these men believe there is a heaven and hell, and a day of judgment ? For motives. 1. Thou shalt have treasure in heaven. Thou shalt not part with thy goods, so much as change them for those that are incomparably better. There is a reward for the liberal and open-handed. What is given to the poor is not cast away, but well bestowed. Now is the seed- time, the harvest is hereafter. The poor cannot requite thee ; there- fore God will : Luke xii. 14, ' A cup of cold water, given in charity, shall not want its reward,' Mat. x. 2. This reward is propounded to encourage us. Christ doth not only instruct us by commands, but allure us by promises. There is a dispute whether we may look to the reward. I say, we not only may, but must. Did we of tener think of treasure in heaven we would more easily forego present things. 3. The reward which we shall receive not only answereth the reward,i but far exceeds it. It is called a treasure : ' The riches of glory,' Eph. i. 18 ; and so are far better than these transitory riches which we cannot long keep. Thou shalt have eternal riches, which shall never be lost. Our treasure in heaven is more precious and more certain. Mat. vi. 19, 20. 4. This reward is not in this life, but in the life to come ; treasure in heaven. What is it to be rich in this world ? They are but uncer- tain riches : 1 Tim. vi. 17, ' Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riclies ; but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.' Bracelets of copper and glass and little beads, and such like trifles, are valued by the rude barbarians, that are contemptible with us. The use and valu- ation of earthly things ceaseth in the world to come ; it only holdeth on this side the grave. What we now lend to the Lord we must make it over, that we may receive it by exchange there. 5. It is a very pleasing thing to God : Acts x. 4, ' Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before the Lord.' They are a delight to God : Heb. xiii. 16, ' For with such sacrifices God is well pleased ; ' as the sweet incense that was offered with the sacrifice ; not appeased, but well pleased. So Phil. iv. 18, ' An odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.' SERMON XXIV. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. —Mat. XXV. 41. I COME now to speak of hell. Startle not at the argument ; we must curse as well as bless. See our gospel commission, Mark xvi. 16. In this verse you have — (1.) The persons sentenced j (2.) The sentence itself. ^ Qu. action,' or some such word ? — Ed. 78 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XXIV. First, The persons sentenced ; in that title, or terrible compellation, ye cursed. Secondly, The sentence itself ; where we have — 1. Poena damni, the punishment of loss, depart. 2. Poena scnsus, the pains, into fire. 3. The duration, everlasting. 4. The company and society, the devil and his angels. I shall prosecute the text in this order : — 1. Show you that there are everlasting torments in hell, prepared for the wicked. 2. These torments shall be full at the day of judgment. 3. Concerning the persons sentenced ; it shall light upon the cursed. 4. The nature of those torments ; the loss of communion with God in Christ, and the horrible pain of fire ; the duration, everlasting ; and the company, the devil and his angels. First, That there is a place of everlasting torments in hell, prepared for the wicked. This being a truth hated by flesh and blood, ought the more strongly to be made evident to us. Now there is a hell, if God, or men, or devils may be judge. 1. Let God be the judge. He hath ever told the world of a hell, in the Old Testament and the New. [1.] In the Old Testament, but sparingly, because immortality was reserved as a glorious discovery, fit for the times of the gospel : Deut. xxxii. 22, ' A fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn to the lowest hell.' God's wrath is still represented by fire, which is an active instrument of destruction ; and the seat and residence of it is in the lowest hell, in the other world. So Ps. xi, 6, ' Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, and fire, and brimstone, and an horrible tempest.' First snares, and then fire and brimstone. Here they are held with the cords of vanity, and hereafter in chains of darkness. Here they have their comforts, crosses, snares ; then hell-fire for their portion. So Isa. XXX. 33, ' For Tophet is ordained of old ; yea, for the king it is prepared : he hath made it deep and large, the pile thereof is fire, and much wood ; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.' Tophet is the same place which is called the valley of Hinnom and Gehenna in the New Testament ; a filthy hateful place, which the Jews defiled with dead men's bones : 2 Kings xxiii. 10, * And he defiled Tophet, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech. And he brake in pieces the image, and cut down the groves, and defiled their places with the bones of men.* Infants were burnt there, with horrible cries and screeches, and sound of drums and tabrets and other instruments, to drown the noise ; and those that were condemned were burnt in that valley, as also the bones of malefactors. Now, to the piles of wood, and the piles con- tinually burning there, doth the prophet allude. This was re})resented in Sodom's burning as a type, as the drowning of the world was a figure of Christ's coming to judgment : the burning of the sacrifice, which, in the interpretation of the law, was the sinner himself, was the figure of it. VeR. 41.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 79 [2.] Now come we to the New Testament. There are places with- out number. It is sometimes represented by fire, where we read of a furnace of fire : Mat. xiii. 42, ' And shall cast them into a furnace of fire ; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' God's wrath is compared in the Old Testament to a fiery oven, where the contracted flame appeareth most dreadful. Sometimes to a lake of fire : Rev. xix. 20, ' And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet, that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image ; both these were cast into a lake of fire, burning with brimstone.' At other times it is compared to a prison : 1 Peter iii. 19, ' By which also he went and preached to the spirits that are in prison.' Or to a bottomless pit: Eev. is. 11, 'And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit.' There is darkness, and chains, and gaoler, and judge ; the chains of invincible providence, and their own horrible despair. There is no making an escape; but of this more hereafter. So that, unless we will count God a liar, there is such a place of torment provided. 2. Ask men. The blind nations had a sense of eternity, and fancies of a heaven and hell, Elysian fields, and obscure mansions, and places of torment. There are some relics of this truth in the corrupt doctrine of the Gentiles. But we need not go so far back as tradition : look to conscience. Wicked men find in themselves an apprehension of immortality and punishment after death : Eom. i. 32, ' Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death.' Reason showeth that he that perfectly hateth sin will perfectly punish it ; not in this life, for abominable sinners are many times prosperous : here justice is not discovered to the utmost, there- fore guilty conscience presageth there is more evil to come. There is much in these presages of conscience, especially when we are more serious, however they dissemble the matter when well: Heb. ii. 15, ' And deliver them from the fear of death, who all their lifetime were subject to bondage.' Yet, when they come to die, when they are entering upon the confines of eternity, then they cannot hide their fears any longer. Oh ! the horrors and terrors of wicked men when they lie a dying ! If ever men may be believed, it is then. 3. The devils are orthodox in this point for judges. There are no atheists in hell : Mat. viii. 29, ' And behold they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God ? art thou come to torment us before the time ? ' They know there is a time when they shall be in greater torment than now they are. Therefore, if we will take God's word or authentic record for it, or man's word when he is not in a case to dissemble, or the devil's word, there is a hell, or everlasting torments prepared for the wicked. Object. 1. But is it not an everlasting abode under death, and, to make it the more terrible to vulgar capacities, expressed by eternal fire ? A71S. This were to make Christ a deceiver indeed, and to publish his doctrine with a lie or a handsome fraud. But clearly — 1. There is a state of torment, as well as a state of death. It is true it is called the second death, because deprived of eternal life, 80 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XXIV. wliich is the only true life ; and because it is worse than the temporal death ; better never have been born : Mat. xxvi. 24, ' It had been good for that man that he had never been born.' He doth not say, It had been good, but, It had been good/or that man. If only death and anni- hilation were in it, what sense would there be in this speech ? There- fore there is a lively and effectual sense of the wrath of God. Besides, the consciences of wicked men do fear and presage other kind of punishment from God's wrath, or else why are they most troubled when they come to die ? Why is it so dreadful a thing to fall into the hands of the living God ? Heb. x. 31. We are mortal creatures, but God is a living God ; why should the eternity of God make his wrath terrible, but that there is a fear of an eternal subsistence on our part also ? We read of many and fewer stripes, Luke xii. 47, 48 ; Mat. xi. 22, ' It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you.' If it be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you, torments are measured out by proportion, according to our sins, and means of grace that we have enjoyed but not improved. 2. Tliere is a place of torment, a local hell, roirov (Saadvov : Luke xvi. 28, ' This place of torment.' And Judas went to his own place, Acts i. 25. As in all commonwealths, the prince hath not only his palace but his prison ; it must be somewhere, for the wicked are somewhere : God keepeth it secret with wise counsel, because he will exercise our faith, and not our sense : Job xxxviii. 17, ' Have the gates of death been opened to thee, or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death ? ' This is one of the secrets of providence. Object 2. But how can it stand with God's love and mercy to punish his creature for ever ? Our bowels are troubled if we should hear the howling of a dog in a fiery furnace for a small space of time. Now God is love itself, 1 John iv. 8 ; thei-efore surely he will not damn his creature to everlasting torments. Ans. Man is not fit to fix the bounds of God's mercy, but the Lord himself ; therefore take these considerations : — 1. God's punishments may stand with his mercy. It is very notable, in one place it is said, Heb. x. 31, * It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God;' but in another place it is said, 2 Sam. xxiv, 14, ' I am in a great strait ; let us fall now into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are great' The one noteth God angry, the other God appeased. When God hath been long upon a treaty of love, patience abused is turned into fury. The one showeth what God is in him- self, love, sweetness, mercy ; the other, what he is when provoked. The sea in itself is smooth and calm, but when the winds and tempests arise, how dreadfully it roareth. God's attributes must not be set a-quarrelling. He is love and mercy, but he is also just, and true, and holy. If he were not angry for sin, he should not love his justice, make good his truth, manifest his holiness, and so hate himself. If God should pardon all sins, his abhorrency and hatred of sin could not be manifested, and so he would lose the honour of his infinite holiness ; therefore in men and angels he would declare his displeasure of it, and no less hatred of the sinner. God saw it best for his own glory to suffer some to sin, and by sin to come to punishment. Therefore do not wallow in thy filthiness, and think that God will be all honey, that VeR. 41.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV, 81 mercy will bear thee out. He hath said that liars and drunkards shall have their portion in the lake that burnetii with fire and brimstone. If God is merciful, and yet did such thini^s to Christ, certainly he may remain merciful much more, and yet punish thee. 2. God doth it to show his mercy to others ; it was necessary for the whole world that God should inflict so severe a punishment. Punish- ments are not always for the emendation of the delinquent, but for the good of others. The bowlings and groanings of the damned maketh the harmony and music of providence more entire, saith Gerson. It was a necessary provision for the good of the whole world, and meet for the beauty of providence, that God should have a prison as well as a palace. Besides, for the restraint of sin, there is more mercy in the restraint of sin, or the taking away of sin, than there would be in restraining the punishment ; this is the great means to lessen corrup- tion. Origen, that thought the punishment of hell should one day have an end, yet thought not good to suppress this doctrine, lest men should take liberty to sin. So Epicurus and Seneca, that looked upon it as a poetical fiction, thought it to be a fit invention. A temporal punishment would not have been enough to restrain men ; men are obstinate in sin, and will endure any temporal inconveniences rather than part with their lusts: Micah vi., 'Rivers of oil, the first-born of their bodies for the sin of their souls ;' and Baal's priests gashed them- selves. It was the wisdom of God to find out such a remedy ; so that we may say, that God could not have been so merciful if he had not appointed these everlasting torments. It was necessary they should be, for they are a good help to virtue ; and to threaten, unless they were, will not stand with truth. Now which is the greater mercy ? to take away punishments or sins ? to lessen the miseries of mankind or their corruptions ? Many have escaped hell by thinking of the torments of it. 3. The damned in hell cannot accuse God for want of mercy ; it will be a part of their torment in hell to remember that God hath been gracious ; conscience will be forced to acknowledge it, and to acquit God. Though they hate God and blaspheme him, yet they will remem- ber the offers of grace, riches of goodness, and care of his providence : ' They will not see, but shall see,' Isa. xxvi. 11. Oculos qiws occlusit culpa, cqjeriet 2Jcena. As now when God bringeth carnal men under mercies, it is one of the greatest aggravations. Object. 3. How can it stand with his justice to punish a temporary act with eternal torment or punishment ? Ans. 1, We are finite creatures, and so not fit judges of the nature of an offence against God ; the lawgiver best knoweth the merit of sin, which is the transgression of the law. The majesty against which they sin is infinite ; the authority of God is enough, and his will the highest reason. A jeweller best knoweth the price of a jewel, and an artist in a picture or sculpture can best judge of the errors of it. 2. With man, offences of a quick execution meet with a long punishment, and the continuance of the penalty in no case is to be measured with the continuance of the act of sin. Scelus non temporis mac/7iittcdinc, seel iniquitaiis magnitudine metiendum est. Becaus(3 man sinncth as long as he can, he sinneth in celerno suo (as Aquinas), VOL. X. F 82 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XXIV. therefore he is punished m ceterno Dei. We would live for ever to sia for ever, and because men despise an eternal happiness, therefore do they justly suffer eternal torment ; and their obligations to God being infinite, their punishment ariseth according to the excess of their obli- gations. Use 1. It informeth us of the evil of sin. God will never be recon- ciled to them that die in their sins, but for ever and for ever his bowels are shrunk up; though God be love itself, and delighteth in nothing so much as in doing good to the creature, yet he doth not only turn away his face, but torment them for ever. Use 2. It reproveth and convinceth — (1.) The atheist; and (2.) The carnal sensualist. 1. The atheist. These men are short-sighted ; they cannot out-see time, and look beyond the grave. There is a hell ; how will you escape it? Men think incredulity or unbelief is the best remedy against this fear. Do but consider, there is ten thousand to one, at least, against you. None more credulous than the atheist. If it prove true, in what a case are you ? As sure as God is, this is true. It will do you no hurt to venture the safest way, upon probabilities, till we Jbave further assurance. Take heed of indenting with God upon your own terms : Luke xvi. 31, ' They have Moses and the prophets ; if they believe not them, neither will they be persuaded if one came from the dead.' We will give laws to heaven, have one come from the dead. God is not bound to make them see that wilfully shut their eyes, nor to alter the course of his providence for our sake. 2. The carnal sensualist ; that is, the practical atheist, that put it off, because they cannot put it away, Amos vi. 3. Many that know themselves careless, wretched creatures, yet are not at all troubled about things to come. A star that is bigger than the earth yet seemeth to us to be but a spark, because of the great distance between them and us. The sensual man looketh upon all things of the other world to be at a distance. It may be nearer than they are aware of ; their damnation sleepeth not ; it lieth watching to take hold of them. God can easily put you into the suburbs of hell, as Belshazzar, Dan. viii. 5, if you be negligent, and slip your time. You should labour to be found of him in peace. Now is the time of making peace with God ; if not, ' Depart, ye cursed.' So is every man by nature. And such who were never brought to a sense of the curse, and have not fled to Christ for refuge, Heb. vi. 18, and are not at leisure to think of eter- nity, God's curse cleaveth to them. Use 3. To chide us for our unbelief. The knowledge of these things swimmeth in the brains ; we are guilty of incogitancy at least. This appeareth — 1. By our drowsiness, and weakness, and carelessness about the things of eternity. Did Ave believe that for every lie we told, or every one whom M^e deceived or slandered, we were forced to hold our hands in scalding lead for half an hour, how afraid would men be to commit an oftence ! Temporal things affect us more than eternal. Who would taste meat if he knew it were present death, or that it would cost him bitter gripes and torments? How cautious are we in eating or drink- ing anything in the stone or cholic or gout, where it is but probable VeK. 41.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 83 it will do US hurt ! We know certainly that sin hath death in it : ' The wages of sin is death,' Eom vi. 23 ; yet we continue in sin. 2. By our backwardness to good works. Sins of omission will damn a man, as well as sins of commission, small as well as great. Christ saith not, Ye have robbed, but, Not fed, not clothed ; not, Blasphemed, but, Not invoked the name of God ; not that you have done hurt, but that you have done no good. 3. By our weakness in temptations and conflicts. We cannot deny a carnal pleasure, nor withstand a carnal fear, Mat. x. 28 ; shrink at the least pains in duty. The whole world promised for a reward cannot induce us to enter into a fiery furnace for half an hour ; yet, for a momentary pleasure, we run the hazard of eternal torments. 4. By our carelessness in the matters of our peace. If a man were in danger of death every moment, he would not be quiet till he had got a pardon. How can a man be quiet till he hath secured his soul in the hands of Jesus Christ ? ' He that believeth not in Christ, the wrath of God abideth on him.' SERMON XXV. Then shall he say to them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. — Mat. XXV. 41. I COME now to the second doctrine. Doct. 2. That these torments shall be full at the day of judgment : ' Then shall he say,' &c. First, There is something presupposed, that they begin presently after death. They are in hell as soon as the soul departeth out of the body ; that is, as to the soul, as to the better half : Luke xvi. 22, 23, ' And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by angels into Abraham's bosom : the rich man also died, and was buried ; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments.' It is a parable, but sure Christ spake intelligibly, and according to the received doctrine of the church in those times, Mark how quick it followeth. Here he had his pleasures : airedave Be koI 6 7r\ov(TLo<;, ' The rich man also died ' (rich men die as well as others), ' and was buried ; ' it may be, had a pompous and stately funeral, when the soul is in hell. The body is left in the hands of death, but the soul is in a living and suffering condition. The souls of good men are in heaven : Heb. xii. 24, ' Spirits of just men made perfect.' It would be uncomfortable for the saints to tarry out of the arms of Christ so long as the last judgment, to be in a drowsy estate, wherein they neither enjoy God nor glorify him. And so the spirits of wicked men, they are in hell, iv (pvXaio]-. 1 Peter iii. 19, 'Who were sometimes disobedient, now in prison.' It would be some kind of comfort to the wicked to be so long delayed. The time is long till the last judgment, and we are not moved with things at a distance, what shall be thousands of years hence. It begetteth a greater awe when the danger is nigh. Oh I 84 SEKMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XXV. let this startle wielded men : before night the}^ may be in hell, before the body be committed to the grave : the soul flitteth hence as soon as it departeth out of the body, to God that gave it, to receive woe or weal. The hour of death is sudden ; many are surprised, and taken unawares. Your carnal companions (if God would use that dispensa- tion), that sometimes bowsed and caroused with you, and wallowed in filthy excess, by this time know what it is to be in torments ; they would fain come and tell you that you are as rotten fruit, ready to tumble into the pit of darkness. Every wicked man groweth upon the banks of eternity, and hangeth but by a slender string and root ; one touch of God's providence, and they drop into hell. Secondly, There is something expressed, to wit, that these torments shall receive their full and final accomplishment at the last day. That their torments shall be increased appeareth — (1.) By com- parison ; (2.) By scripture ; and (3.) By reason. 1. By comparing them — [1.] With the devils : Jude 6, ' And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day.' As good men are laayyekoc, so wicked men are Saifiov€<;. The devils for the present are under the powerful wrath of God and horrible despair. Though they have a ministry and service in the world, yet they carry their own hell about with them ; full of fears and tremblings under the wrath of God, but not in that extremity, discontented with their present condition. Such a fall is much to a proud creature, and there is a despair of a better : Mat. viii. 29, ' What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come to torment us before the time ? ' There is a bitter expectation of judgment to come. Now they have some delight in mischief, but at the last day their power shall be restrained, which is another infelicity of their nature. Their ignominy shall be manifested before all the world ; they shall be dragged before Christ's tribunal, and judged by the saints, whom they hate, 1 Cor. vi. 3. The good angels shall come as Christ's com- panions, the evil as his prisoners. These are sights that will work on their envy and thwart their pride, to see the glory of the saints and angels. Dolet diabolus, quod ipsum et angelos ejus Christi servus, ille peccator judicaturus est, saith Tertullian. Then they are confined to hell, there to keep their residence, where they shall have a more active sense of their own condition, and of the wrath of God that is upon them. So it is with wicked men ; they have their hell now, but at the last day they shall be brought forth as trembling malefactors before the bar of Christ ; all their privy wickedness shall be manifested before all the world, 2 Cor. iv. 1, 2. However they may be honoured and esteemed now, either for their power or holiness, they shall then be put to public shame, driven out of his presence with ignominy and contempt, cast into hell to keep company with the devils, where their torments shall be most exquisite and painful. [2.] Compare them with the saints. Heaven's joys shall then bo full, so hell's torments. The full recompense of the righteous, and the full vengeance of the wicked keep time and pace. Christ cometh to fetch the saints to heaven in state, rjfiepa ^avepcoo-eo)^ : Eom. viii. VeR. 41.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 85 19, ' The earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifes- tation of the sons of God.' Then it shall be seen what God will do for his children. They are clad in their best robes to set off Christ's triumph. So suitably the wicked's judgment is not yet full; upon the last day it shall be increased. Christ sets himself a-work to show the power of his wrath, to clothe them with shame and contempt. 2. Scripture : 2 Thess, i. 7-9, ' When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ : who shall be punished with everlasting de- struction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power ;' Heb. x. 27, ' There remaineth nothing but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversary ; ' and in many other places. 3. Eeason. The body, which hath so long respite, then hath its share of misery ; upon the reunion of the body and soul, they shall drink the dregs of God's wrath : The soul worketh on the body, and the body on the soul. As a heavy sad spirit weakens the body, and drieth up the marrow of the bones, and a sickly body maketh the soul sad and mopish, so when the soul is filled with anguish, and the body with pains, their torment must needs be greater, because they have had a great sense of the joys of the glorified saints ; as that nobleman, ' Thine eyes shall see it, but thou shalt not taste of it.' It worketh upon their envy to see them glorified whom they have maligned and used despitefully ; and it worketh u])on their conscience ; this they have lost by their own folly. As a prodigal that cometh by the houses and fields which he hath sold, and thinks, This was mine ; it is a grating thought to think. This might have been mine. Partly because of judgment and sentence. Then the books are opened, and all their ways are discussed ; they are ashamed, but God is cleared and vindi- cated. There is a worm as well as a tire. The fire signifieth God's wrath, the worm the gnawing of their own conscience. It is hard to say which tormenteth them most, the terribleness or the righteousness. To consider that God is righteous in all that we feel, and we ourselves have been the causes of our own ruin, this is a cutting thought to the damned ; it maketh them gnash their teeth, and though they hate God, they can discharge the anger upon none but themselves. Besides, their companions are gathered together, those that sinned by their enticement or example, which are as fuel to kindle the flames, bind them in bundles, and set fire on one another. Objects reviving guilt are very displeasing here when conscience flieth in the face, as when Amnon hated Tamar. They cannot look upon the devils, but they think of temptations ; upon the damned, but either they read their own guilt by reflection (they are the same), or else it bringeth to mind their former example ; they brought them to this place. Again, Christ's final sentence is past ; and therefore wrath, et? to reXo'i, such wrath as they cannot have more, for he will no more deal with them. Use 1. Observe how a sinner hasteneth to his own misery by steps and degrees. In this life we are adding sin to sin, and in the next God will be adding torment to torment. Here God beginneth with 86 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XXV. US : John iii. 18, ' He that believeth not, is condemned already.' Do not say, It is a long time till the last judgment ; the halter is about thy neck, and there needeth nothing but turning over the ladder. Men are not sensible of it till they come to die, then there is a hell in the conscience, a sip of the cup of wrath. The horrors of the dying wicked are the suburbs of hell ; then yellings and bowlings begin. At death the bond of the old covenant is put in suit, and at the separation the gaoler carrieth us away to prison ; there the soul is detained in chains of darkness, in a fearful expectation of more judgment ; ' I am horribly tormented in this flame,' But after Christ's coming to judg- ment we are plunged into the depth of hell, the whole man is over- whelmed with misery. Well, then, if you add drunkenness to thirst, God will add to your plagues, till wrath come upon you to the utter- most. 2. Observe the patience of God ; he doth not take a full revenge of his creatures till the last day. The most miserable creatures are suffered to enjoy some degree of happiness, or rather, do not feel the whole misery at the first. In the most dreadful executions of God's justice you may read patience. God is patient to the fallen angels, though presently, upon their sin, they were cast down into hell, 2 Peter ii. 5 ; but much more to sinning man : ' In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die,' was the sentence ; yet the sentence is prorogued till the day of judgment. To those whom he hath a mind to destroy he is patient. The old world he bore with, first a hundred and twenty years, and then the rain was forty days in coming ; and reprobates, iv TvoXXfj /xaKpodv/jila, Kom. ix. 22, ' He endureth them with much long-suffering ;' intermission of wrath in this life, and respite to the body till the great day. How doth God bear with a company of hell-hounds ! He suffereth them to stand by, as a dog, while the bread of life is distributed to the children. To bear with his children is much, but to bear with his enemies, who seek not his favour, and are the worse because forborne, and do provoke him daily, and do not relent and acknowledge their offence, is much more ; yet all this while God holdeth his hands. Admire his patience, but do not abuse it. We are apt so to do : Eccles. viii. 11, ' Because sentence against an evil-doer is not speedily executed, therefore the hearts of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil.' Reprobates fare well for a time, live in plenty and ease, and therefore think hell but a dream and vain scarecrow. But take heed ; that which is kept off is not taken away ; and when you see wicked men endured, and not presently cut off, be not offended ; ' their day is coming,' 1 Peter ii. 9 ; they are but reserved. Justice shall break forth, though the cloud of mercy long overshadow it. Their doom was long since passed ; God might strike them dead in an instant. 3. One judgment maketh way for another. Our anger is rash, and therefore cooleth by degrees ; it is at the height at first : but it is not so with God ; his heateth by degrees, and is worst at last. There are first snares, then chains of darkness, then a most active sense of the wrath and displeasure of God, Let no man please himself in that he suffers afiliction in this world; these may be the beginnings of sorrow, miserable here and miserable hereafter. There are wicked poor and VeR. 41.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 87 wicked rich ; some have a double hell — hdre and hereafter too. Do not think death will be an ease : ' Son, in thy lifetime thou receivedst thy good things.' There are Lazaruses in hell as well as in Abraham's bosom. 4. Origen's charity was too large. Origen, and after him Gregory Nyssen and others, dreamed of KaOapacov nrvp, a flaming river through which the wicked pass, and so be happy, and that so all are saved, even the devils themselves; abusing Rom. v. 18, and 1 Cor. xv. 2. There is an increase of torments, but no decay ; then it will be said, ' Go, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.' Secondly, Let us now speak of the persons sentenced. Here is a double description of them : — 1. From their posture, ' On the left hand.' 2. Their quality, in that title and terrible compellation, ' Ye cursed.' 1. Their posture, ' On the left hand.' It noteth not only the more ignominious place, but hath respect to their choice. The right hand is more honourable among all nations ; the innocent were to plead their cause on the right hand, the guilty at the left. But it hath respect to their own choice; they seek after left-hand mercies: Ps. xvi. 11, 'At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore ; ' eternity, that is at God's right hand. So Prov. iii. 16, * Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honour.' At the last day wicked men have but their own choice. As Darius distinguished between his followers ; some love Aapeiov, some Sapelav ; so in the world there is a distinction ; some love the gift better than the giver, make a sinister choice, choose greatness, honour, worldly pleasures. A man may know his future estate by his present choice. Wisdom standeth inviting with both her hands full : ' In her right hand is length of days ; ' here is eternity of pleasure ; all the world runneth to the left hand. Riches and honour look more lovely than length of days in a carnal eye. Which will you have ? Here in the church you will say, Eternity by all means ; but the course of your lives saith. Riches and honour ; these take up your time, care, and thoughts. 2. Let us see the title or terrible compellation, ' Ye cursed ; ' not by men, but by God. Many are blessed of God that are cursed of men : Mat. V. 12, ' Blessed are ye when men shall curse you for righteous- ness' sake : ' it is no boot to have the world's blessings ; yet observe ihe difference, ver. 34, he saith, ' Come, ye blessed of my Father ; ' but he doth not say, Cursed of my Father. Partly because cursing is alienum opus, his strange work ; it doth not come so freely and kindly as mercy. The blessing cometh of his own accord ; without and before the merit of the creature ; but not the curse, till we force it, and wrest it out of God's hands. Partly because Christ would pass his sentence in a convincing way ; and therefore he doth not pitch damna- tion upon the decree and counsel of God, as he doth election. It is ' blessed of my Father ; ' his love is the only cause ; but ' ye cursed.' It is good to observe the tenderness of the scripture when it speaketh of the execution of the decree of reprobation, that they may not cast the blame upon God : their damnation is not cast upon his decree, but their own deservings. You may see the like difference, Rom. ix. 22, ' Endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to 88 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XXV. destmction.' But then, ver. 23, ' The vessels of mercy which he hath aforehaud prepared unto glory.' He endureth the one, but he fitteth and prepareth the other ; he created them, and permitted them to fall in Adam, justly hardeneth them for refusing his will, but themselves prepare their own hell, by their natural corruption and voluntary de- pravation, following their lusts with greediness. Speaking of the elect, it is said he hath prepared ; but of the reprobate, it is said he is fitted. Tlie reprobates bring something of their own to further their destruc- tion, pravity and naughtiness of their own ; every man is the cause of the curse and eternal misery to himself, but God is the cause and author of the blessing : ' Thy destruction is of thyself, but in me is thy help found.' The elect have all from God ; he prepareth them for heaven, and heaven for them, without any merit of theirs. The reprobate is not damned simply on God's pleasure, but their own desert ; before he would execute his decrees, there is an interposition of their sin and folly. Object. But it is said, Kom. ix. 11, ' Before the children had done either good or evil, it was said, Esau have I hated.' So that it seemeth that they are cursed and hated of God before any merit and desert of theirs. I answer — There is a twofold hatred — (1.) Negative ; (2.) Positive. 1. Negative hatred is noluntas miserendi ; a purpose not to give grace, a nilling to give grace. And then — 2. There is a positive hatred, which is voluntas puniendi et condem- nandi. In other terms there is prreterition and predamnation. For the former, God hateth them, as he will not give grace, for he is not engaged ; and it is a great mercy that when all are worthy of punish- ment, yet that he will choose some to life. And for the latter, punish and damn them he doth not till they deserve it by their own sins ; therefore it stoppeth the mouths of them that blaspheme the Holy One of Israel, as if he did create men for death and the pains of hell : Hosea xiii. 9, ' 0 Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself.' They are compassed with a fire of their own kindling, Isa. 1. 11. But it is time to return. Wicked men are cursed of God ; and God's curse is wont to take place. It is no easy matter to get rid of it ; the curse of the law sticketh to them at the last day, and shall eternally. He doth not say, Be ye cursed ; but, Go, ye cursed. They were cursed before they came to the tribunal of Christ. Those that are condemned to hell are such as remain under the curse of the law. And who are they ? Final unbelievers. [1.] Everyman by nature is under the curse; for till we are in Christ we are under Adam's covenant ; and Adam's covenant can yield no blessing to the fallen creatures : Gal. iii. 10, ' As many as are under the works of the law are under the curse ; for it is written. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.' The law requireth perfect, perpetual, and personal obedience. God did disannul the covenant made with Adam presently upon the fall ; but the curses stand in full force against those that have not changed state, but are only children of Adam ; and wicked men will find it so at the day of judgment, for they shall have judgment without mercy, whereas others are judged by the law of YeR. 41.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 89 liberty, James ii. 12, 13. It is clear everywhere there are but two states ; either we are under the law or under grace. Hear what the law saith. An innocent nature, that is jiresupposed ; and the person must continue in this perfect obedience. But we have continued in the violation of all things contained in the law, No action without a stain. If God should call us to a punctual account for the most inoffensive day that ever we spent, who could stand before him ? Better we had never been born than to stand liable to that judgment, as all natural men do. [2.] There is no way of escape but in closing with Christ by faith. The apostle supposeth the objection, Gal. iii. 13. The curse of the law cleaveth to all Adam's posterity ; therefore we must have interest in another, who keepeth up the curse of the law : John iii. 36, ' He that believeth not, the wrath of God abideth on him.' The curse is not taken off ; nay, when Christ is tendered, and finally refused, it is set on the closer ; then we are condemned by the law, and condemned by the gospel too : John iii. 18, ' Condemned already ; ' cast in law. But what hath he done to the remedy ? ver. 19, ' This is the condemna- tion, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light.' Not accepting Christ offered is the great condemning sin. There remaineth no more sacrifice ; we cannot expect another way after refusing that : Heb. x. 26, ' For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,' The condemnation of the gospel can never be remitted. The curses of the law are ratified for our abuse of mercy ; so that, in some sense, better we never had heard of Christ. Use 1. Is for examination ; how is it with you ? 1. Every man by nature is in a cursed condition, Eph. ii. 3, liable to Adam's forfeiture and breach. Were you ever changed ? Until we change copies, we are still miserable. And — 2. There is no way to avoid this curse but in closing with Christ, In the sense of it fly to Christ for refuge. There is the law driving, and the gospel drawing. Christ is the only remedy the gospel showeth. and so pulleth in the heart to God ; and we are undone without that. The law showeth it, and so we are driven out of ourselves : Heb. vi. 18, ' Who have fled for refuge, to lay hold upon the hope set before us.' Fly as if the avenger of blood were at your heels. Phil. iii. 9 : Do you labour to be found in Christ ? When the flood was upon earth, none were saved but they that got into the ark. So Cant. ii. 3, ' I sat under his shadow with great delight.' It supposeth the scorching of the sun in those hot countries. Canst thou find thy heart driven ? Thou art afraid thou shalt not get soon enough ; that God will leave his suit, or thou shalt be called out of the world before the match be made up. Dost thou find thine heart fastening upon Christ ? I will pitch here, as Joab took hold of the horns of the altar. 3. Besides the sense of the benefit that we have by Christ, there must be an unfeigned love to him, or else the curse doth still remain : 1 Cor. xvi. 22, ' If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha, accursed till the Lord come ; ' and that is for ever and ever. Can a man think he shall be the better for Christ when he esteemeth him as dung and trash, hath no delight in him, no 90 sehmons upon matthew xxv. [Ser, XXY. value for him ? We esteem men either as they are excellent in them- selves, or as they are profitable to us. There is both in Christ. There- fore, if you love liim not, it is a sign you have had no benefit by him. Gospel love, it is a love of gratitude ; it ariseth from faith, Gal. v. 6. 4. This love must be expressed by a sincere obedience : 1 John v. 3, ' His commandments are not grievous.' It is not grievous for Christ's sake. The devil, though he be a proud spirit, careth not for dis- praises, nor Christ for empty profession. Can any man esteem Christ that cannot forbear one pleasure for God, one vanity for his sake? By this you shall know whether you shall do well or ill, yea or no. Is it a pleasure to you to renounce your interests, to deny lusts, to perform duties for Christ's sake ? Use 2. Is to press us to come out of the curse of nature. 1. Be sensible of it. Consider — [1.] God's curse is very dreadful : Dei benedicere est benefacere. The ' curse causeless shall not come ;' but God's curse is sure to take place. Micah was afraid of his mother's curse, that he dareth not keep the money ; yet we will keep our sins, Judges xvii. 2. It was money dedicated to make a graven image ; a senseless curse, that was pronounced at random; but he thought it a dreadful thing to lie under a mother's curse, and therefore is not quiet till she had recalled it. Elisha cursed when he was mocked, and it took effect: 2 Kings ii. 24, ' And he turned back and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord ; and there came two she-bears out of the wood, and tare forty-two children of them in pieces.' A prophet's curse is a dread- ful thing. And will God put up all the affronts we put upon him, when we do despite to his Spirit and scorn his grace ? This was but a man, these but children ; yet when they scorned his ministry and function, as being bred up in idolatry; God will tear in pieces, and none to deliver. Take notice of God's curse on Cain : Gen. iii. 11, * Now thou art cursed from the earth.' He was the first-fruits of the reprobate, the patriarch of unbelievers, as Tertullian calleth him ; the first cursed man in the world ; and his curse was to be cast out of God's presence, ver. 14 ; a figure of what shall be done at the last day. It stuck close to him all his life ; yea, cursed Cain was sensible of it : ' My punishment is greater than I can bear.' We are cursed again and again, Deut. xxvii. To every curse of the law they were to say Amen, to show the sure accomplishment of it. So certainly it will be; it is just as certain: it is a subscription to the justice of it, and a profession of their faith. Am I a cursed creature by nature ? Are all his curses Yea and Amen, as well as his promises ? Oh ! what will become of me if I do not take hold of Christ ? So the curse on the builder of Jericho is remarkable : Josh. x. 6, ' Cursed be the man before the Lord that raiseth up and buildeth this city ; for he shall lay the foundation of it in his first-born, and in his younger son he shall build it up.' And you shall see, 1 Kings xvi. 34, some hundred of years afterwards was tliis curse executed : ' Cursed is every one.' Yet the sinner blesseth himself, and smileth in his heart, and thinketh none of this shall come upon him ; but after many years it breaketh out. [2.] We know not how soon God may take the advantage of this VeR. 41.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 91 curse, and cut us off from the possibility of his grace. Christ coraeth as a thief, and stealeth upon men ere they are aware. We are indebted to God's justice, and we know not how soon God may put the bond in suit. Other debts have a day set for payment : God may demand it before to-morrow : Gen. iv. 17, ' Sin lieth at the door,' like a sergeant, to surprise us every hour ; and then we go to prison, and remain there till we have paid every farthing, Luke xii, Solomon wisheth a man to hasten out of debt as a ' bird out of the hand of the fowler,' Prov. vi. 5, A condemned malefactor, that is only reprieved during the pleasure of the prince, is in danger of execution every hour. Wrath breaketh out of a sudden. What provision have you made ? How stand mat- ters between God and you? If a man were informed that his servants had a plot to take away his life, to carry away his treasure, which is speedily to be put in execution, he would not be quiet till he had rid his hands of them : so is sin. [3.] At the last day this curse is ratified by Christ's sentence : ' Go, ye cursed ; ' depart, ye cursed creatures. When others are acquitted by proclamation, as at the day of judgment, we receive our solemn discharge. Acts iii. 19 ; then your curse is revived before all the world, and as cursed creatures you lose all pity from God, men, and angels. As Adam was driven out of paradise with a bitter taunt, Gen. iii. 22, so with a terrible bann and proscription, that shall never be reversed. [4.] It shall be presently executed : Esther vii. 8, ' As soon as the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman s face.' These are considerations to beget a feeling of wrath. 2. Flee from it to Christ. Poor sinners, they stand in continual fear of execution. Oh ! fiy to Christ, to get the sentence reversed. For motives to persuade us to come to Christ for help : — [1.] Consider how willing mercy is to receive those that fly from the curse. This was God's design in shutting us up under the curse, that there might be no other way of escape : Kom. iii. 19, 'That every mouth might be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God ;' that we may become obnoxious, that we may acknowledge ourselves to be quite undone. So Gal. iii. 23, ' The scripture hath concluded all under sin;' and Kom. xi. 32, 'For God hath concluded them all in unbelief.' The law, in the name of God, arrests us, accuses us, convinceth us, leaving us dead (all preparations to damnation), that through the prison doors we may beg for mercy. He alloweth an appeal from court to court. [2.] With what honour to himself God may show us mercy. It is no wrong to appeal from the law to the gospel : Gal. iii. 13, ' Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.' Christ hath taken the curse into his own person : Ps. Ixix. 4, ' I restored that which I took not away ; ' that honour to God which he took not away. [3.] The great offence in refusing Christ, Heb. xii. 15. Esau was called a profane person, because he sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. He was no drunkard, no swearer. To refuse the Father's riches of wisdom and grace, the Son's self-denial and sufferings, is the greatest ingratitude that can be. When all the labours and wooings of the Spirit are in vain, it is the greatest spite we can do to God ; it 92 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XXVI. is the greatest profaneness to set light by holy things, especially this great mystery, when we do not think it worthy our care and thoughts, Mat. xxii. 5. SERMON XXVI. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for tlie devil and his angels. — Mat. XXV. 41. Now we come to the sentence itself. There we shall first take notice of the poena damni, the loss, depart. The point is — Doct. This is the hell of hells, that the reprobates must all depart, or lose the fruition of God in Christ. But before I begin to set forth this part of the punishment, let me observe something : — 1. In this part of the torment all are equal. There are degrees elsewhere, but here the reprobates are all equally excluded. Christ wdll thus profess, Mat. vii. 23, ' Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity ; I know you not.' 2. It is the greatest part of the punishment. The punishment of sense is finite in nature, though infinite in duration. Though it be from the wrath of God, it is still according to the capacity of the creature. But p)oena damni is the privation of an infinite good. It is indeed a question which is the greater punishment, whether everlasting separation from God or everlasting torment ? whether * depart,' or ' everlasting fire ' ? According to the present state, pain is more sen- sible than loss. In the bodily state we judge altogether by the senses ; but in the other world, when all objects are taken away, and there is a ceasing of temptations, and our judgments are mostly spiritual, there it is otherwise. The greatness of the punishment will appear : — First, By the loss ; they shall lose all heaven's joys, the favourable presence of God, the sight of Christ, the company of the blessed, and their abode in those happy mansions which are in Christ's Father's house. 1. The favourable presence of God. Hell is a deep dungeon, where the sunshine of God's presence never cometh. God is summuni honum, the chiefest good ; and in the other world, omne honum, all in all. All things are immediate from God, comforts and punishments : Ps. xvi. 11, 'In thy presence is fulness of joy, and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.' Paul's departure, how grievous was it, when he said, ' Ye shall see my face no more ' ! Acts xix. 28. Better lose all things than God : Exod. xxxiii. 15, ' If thy presence go not up with us, carry us not hence.' The appearance of the Son of God to the three children cast into Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace, how comfortable was it to them ! Object. Ay ! but this is not to be presupposed of the damned. Is it any grief to the wicked to want God, against whom they have such an extreme averseness and hatred ? I answer — VeR. 41.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 93 (1.) They are sensible of tlie loss of happiness ; their judgments are changed, though not renewed. Fogs of error, atheism, and unbelief then vanish, and they are convinced by experience. There are no atheists in hell ; they learn to prize happiness by bitter experience. As rational creatures, they cannot but be sensible of their loss, that know the worth of what is lost ; and so great a blessedness lost cannot but breed sadness and dejection of spirit. They look on Grod not as lovely in himself, but as one that might be profitable to them. Oculos quos occlusit culpa, wperiet poena. (2.) It would lessen their torments if their understandings might be taken away. By sad experience they know what it is to want God, though still their hatred of God remaineth. Heaven, that I am shut out of, is a blessing which others enjoy ; Lazarus is in Abraham's bosom. 2. The sight of Christ. They had a glimpse before they went into hell of the glory of his presence : 2 Thes. i. 9, ' They shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord.' That »hort experience of Christ's appearing will remain in their minds ; to all eternity it will stick by them, how they are thrust out. Christ himself, that hath the keys of death and hell, shall bid them go ; as if he had said, I cannot endure your presence any longer. 3. From the company of the blessed : Luke xiii. 28, ' Ye shall see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and yourselves shut out.' Envy is a part of their torment as well as their loss : Luke xvi. 27, ' And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in Abraham's bosom.' It is a torment to think that others of the same nature and interest do enjoy what they have forfeited. 4. Their abode in those happy mansions which are in Christ's Father's house : Kev. xxii. 14, 15, ' Blessed are they that do his com- mandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city ; for without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.' Secondly, This loss is the more bitter and grievous because it is a loss of their own procuring. Forsaking of God was their sin, and now their misery. They first excommunicated God for a trifle : Job xxii. 7, ' Depart from us; we desire not the knowledge of God,' Man is like the devil: 'Art thou come to torment us before our time?' Eom. i. 28, ' They did not like to retain God in their knowledge ; therefore, God gave them over to a reprobate mind.' They abhorred the thoughts of God ; it was their burthen : ' The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.' Now they are filled with their own thoughts. Man was first a fugitive before he was an exile. Thirdly, The loss is irreparable. Despair is a constant ingredient to their sorrow. They cannot hope ever to be admitted into God's presence any more. There are many ups and downs in a christian's experience. God hideth his face that he may show it afterwards the more gloriously. This is a curse that shall never be reversed. It was the church's prayer, ' Return again, and cause the light of thy coun- tenance to shine on us. and we shall be saved,' Ps. Ixxx. 19 ; like the 94 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XXVL sunsliine after a cloudy night. But here are fogs of darkness for ever- more. The sun is to shine no more on them to all eternity : 2 Peter ii. 17, ' To whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.' Hell is a region upon which the sun shall never shine. Use 1. Lay to heart your distance from God by nature. Let us not draw this great judgment upon ourselves. Our sin will be our tor- ment. We are estranged from the womb, Isa. Iviii. 3. As a stream runneth away from the fountain further and further, so are we absent from God both in heart and affections as well as in state: Eph. ii. 13, 'Ye were afar off;' as the prodigal went into a far country. Thoughts of God are not only strangers, but unwelcome guests. ' The devils believe and tremble ; ' so we. Guilt will not suffer us to look God in the face, Ps. x. 4. 2. Be not quiet till you come out of this estate by Christ ; he is the bridge between earth and heaven, John xiv. 6. There can be no familiarity between us and God, but through him, Luke xvi. 26. Christ is the ladder by which we ascend, the means of intercourse between God and us. When man was driven out of paradise, the tree of life was guarded by a flaming sword. There is no coming to God but by him, and * he is able to save to the utmost,' Heb. vii. 25. 3. Avoid sin, that separateth between God and you, Isa, lix. 1, 2. How will you pray when you cannot look God in the face ? Fear fol- loweth guilt. The Israelites, when they had sinned, worshipped at their tent-door. You cannot come to God with such confidence. 4. Let us often delight in communion with God and acquaint- ance with him. It is heaven begun. Heaven is for God's familiars. Strangers here will not be owned ; and hereafter (Mat. vii. 23) Christ will say unto them, ' I know you not/ But Christ will take notice of his old friends. Oh ! then, love his presence, make him of your coun- sel, your bosom friend. 5. Live in a holy sensibleness of his accesses and recesses ; for his accesses, that you may be thankful ; for his recesses, to be humble. It is a question which is worst, not to take notice of his accesses or recesses, not to mourn for his absence or rejoice in his presence ; both are bad. Not to mourn for his absence is the worst sin, because absence is most sensible. In the present life, when our enjoyment of him is lost, it is a temporary hell; yet it is foul ingratitude not to take notice of his presence, when he counselleth you in doubts, guideth you in straits. God will have his acts of familiarity to be observed ; it is his complaint, Hosea xi. 3, ' I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.' The one argueth little feel- ing, the other little gratitude ; only want of feeling is the worser sign, for that is a sign of deadness. When God suspends all acts of fami- liarity, some are stupid and insensible, so they can take up with the comforts of the creature ; they never mind spiritual visits. Micah mourned for his gods. Love is discovered by grief in want, as well as delight in enjoyment. The main of Christianity lieth in observing how it is between us and God. When actual influences are suspended, either of grace or comfort, when prayer finds not such an answer, and wlien we do not find such excitation to holy duties, and God hideth himseK from our prayers. VeR. 41,] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 95 We have handled the loss. Now we come, secondly, to speak of the pain. There are sad gripes at the parting of the soul and body ; what then will there be at the parting of the soul and Christ, when the terror of Christ's face shall banish them out of his presence ? Secondly, Tlie poena sensus. Here I shall take notice of — 1. The nature of the torment, _^re. 2. The aggravation from the duration, everlasting. 3. The company and ^ociQij , prepared for the devil and his angels. The nature of the torment, ' fire.' By fire is not meant material or ordinary fire ; that cannot hurt spirits. Now this is such a fire as is prepared for the devil and his angels. All the other expressions are metaphorical, the wood, the brimstone, the lake, the smoke, the worm, the chains ; and why not this ? But observe, though it be not fire, yet it noteth real and horrible torments, such as are more painful than fire. It is called ' wrath to come,' 1 Thes. i. 10, because there was never such wrath before. The Holy Grhost useth such expressions as we are acquainted with. 1. The extremity of these pains cannot be told us. Fire is an active, furious element, the pain most searching, and no fire more scalding than brimstone ; to sense that is most grievous and bitter. But the pains of hell surpass all that is spoken. Look, as when heaven is set out by gold and pearls and precious stones — the joys there are much above these shadows — so all notions come short of hell. 2. The whole man is under the pains of it, both body and soul ; both are fellows in sin, and both are punished. It appeareth partly from scripture : Mat. x. 28, ' Fear not him that can kill the body, but fear him that can destroy both body and soul in hell.' Mark, not only the soul, but the body. The body is not only the instrument, but the occasion of many sins ; the law in the members, brutish motions of lusts ; the eye is fed with lust ; therefore the body hath its share. [1.] For the body ; what the torment shall be we cannot tell ; the scripture is silent ; only, in the general, that it shall have its share of punishment, is certain ; and not only by the grief and anguish of the soul, but the pain residing in the body. As the saints have not only a happiness for their souls, but their bodies ; their vile bodies shall be changed. At the day of judgment, when their bodies are united to their souls, their torments are increased. Here in the text it is said, ' Depart ye ; ' the whole man, no part free. There is a place of tor- ment, as we proved before, as well as a state of torment; therefore the body hath its inconveniences : their eyes meet with nothing but affrighting spectacles, the devils and the damned. Every time they look on their tempter, it revives their guilt ; as the saints, when they look on their Redeemer, it filleth their hearts full of love and adora- tion. What see they but devils to torture them, or other damned tormented with them? Wives and children through their negligence, or neighbours by their cursed example, brought into this place of tor- ment. Their ears are filled with nothing but yellings and bowlings, and hideous outcries. More particularly I shall not define. [2.] For the soul ; the soul's evils arise from a lively and effectual sense of the wrath of God, and the gnawings of conscience. There is a fire and a worm, Mark ix. 44, the wrath of God and the horrors of 96 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR, XXVI. conscience. There is an allusion to the worms that breed in dead bodies, and the fire wherewith they were burned. First, Let us speak a Httle of the worm that breedeth. The worm of conscience consisteth in three things. There is — (1.) Memoria prceteri- torum ; (2.) Sensus jprasentium ; (3.) Metus futurorum. All the periods and distinctions of time yield matter of sorrow and anguish to them, past, present, and to come. 1. Conscience worketh on what is past, the remembrance of their former enjoyments. Iliser^im est dixisse, ft.nsse heatos. It is the miserablest thing that can be to outlive our happiness ; to think of what we once enjoyed, but now Avant : Luke xvi. 25, ' Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedest thy good things.' Thy day is past, now no more pleasures, now all thy carnal delights are spent. The riches of God's goodness that I despised, I shall enjoy no more. The reflec- tion on past comforts : I was thus and thus, but where hath sin brought me ! The very remembrance will aggravate their present misery, especially when the memory shall be quickened by conscience to consider their ingratitude ; their carnal confidence, how they neglected God in the abundance of all things, and nothing remaineth but the sin of their comforts and the curse. Where now are all your stately houses, pleasant gardens, costly tables, furnished with delicious meats ? your gorgeous and pompous apparel, your merry meetings ? These things I have enjoyed, but now they are come to their full and final period. 2. The time wasted ; this is a commodity never valued till it be lost, and then it cannot be recovered. In hell they see the folly of it ; the misspense of time is a killing circumstance. Experience maketh us value time. The horrors of the damned may be guessed at by the complaints of the dying. Oh ! for a little time ! If they had but one year, one month more. Here men are prodigal of nothing so much as time, as if they had more than they could tell what to do with ; but when they come to die, Oh ! if God would spare them a little longer ! 3. Especially opportunities of grace slighted. God reckoneth to a day, how long, how often, he hath warned them : Luke xiii. 7, ' These three years came I seeking fruit from this fig-tree, but behold I find none; cut it down.' Here is Christ's righteous expectation, 'These three years came I seeking fruit ; ' their ungrateful frustration, ' But I find none ;' and then his final denunciation, 'Cut it down." When- ever God reckoneth with a people, he reckoneth with them for time and opportunities of grace. Did not I warn you ? What means we have had, and offers of grace, God's drawing nigh to us in an accept- able time ! Every sermon will sting our conscience. There was a fair advantage ; it is good to feel the worm while it may be killed, to take notice of checks of conscience for the present, and the motions of God's Spirit ; this is a spark that will not be quenched. 4. The folly of their own choice. Men will not see now, but they shall see : Isa. xxvi. 11, ' Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see ; but they shall see, and be ashamed.' Their understandings are cleared to know the worth of things, and their eyes opened, when it is too late : Jer. xvii. 11, 'At his latter end he shall be a fool.' lie VeR. 41.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 97 was a fool all his lifetime to neglect God for a trifle, but now he is a fool in the judgment of his own heart. If I had been as active for God as for my lusts, it would have been otherwise with me. Tempta- tions are gone, lusts are gone : 'The world passeth away, and the lusts thereof.' There is no relish of pleasures in hell, if they could have them ; they have now the bitter experience of the cost they have been at, therefore sadly reflect upon their folly. Conviction heightens their torment : Jer. ii. 17-19, ' Hast thou not procured this unto thy- self, in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way ? And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor ? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river? Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: Know therefore and see, that it is an evil thing and a bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God.' This is your way in the valley ; as when children burn, and feel the gripes of a disease, we upbraid them, This is your eating of raw fruit. Experience maketli them feel the smart of it. 2. There is the sense of their present pain. Here, when we are corrected, we are senseless, like stocks and stones ; but there must needs be feeling, because there is nothing to mitigate their torment, no carnal comforts wherein to steep conscience, no carnal companions that can be a comfort to us : the more we look upon them, the more we see our own sorrow by reflection. There is nothing left but indig- nation and impatience, and gnawing their tongues because of their anguish. Their discontent is part of their torment, 3. For the future, their condition is hopeless. If thei;e could bo hope in hell, the punishment would be the better borne ; but ' there remaineth nothing but a fearful looking for of the fiery indignation of God,' Heb. x. 27. And it is a living God, who liveth for ever and ever, that is their enemy. Oh ! who can think of it without astonish- ment ? When they have run through thousands of years they still expect more. It is tedious to think of a short fit of pain of the stone or gout ; but that is for ever. They endure all at once by thinking of what is to come. Again, there is the fire, or an active sense of the wrath of God. Consider the greatness of it in these circumstances: — 1. God hath an immediate hand in the sufferings of the wicked : Heb. X. 33, ' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.' The wicked fall immediately into his hands ; the quarrel is his own, therefore he will take revenge by his immediate power. No creature is strong enough to convey all his wrath, as a bucket cannot contain an ocean. Man's anger is like himself, weak and finite, but God's is infinite : Ps. xc. 11, ' Who knoweth the power of thine anger ?' Surely we do not consider what it is to fall into God's hands. 2, God sets himself a- work to see what, he can do, and what a creature can bear. The capacity of the creature is enlarged to the utmost: Eom. ix. 22, ' What if God, willing to show his wrath, and make his power known, endured with much long-suftering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction?' His justice decreeth it, his wisdom designeth it, and his power executeth it. He falleth upon us as an VOL. X. G 98 SERMONS TJrON MATTHEW XXV. [SeI!. XXVI. enemy to the utmost ; with one hand he iiplioldetli the creature, and with the other punisheth it. Plerc he showeth what a creature can do when armed by him, hereafter what he can do himself : Ps. Ixxviii. 39; ' For he remembered they were but flesh ; he did not stir up all his wrath.' It doth not break out in its full wei^^ht and force. 3. Consider some instances of God's wrath : ' When his anger is kindled but a little, blessed are all they that put their trust in him,' Ps. ii. 12. In corrective discipline, when Grod's children fall into any disease, the burnings of a fever, the gripes of the cholic, the torment of the stone, they cannot endure two or three days' pain ; how wilt thou dwell with devouring burnings ? These are nothing to the sharp punishments of hell on the body. Poor creatures are at their wits' end when but a spark or flash of this fire lighteth into the conscience. Judas hanged himself. Job cursed the day of his birth ; yet this is but a drop ; these come from hell, they have been in the suburbs of it. Dives wished that Lazarus might but dip the tip of his finger in water to cool his tongue ; these are warnings, they can tell you what a dreadful thing it is. The Lord Christ, who was the Son of God, perfect in faith and patience, he wanted no courage, he was under no despair in the midst of his agonies, yet he cried out, ' My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ? ' Oh ! what will become of them whose portion it is ? Thus for the nature. Secondly, The duration, everlasting fire. The pains of hell are eternal. 1. The moral reasons of it are — [1.] Partly because our obligations to God are infinite. In a way of love, God hath done as much as he could. We turn the back upon eternal happiness which was offered in the gospel. They can never restore the honour to God which they have deprived him of, therefore their punishment is for evermore: the justice of God can never be satisfied by a finite creature. Believers do it in Christ, but the wicked are in their final estate. [2.] They still remain impenitent ; the damned are not changed in hell. Melted metal groweth hard again : the bad thief, that had one foot in hell, dietli blaspheming ; their judgments are changed, but not their hearts. If one should come from the dead, he might speak to you of eternity, and that in hell they suffer eternal punishments. 2. The natural reasons are — [1.] The fire continueth for ever, Heb. x. 33 ; the breath of the Lord still keepeth the flame burning ; the fuel continueth for ever, and wicked men continue for ever ; they consume not, but are immortal in body and soul. Oh ! think of this ! there is no end, no intermission. No end ; the fire on Sodom lasted but a day ; but when the wicked have lain in hell a thousand years, it is but as the first day. When a man is sick, he tumbleth and tosseth, and telleth the hours of the night, and wishcth it were day. We are wont to think a sermon long, a prayer long; what will hell be? Conscience will ever be talking to thee, repeating over the story of thy life, and putting thee in remem- brance of the wrath of God that endureth for ever. And — [2.] It is without intermission : Eev. xx. 10, ' They shall be tor- mented day and night, for ever and ever.' Not a drop to cool their VeR. 41.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 99 tongues. Here sin is everlasting ; all day it runneth in the mind, and all night it playeth in the fancy. Wicked men begin the morning with it, and end the day with it. Man is ever haunted with his own horrors, and the wrath of God inflicted upon him. Thirdly, The next aggravation is, it is ' prepared for the devil and his angels ; ' for them principally, and others to bear them company : Satan, and all that are seduced by him, are tormented together. There is a principality among the devils, one that was chief and ringleader in the rebellion against God, he and his angels ; and then wicked men make up the company in that region of darkness. It was a sad judgment on Nebuchadnezzar when he was turned out among the beasts ; but the cursed of the Lord are turned out among (■ v.ls. If a man knew a house were haunted, he would not lie in it for a night. You must keep company with Satan and his angels for evermore. The saints enjoy God, and have the company of good angels ; but you must dwell with devils. If the devil should appear to thee in some terrible shape, would not thy heart fail thee ? Thou canst not look upon any in hell but thou must remember enemies to thy soul as well as to God. Use 1. This should make us consider the folly of sinners, that will run this hazard for a little temporal satisfaction ; for as he cried out, ' For how short a pleasure have I lost a kingdom ! ' when he had parted with his sovereignty for a draught of water ; so you, out of a desire of present contentment, forfeit heaven, and run the hazard of eternal torments. When thou art about to sin, think of this. We need all kind of helps. 1. To stir us up to godliness. If men were as they should be, sweet arguments would be enough; but now we need the scourge. It is good to counterbalance any temptation, when it is violent. My heart will call me fool to all eternity. Can I dwell with everlasting burnings ? 2. To rouse us up to the consideration of our natural misery. [1.] Partly that we may ' flee from the wrath to come,' Mat. iii. 7. There is no way but by Jesus Christ. We need every day to look back. In their flight to Zoar they were not to look back upon Sodom, lest there should be relentings kindled. But it is good to look back in this sense ; we shall see nothing but fire and brimstone behind us. [2.] That we may be thankful to Christ: 1 Thes. i. 10, 'Even Jesus, which hath delivered us from wrath to come.' He was sub- stituted in our room and place ; he suffered a kind of hell in his own soul, or else this must have been our portion. Use 2. Are we of the number ? There is a catalogue of the damned crew : Kev. xxi. 8, ' But the fearful, and unbelieviag, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone.' The fearful ; such as, for the fear of men, swerve from the holy profession and practice of godliness. The unbelieving ; all that remain in an impenitent estate. Abominable, murderers, whoremongers ; impure gnostics, such as ranters : 1 Cor. vi. 9, ' Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor 100 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XXVII. covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.' Is there any likelihood of deceit there. Cor- rupt nature is always devising one shift or another wherein to harden conscience. Idolaters; it is dangerous not to be right in worship. The covetous cometh in, Gal. v. 5, 'Nor covetous man, who is an idolater : let no man deceive you ; for because of these things, the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience.' We think it a small matter. All liars ; not only the gross liar, but the heretic ; as heresy is called a lie : it is good to keep to the pattern of sound words. The hypocrite's hell is his portion: Mat. xxiv. 51, 'Appoint him his portion with the hypocrites : there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Hypocrisy, it is a practical lie. SERMON XXVII. And tliese shall go away into everlasting punishment : hut the righteous into life eternal. — Mat. XXV. 46. The words are a conclusion of a notable scheme and draft which Christ gives us of the last judgment. In that day there will be — (1.) A congregation ; (2.) A segregation ; (3.) A discussion of the cause ; (4.) A solemn doom and sentence, both of absolution and condemna- tion ; (5.) And, lastly, execution, without which the whole process of that day would be but a solemn and useless pageantry. The execu- tion is in the text ; wherein observe — First, A distinction of the persons ; these and the righteous. See the last sermon on 2 Cor. v. 10. Secondly, As there arc different persons, so different recompenses. See 2 Cor. v 10. Thirdly, Observe, these different recompenses are dispensed with respect to the different qualifications and state of the persons judged, as their case shall appear upon trial, according to their works. Some are wicked, and others righteous: God must needs deal differently with them — 1. To show the holiness of his nature. The holy God delighteth in holiness and holy persons, and hateth sin and the workers of ini- quity ; and therefore will not deal with the one as he dealeth with the other. Both parts of his holiness are spoken of in scripture, his delight in holy things and persons. See the fourth sermon on 2 Cor. v. 10. 2. The righteousness of his government requireth that there should be a different proceeding with the godly and the wicked ; that every man should reap according to what he hath sown, whether he hath sown according to the flesh or the spirit ; that the fruit of his doings should be given into his bosom. And this, though it be not evident in this life, whore good and evil is promiscuously dispensed, because now is the time of God's patience and our trial, yet, in the life to come, when God will judge the world in righteousness, Acts xvii. 31, VeE. 46.] SEKMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 101 it is necessary that it should go well with the good and ill with the bad; or, as the apostle saith, 2 Thes. i. 6, 7, * It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you that are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels.' Mark, both parts of the recompense belong to the righteousness of his government, to give rest to the troubled, as well as tribulation to the troublers. Indeed, with the one he dealeth in strict justice ; to the other he dispenseth a reward of grace. Yet that also belongeth to his right- eousness ; that is, his new-covenant righteousness ; for so it is said, Heb. vi. 10, ' God is not unrighteous, to forget your work and labour of love ; ' as he hath bound himself by gracious promise to give life and glory to the penitent, obedient, and faithful. 3. The graciousness of his rewarding mercy and free love to his faithful servants. Though they were involved in the same condemna- tion with others as to their original and first estate, and the merit of their evil actions, and the constant imperfection of their best works ; yet since it was the sincere bent of their hearts to serve and honour God, he will give them a crown of life. They might have perished everlastingly, as others do, if God should enter into a strict judg- ment with them. But when others receive the fruit of their doings, he dealeth graciously with them, pardoning their failings, and accept- ing them in the Beloved. God is not bound in justice, from the right and merit of their actions, to reward them that have done him most faithful service, but merely of his grace upon the account of Christ : 1 Peter i. 13, ' Hoj)ing unto the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ ; ' and Jude 21, ' Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life ; ' and 2 Tim, i. 18, ' The Lord grant that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day,' namely, when the Lord shall judge the quick and the dead, and shall distribute punishments and rewards. In some measure we see grace here, but never so fully and perfectly as then. [1.] Partly because now we have not so full a view of our unworthi- ness as when our actions are scanned, and all things are brought to light whether they be good or evil. And — [2.] Partly because there is not so full and large a manifestation of God's favour now, as there is in our full and final reward. It is grace now that he is pleased to pass by our offences, and to take us into his family, and give us some taste of his love, and a right to his heavenly kingdom ; but then it is another manner of grace and favour, when our pardon shall be pronounced by our Judge's own mouth, and he shall not only take us into his family, but into his immediate presence and heavenly palace ; not only give us a right, but possession : ' Come, ye blessed of my Father ; inherit the kingdom prepared for you ; ' and shall not only have some remote service and ministration, but be everlastingly employed in loving, and delighting in, and praising of God. This is grace indeed. The grace of God, or his free favour to sinners, is never seen in all its glory or graciousness till then. And it is the more amplified, vv^hen we see how God dealeth with others, who as to natural endowments were every way as acceptable as ourselves ; and, as to spirituals, grace alone making the difference. 102 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XXVII. Fourtlilij, Observe, first, the wicked are described by sins of omis- sion ; as ver. 42, 43. Tliose that have not visited, not clothed, not fed, not harboured ; these shall go into everlasting punishment. But the righteous, by their faithfulness in good works, or acts of self-denying obedience, shall go into life eternal. 1. The wicked by their omission of necessary duties. Because we think omissions no sins, or light sins, I shall take this occasion to show the heinousness of them. Sins are commonly distinguished into — (1.) Sins of omission ; and (2.) Sins of commission. [1.] A sin of commission is when we do those things which we ought not to do. [2.] A sin of omission is when we leave undone those things which we ought to do. But when we look more narrowly into these things, we shall find both in every actual sin ; for in that we commit any- thing against the law of God, we omit our duty ; and the omitting of our duty can hardly fall out but that something is preferred before the love of God ; and that is a commission. But yet there is a ground for the distinction ; because when anything is directly and formally against the negative precept and prohibition, that is a sin of commis- sion ; but when we directly sin against an affirmative precept, that is an omission. An instance we have in Eli and his sons. Eli's sons ' defiled themselves with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,' 1 Sam. ii. 22 ; but Eli himself sinned in that 'he restrained them not,' 1 Sam. iii. 13. His sin was an omission ; their sin was a commission. Now, that sins of commission may be great sins, appeareth — (1.) Partly by the nature of them ; for there is in them the general nature of all sin. It is avojjuLa, 1 John iii. 4, a transgression of a law, or a disobedience to God ; and so, by consequence, a contemj^t of his authority. We cry out upon Pharaoh when we hear him saying, Exod. V. 2, ' Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice ? ' And by interpretation we all say so. This language is in every sin we commit, and in every duty we omit. Our negligence is not simple negligence, but downright disobedience ; because it is the breach of an express precept and charge which God hath given us. Now when we make no reckoning of it, we do in effect say, ' Who is the the Lord, that I should obey him ? ' There may be much disobedience in a bare omission. When Saul had not done what God bade him to do, he telleth him, ' That rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness as iniquity and idolatry,' 1 Sam. xv. 23 ; implying that omission to be stubbornness and rebellion, parallel to idolatry and witchcraft. (2.) By the causes. In the general, corrupt nature ; but the parti- cular causes are — (1st.) Idleness. They do not stir up themselves, Isa. Ixiv. 7. (2dly.) Security, Jer. ii. 31, 32. (3dly.) Want of love to God : Isa. xliii. 22, ' But thou hast not called upon me, 0 Jacob ; thou hast been weary of me, 0 Israel ; ' Rev. ii. 4, ' Nevertheless I have something against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.' And — (4thly.) Zeal for his glory : ' Not slothful in business, but fervent VeR. 46.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 1 03 in spirit, serving the Lord,' Eom. xii. 11. Where there is a fervour, we cannot be idle and neglectful of our duty. (3.) By the effects ; and they are — (1st.) Internal. There is a sad withering: 1 Thes. v. 19, ' Quench not the Spirit.' Or — (2d.) External. It bringeth on many temporal judgments. God puts by Saul from being king for a sin of omission : 1 Sam. xv. 11, ' It repenteth me for setting up Saul to be king ; for he hath not done the thing which I commanded him.' For this he puts by Eli's house from the priesthood : 1 Sam. iii. 13, 'I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knoweth ; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.' That omission was not total ; for he rejiroved them, but did not punish them. (3d.) Eternal : Mat. xxv. 30, ' Cast the unprofitable servant into utter darkness.' So Mat. vii. 19, 'Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire ; ' if it bringeth not forth good fruit, though not bad or poisonous fruit. For these sins Christ coudemneth the wicked in the text. By all these argu- ments it appeareth that sins of omission may be great sins. But — 2. That some sins of omission are greater than others. All are not alike. As — [1.] The more necessary the duties are : Heb. ii. 3, ' How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation ? ' &c. ; 1 Cor. xvi. 22, ' If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha.' These are peccata contra remcdium, as others are contra officium. By other sins we make the wound ; by these we refuse the plaster. [2.] If the omission be total: Jer. x. 25, 'Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name;' Ps. xiv. 2, 'JSTone seeketh after God.' [3.] If a duty be seasonable ; the feeding the hungry, , ' Thine they were, and thou gavest them me, and tliey have kept thy word ; * and ver. 12, ' Those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition.' These were e/cXe/crcoj/ eKXe/cTOTepoL, the elect of the elect. I confess sometimes the word is used in a larger sense, for Christ's uni- versal power over all flesh : Ps. ii. 8, ' Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession ; ' not by way of charge, but by way of reward, they were given to him ; or rather, a power over them Avas given to him. There is a peculiar difiiculty, ver. 12, concerning the son of perdition, how he was given to Christ. But I shall handle it when I come to that place. Christ, having spoken of the apostles keeping his word, taketh occasion to speak of Judas his apostasy. Note hence : — 1. That there was, from all eternity, a solemn tradition and disposi- tion of all that shall be saved into the hands of Christ. All God's flock are committed to his keeping. This giving souls to Christ was founded in an eternal treaty, Isa. liii. 10. Christ received them by way of grant and charge ; he hath a book where all their names are recorded and written : Rev. xiii. 8, ' All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world ; ' Rev. xxi. 27, ' None shall enter in who are not written in the Lamb's book of life.' The book of life is there attributed to Christ, because he took this solemn charge upon himself, to conduct the heirs of salvation to glory. He is to see they come to him : John vi. 37, ' All that the Father giveth me shall come to me.' He knoweth them by head and poll : Isa. xlix. 12, ' Behold, these shall come from far ; and lo, these from the land of the north, and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim.' Man by man they are told out to him. 2. He is to keep them and look after them. Though there be many thousands, yet every single believer falleth under the care of Christ ; and accordingly he knoweth their names and their necessities : John x. 3, ' He calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.' He knoweth his sheep by name, John, Anna, Thomas. As the high priest carried the names of the tribes upon his bosom, so Christ knows the names of all the flock of God. There is. not a poor servant or scullion (who are despicable creatures in the world) but Christ looks after him : Fs. xxxiv. 6, ' This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles/ Poor soul ! he is under such temptations, encumbered with such troubles, in such a task or 138 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVIT. [SeR. II. service. My Fatlier gave me a charge of liim, I must look to him. So many hxmbs as thei'C are in the flock of Christ, there is not one forgotten. 3. Christ is to give an account of them unto God. He doth it by liis constant intercession ; of wliich this prayer is a copy : 'They have kept thy word : I am glorified in them.' Christ is speaking good words of them to the Father ; he giveth you a good report behind your back. Satan is an accuser; he loveth to report ill of believers; but Christ telleth the Father how his lambs thrive. It is a grief to your advocate when he cannot speak well of you in heaven. But solemnly he will do it at the last day, when he is to present the elect to the tribunal of God : Heb. ii. 13, ' Behold I and the children which God hath given me.' Oh ! it is a goodly sight to see Christ and all his little ones come together to the throne of grace. There is not one forgotten in the presence of Christ and all bis angels. Christ will not be ashamed to own a poor despicable boy, a manservant, or a maid- servant, so they be faithful : Luke xii. 8, ' Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God.' I died for this poor creature, and shed my blood for him. This is intended : 1 Cor. xv. 24, ' Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father.' A kingdom is sometimes put for the form of government, sometimes for subjects governed. The kingdom, that is the church, is solemnly presented as a prey snatched out of the teeth of lions : Eph. v. 27, 'iva irapacxTrjarj, ' That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing ; but that it should be holy and without blemish.' Christ will present his bride in triumph. Use 1. Comfort to believers. 1. Concerning the safety of their eternal estate. Christ bargained for thee by name. That the Father and the Son should pitch upon such a forlorn and wretched piece of the creation as thou art, and they should talk together of thy heaven, i Son, this is one for whom thou nnist die ! That thy name should be in the eternal register, written with the Lamb's blood in his own book of life. I must have a care of him. Ay ! you will say, this were an excellent comfort, if I were sure I were one of them that is given to Christ. I answer — If he hath given Christ to you, he hath given you to Christ. God maketh an offer in the gospel. Are you willing to receive him for Lord and Saviour ? Then you put it out of question : ' To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the children of God.' You are fellow-heirs with Christ. Christ is given to you in time. 2. In your particular straits Christ hath a care of you. Do you think he will break his engagement ? Christ hath plighted his truth 10 God the Father. Our groundless jealousies question the truth ol" Christ's word and solemn agreement. When we say, The Lord hath forgotten nie, this is in effect to say, Christ is not faithful in his charge. The prophet chideth them : Isa. xl. 27, ' Why sayest thou, 0 Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and ray judgment is passed over from my God?' God doth not take notice of my case : such mistrust is a lie against the care of Christ. Use 2. To press us, especially humble sinners, you that walk in ' Qii. " thee in heaven "? — Ed. VeR. 3.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 139 darkness, to come under these sweet hopes. God hath Laid souls to pled<:fe in the hand of Christ. Why should we be scrupulous ? All the Father's acts are ratified in time by believers. He ordaineth, we consent ; he chooseth Christ for lord and king : ' They shall appoint themselves one head,' Hosea i. 11; So he hath given souls to Christ, so should you. 1. Commit your souls to him by faith ; this answereth to Christ's receiving the elect by way of charge : 1 Peter iv. 19, ' Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful creator.' A man ventureth upon duty, and trusteth God with his soul: Ps. xxxi. 5, 'Into thy hands do I commit my spirit.' Paul knew Christ was an able and trusty friend : 2 Tim. i. 12, ' I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day.' Committing the soul to God is a notion often used in the matter of faith, and doth most formally express the nature of trust and adherence. He is willing to receive your souls, and he is able to make good the trust. Therefore, in all times of distress and danger, when all things are dark to us, upon the warrant of the gospel, let us commit the soul to Christ, to be kept to salvation ; refer your- selves to his care for pardon, defence, support, and glory. 2. Consecrate yourselves to Christ. Committing noteth trust ; con- secrating, obedience. You commit yourselves to his care, you resign and yield up yourselves to his discipline. Committing answereth the charge, but consecration the grant : Kom. xii. 1, ' I beseech you, there- fore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.' By full consent a manembarketh with Christ, and is resolved no longer to be at his own keeping and disposal : Ps. cxix. 94, ' I am thine, save me, for I have sought thy prece[)ts.' I am thine ; Lord, I would not be my own, unless I be thine. As those who being denied protection by the Koraans, offered up themselves and their whole estate to them. Si nostra tueri non vuliis, at vestra defendetis ; quicquid passuri sumiis, dedititii vestri patianfur, &c. SERMON IIL And tins is life eternal, that they mifjht hioio thee the onhj true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. — John XVII. 3. Here our Lord declareth the way, means, and order how he would give eternal life to the elect ; and so it is added as an amplification of the former argument. The words must be expounded by a metonymy. Such kind of predications are frequent in scripture : John iii. 19, ' This is the condemnation,' &c. ; that is, the cause of it. Sometimes it signifies the outward means : John xii. 50, ' His commandment is life everlasting ;' that is, his word is the most assured means of it. Sometimes the principal cause : ' Jesus Christ is the true God and eternal life,' 1 John v. 20 ; that is, the author of it. 140 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. III. ' This is life eternal.' — Some understand these words formally, as if they were a description of eternal life, which consisteth in a sight of God. But I suppose it rather layeth down the way and means, and showeth rather what is the beginning and original of eternal life, than the formality and essence of it. It is not in this eternal life consisteth, but by this means it is gotten and obtained. 1. Partly because the word yivcoaKeiv, which is here used, is proper to the light of faith ; and so it is used ver. 7, ' They have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee ; ' and ver. 8, ' They have known surely that I came out from thee.' Vision is proper to the light of glory. It is more usually expressed by seeing than knowing : ver. 24, ' Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, iva Oeoopcoai, that they may behold my glory.' 2. Christ is proving tlie reason, that unless he were glorified, he could not bestow eternal life ; for there could be no knowledge without his ascension into heaven, and effusion of the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and so by consequence no eternal life. So that the words must be explained, ' This is life eternal ;' that is, this is the way to life eternal, or life eternal begun, and in the root and foundation. ' That they may know thee.' — That must be understood by way of apposition ; this is life eternal to know thee : and knowledge is here put for faith or saving knowledge; It is a known rule that words of knowledge do imply suitable affections ; as 1 Thes. v. 12, ' We beseech you to know them which labour among you ;' that is, reverence them. Or, more clearly to the present case : 1 John ii. 4, ' He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. Our Saviour understandeth not naked and unactive speculations concerning God and Christ, or a naked map or model of divine truths. Bare knowledge cannot be sufficient to salvation, but a lively and effectual light. Faith is intended, as is clear by the mention of the double object — God and Christ. He that knoweth God in Christ knoweth him for his reconciled Father, and so leaneth on him. And affections and motions of grace are intended ; for it must be such a knowledge of God as discerneth him to be the chiefest good and only happiness. They know not God that do not choose him for their por- tion : ' They that know thy name will put their trust in thee,' Ps. ix. 10. Again, suitable practice and conversation is implied ; for surely St John knew Christ's meaning : 1 John ii. 3, ' Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.' So that in know- ledge all the genuine effects of it are included — assent, affiance, prac- tice, choice, necessary respect to God and Christ. Literal instruction is not enough to eternal life. A carnal man may know mucli of God and Christ, and yet be miserable. In point of the object, I know no difference between godly and carnal persons ; all the difference is in the force and efficacy ; as fair water and strong water differ not in colour, but only in strength and operation. -I confess, in matters evan- gelical, nature is most blind ; but by reason of common gifts they may have a great proportion of knowledge, as to the letter, more than many of God s children. But of this elsewhere. ' The only true God : ' rbv fiovov aXrjOivov Oeov. — Much ado there hath been about this clause, I shall endeavour to bring all to a short VkR. 3.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 141 decision. The doubt is, How can the Fatlier be said to be the only true God, since the Spirit and the Son do also communicate in the divine essence? 1. Some to solve the matter, invert the order of the words thus, ' To know thee and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent, to be the only true God.' But if the construction would bear it, what provision is there then made for the godhead of the Holy Spirit, which is also a funda- mental article ? 2. Some say that the Father is not to be taken strictly and per- sonally for the first person, but essentially for the whole godliead. But this seemeth not so plausible an answer, for then Christ must pray to himself. He ])rayeth here as God-man, and all along to the Father. For my part, I think the expression is used for a twofold reason — (1.) To exclude the idols and false gods ; (2.) To note the order and economy of salvation. [1.] To exclude the idols of the Gentiles, foreign and ftdse gods, such as are extra-essential to the Father ; and to note that that godhead is only true that is in the Father ; ere top /jlovov uXtjOlvov 6eov — ' Thee the only, thee the true God.' The Son and the Holy Ghost are not excluded, who are of the same essence with the Father. Christ and the Spirit are true God, not without, but in the Father : John x. 30, ' I and my Father are one : ' John xiv. 30, ' I am in the Father, and the Father in me ;' not divided in essence, though distinguished in personality. Such kind of expressions are usual in the scriptures, when any of the persons are spoken of singly ; as Rom. ix. 5, where Christ is said to be ' God over all, blessed for ever.' And more ex- pressly, he is said to be ^eo? uXtjOivo^, ' the only true God,' 1 John V. 20 ; by which neither tlie Father nor the Spirit are excluded from the godhead. Many such exclusive particles there are in scrip- ture, which must be expounded by the analogy of faith ; as Mat. xi. 27, ' None knoweth the Son but the Father ; neither knoweth any man the Father, but the Son ;' where the Spirit is not excluded, ' who searcheth the depths of God,' 1 Cor. ii. 10. One person of the Trinity doth not exclude the rest. So see Isa, xliii. 11, 'I, even I, am the Lord ; and besides me there is no Saviour;' which is applied to Christ : Acts iv. 12, * Neither is there salvation in any other ; for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved;' it only excludeth Xejofxivov; ^eoi)?, those that are called gods, 1 Cor. viii. 5. There is no God but one. Many are called gods, ' but to us there is but one God, the Father.' As also it is the scope of Christ ; he would lay down the summary of christian doctrine ; the one mem- ber being opposed to the vanity of the Gentiles, the other to the blind- ness of the Jews. [2.] To note the order and economy of salvation, in wliich the Father is represented as supreme, in whom the sovereign majesty of the deity resideth, and the Son sustaineth the office of mediator and servant : John xiv. 28, 'My Father is greater than I ; ' not in respect of nature or essential glory, for therein they are both equal : Phil. ii. 6, ' Who, being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God ; ' but in the order of redemption, in whicli the Father is the principal party representiug the whole deity, because he is the 142' SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SkR. III. original and fountain of it. So 1 Cor. viii. 6, ' But to us there is but one God, tlic Father, of whom are all things, and we in him ; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.' God the Father is to be conceived as the supreme person, or ultimate ob- ject of worship, and the Son as lord and mediator. ' And Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent ; ' that is, Jesus Christ, not as the second person in the Trinity, but as mediator. Sent, implieth — 1. Christ's divine original : he came forth from God ; he is legalus a latere : John xvi. 30, ' By this we know that thou camest forth from God.' He was a person truly existing before he was sent into the world, and a distinct person from tiie Father ; for he that sendeth and he that is sent are distinguished. 2. His incarnation : Gal. iv. 4, ' When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman.' 3. It implieth his Avhole office of mediator and redeemer ; wherefore he is called ' the apostle and high priest of our profession,' Heb. iii. 1. Apostle implieth one that was sent. Christ was the chief apostle and messenger of heaven ; ' the high priest and apostle.' The high priest- hood was the highest calling in the Jewish church, and the apostleship tlie highest calling in the christian church ; to note that the whole office of saving all the church, the elect of all ages, is originally in Christ. He is the great ambassador to treat with us from God, and the high priest to treat with God and appease his wrath for us. The names of Christ are also of some use. Such scriptures are like gold, that may be beaten into thin leaves. In summaries and breviats every mark and letter is of use. Jesus signifieth a saviour, as it is explained Mat. i. 21, ' Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.' This is a part of our belief, to acknowledge Christ a saviour. Then Christ signifieth anointed. We shall draw out the sum of all in a few points. First, Observe, the beginning, increase, and perfection of eternal life lieth in knowledge. [1.] The beginning of it is in knowledge. Knowledge is the first step to eternal life. In paradise Adam's two symbols were the tree of knowledge and the tree of life. As light was the first creature that God made, so it is in the new creation : Col. iii. 10, ' Put on the new man, who is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.' By the enlightening of the Holy Ghost, the work of grace is begun, and the seed of glory is laid in the heart. The Holy Ghost representeth the pattern, and then conformeth us to it. Eegenera- tion is nothing but a transforming light, or such an illumination as changes the heart : 2 Cor. iii. 18, ' We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of our God ; ' Eph. iv. 23, ' Be renewed in the spirit of your minds.' It maketli our notions of God and Christ to be active and effectual. The force of the new na- ture is first upon the mind ; it taketh sin out of the throne. God, in the order of grace, followeth the order which he hath established in nature. Reason and judgment is to go before the will. VeR, 3.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 143 2. The increase of it is by knowledge : 2 Peter iii. 18, ' But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.' The more thou growest in knowledge, the more thou growest in life. All the gradual progress and increase of the spiritual life is by the in- crease of light : 2 Peter i. 2, ' Grace be multiplied unto you by the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ our Lord.' Heat doth increase by light, as a room is warmer at high noon than in a chill morning. I confess through corruption and literary airy knowledge, men grow more carnal and careless, as new light quencheth old heat ; but by the light of the Spirit the heart is more quickened and enlivened ; and as the judgment is made solid, so the heart is more gracious. 3. The perfection of it is by knowledge : Ps. xvii. 15, ' When I awake, I shall be satisfied with thy likeness/ The heaven of heavens is to satisfy the understanding with the knowledge of God. One great end of our going to heaven is to better our notions and appre- hensions. While the soul is prisoner in the body, we have but low and dark thoughts ; but there we are illuminated on a sudden. One glimpse of God in glory will inform us more than the study of a thousand years. Use 1. Is to show us the sad estate — 1. Of men without knowledge : Prov. xix. 2, ' Also that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good.' Fruit that hath but little sun can never be ripe. Men will say we are ignorant, but we hope we have a good heart. You can as well be without the sun in the world, as without knowledge and light in the heart. In all the communications of grace, God beginneth with the understanding ; as strength to bear afflictions: Jer. xxxi. 19, 'After I was instructed, I smote on my thigh, and was ashamed, yea even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth ;' James i. 5, ' If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask it of God.' It is the perfection of the present life, and the foundation of the next. It is the perfection of the present life, the excellency of a man above the beasts ; the more knowledge, the more a man ; and the more ignorant, the more brutish : Ps. xlix. 20, ' Man that is in honour and understandeth not is like the beasts that perish ;' Job XXV. 11, ' Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven.' If a man would glory in anything, it should be in the knowledge of God : Jer. ix. 24, ' Let him that giorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me.' 2. Of those that have only a washy weak knowledge, not a living light and knowledge, that is rooted in their own hearts ; they talk like parrots : like the moon, they are dark themselves, though from others they shine to others ; like vintners that keep wine, not for use, but for sale : the cellar may be better stored, but it is for others : 2 Peter i. 8, ' For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.' It is a disparagement to know Christ and never be the better for him. These are like the nobleman of Samaria, that saw the plenty of Samaria, but could not taste of it. Surely there are not greater atheists in the world than carnal scholars that have a great deal of light, but no grace. It is sad to hear of such a Christ and feel no- thing : John xvii. 17, ' Sanctify them through thy truth ; thy word is 144 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. II T. truth.' They who are able to iniderstaud the word, hut to no pur- pose, must needs doubt of the truth of it. Use. 2. To press christians to grow in knowledj]^e, that they may enter upon eternal lil'e by degrees : Hos. vi. 3, ' Follow on to know the Lord.' There is a growth in knowledge as well as grace. It is not so sensible in the very increase and progress as that of grace is ; be- cause growth in grace is always cum bictu, with some strife, but the work upon the understanding is more still and silent. Draw away the curtain, and the light cometh in, and our ignorance vanisheth silently, and without such strife as goeth to the taming of lusts and vile alfections ; yet afterwards it is sensible that we have grown : ' Ye were darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord,' Eph. v. 8 ; as a plant increaseth in length and stature, though we do not see the progress. We read of Jesus Christ that he grew in knowledge ; we do not read that he grew in grace : he received the Spirit without measure, and nothing could be added to the perfection of his innocence. Yet it is said, Luke ii. 40, ' The child grew ; ' and ver. 52, ' Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favour with God and man.' The Godhead made out itself to hira by degrees. Oh ! let us increase. It is notable that Moses his first request to God was ' Tell me thy name ; ' and afterward, ' Show me thy glory,' a more full manifestation of God. We should not always keep to our milk, our infant notions and apprehensions, but go on to a greater increase ; it much advanceth your spiritual life, and will be an advantage to your eternal life. They have the highest visions of God hereafter, that know most of him here upon earth. They are vessels of a larger capacity ; and though all be perfect, yet with a difference. Now for means and directions, take these : — 1. Wait upon the preaching of the word. God appointed it, and liatli given gifts to the church for this end and purpose. We should quicken one another : Isa. ii. 3, ' Come and let us go up to the house of the Lord, and he will teach us his ways.' God's grace is given in liis own way. When men neglect and despise God's solemn institu- tions, they either grow brutish or fanatical, as we see by daily experi- ence. Light as well as flame is kept in by the breath of preaching. By long attention you grow skilful in the word of righteousness. Men that despise the word may be more full of crotchets and curiosities, but that light is darkness. It is disputed which is the sense of learning, hearing or seeing. By the eye we see things, but must, by reason of innate ignorance, be taught how to judge of them. 2. You must read the word with diligence ; that is every man's work that hath a soul to be saved. They that busy themselves in other books will not have such lively impressions : Ps. i. 2, ' His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night ;' that must be our exercise, not play-books, stories, and idle sonnets. How many sacrilegious hours do many spend this way! CasUv delicice onew fiunt scripiurcc tucc — Augustine. Nay, good books should not keep from the scriptures. Luther in Gen. chap. xix. saith, Ego odi lihros meos, et sa'pe oplo eos interire, ne moreniur leciores, et abducant a lec- iione ipsius scripiura'. We should go to the fountain : 2 Tim. iii. 15, ' And that from a child thou hast known the holy scrijjtures, which are VeR. 3.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 145 able to make thee wise unto salvation.' We put a disparagement upon the word when we savour and relish human writings, though never so good and excellent, better than the word of God itself. This is the standing rule by which all doctrines must be confirmed ; and you do not know what sweet, fresh, and savoury thoughts the Spirit of God may stir up in your own minds ; for word-representations are not so taking as our own inward thoughts and discourses ; these, like a draught of wine from the tap, are more fresh and lively. It is necessary, as I said before, to wait upon preaching, to hear what others can say out of the scriptures ; but it is good to read too, that we may preach to our- selves. Every man is fittest to commune with his own heart ; and that conviction which doth immediately arise out of the word is more prevalent. A man can be angry with any preacher but conscience. In another, when a matter is expressed to our case, we are apt to suspect the mixture of passion and private aims ; but read thyself, and what thoughts are stirred up upon thy reading will be most advantageous to thee. Besides, those that are studious of the word have this sensible advantage, that they have the promises, the doctrines, the examples of the word more familiar and ready with them upon all cases. It is said of one, that he was a living bible and a walking library, ^lI3\o<; efx'^v- ^o, ' They that come to God must believe that he is.' The discussion is not needless. Though it be impossible to deface those impressions of the deity which are engraven upon our hearts, yet the drift of our desires and thoughts goeth this way, as if there were no God : Ps. x. 4, ' The wicked, through the pride of his coun- tenance, will not seek after God ; God is not in all his thoughts.' All his thoughts are. There is no God : Ps. xiv. 1, ' The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.' Though he durst not speak it out, yet he saith it in his heart, he entertaineth some such suspicious thoughts and desires about this matter. Those that are guilty of treason would fain destroy the court-rolls ; so carnal men would destroy all memorials of God. Yea, many of the children of God feel this temptation. Is there a God ? It will not be lost labour to answer the inquiry. I s^all pitch upon such arguments as are every man's money. (^ 1. God is evidenced by his works : — [1.] Of creation^ The world is a great book and volume, the creatures are letters, the most excellent are capital letters. If you cannot read, the beasts will teach you : Job xii. 7, 8, ' Ask now the beasts, and they will teach thee ; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee. Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee ; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this ? ' The mute fishes, that can hardly make any sound, have voice enough to proclaim their creator. The apostle tells us, Kom. i. 20, ' The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead.' Like Phidias, who in his image carved his own name, there is God engraven upon every creature. But how doth the world show that there is a God ? There must be some supreme and infinite cause, for nothing can be cause to itself; then it would be before it is, Aristotle acknowledged TrpcoTov alnov, a first cause. Every house must have a builder, and this curious fabric an infinitely wise architect. Thou that deniest God, or doubtest of his being, look upon the heavens : Ps. xix. 1, ' The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showetb his handiwork.' His glory shineth in the sun, and sparkles in the stars. The sun is a representative of God in the brightness of his beams, ex- tent of his influence, indefatigableness of his motion. All the motions of the creatures are so many pulses, by which we may feel after God. 154 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVIi. [SeU. III. [2.] By works of providence. The world is made np of tilings of difierenT "and destructive natures, and all that we now sec would .soon run into disorder and confusion were it not poised and tempered with a wise hand ; and when we are stupid, and do not mind these things, providence discovereth itself in judgments and unwonted operations: Ps. Iviii. 11, 'So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous ; verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.' 2. From the confession and common consent of all natio^s^even those that have been most rude~and barharous, there is none without some worship. The pagan mariners, Jonah i. 5, ' were afraid, and cried every man unto his god.' Those that were most estranged from human society, those that lived in the wilderness without law and government, have been touched with a sense of a deity and god- head ; which must arise from natural instinct. It cannot be any deceit, or imposition of fancy, by custom and tradition, falsehood usually not being so universal and long-lived. Men do what they can to blot out these notions and instincts of conscience. An invention so con- trary to nature would have been long ere this worn out. 3. From our own consciences, that appal the stoutest sinner after the commitment of any gross evil. The heathens, that had but a little light, feared death : Kom. i. 32, ' They, knowing tiie judgment of God, that they that do such things are worthy of death,' &c. ; and ' they had thoughts excusing and accusing one another,' Eom. ii. 14, 1.5. As letters written with the juice of a lemon, hold them to the fire, they may be read. What terrors are in the hearts of wicked men after the commitment of sins against light, as incest, murder, promiscuous lusts, contemptuous speaking of God or his worship ! Though their sins were secret, hidden under a covert of darkness and secrecy, and not liable to any human cognisance, yet they still feared an avenging hand : their hearts have been upon them. Yea, atheists smitten with horror, what they deny in the day, they acknowledge in the darkness of the night, especially in distress. Diagoras, troubled with the strangury, acknowledged a deity. Or a little before death, their hearts are filled with trembling and horror. 4. From several experiences. The power of the word : 1 Cor. xiv. 2.5, ' Thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face, he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.' There is some God guideth these men. There are devils, and they would undo all were they not bound up Avith the chains and restraints of an irresistible providence. God sulfereth them now and then to discover their malice, that we may see by whose goodness we do subsist. So there are virtues, which must be by some institution, or by comformity to a supreme being, or a sense of his law. They cannot be out of any eternal reason, which is in the things themselves, nor by the appointment of man's will ; for then everything which maa willeth would be good. Many arguments might be brought to this purpose, but I am shortly to handle this argument elsewhere. By way of use. 1. Let us charge it upon our hearts, that we may check those private whispers and suspicions which are there against the being and glory of God. Many times we are apt to think that God is but a fancy. VeR. 3.] SKRMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 155 relio;ion a state curb, and the gospel but a quaint device to please fond and foolish men ; and all is but talk to hold men in awe. Oh ! consider, in such truths as these we do not appeal to scripture, but nature. You will never be able to recover your consciences out of this dread. The devils are under the fear of a deity : James ii. 19, ' Thou believest that there is one God, thou doest well ; the devils also believe and tremble.' The devil can never be a flat atheist, because of the fear of the wrath of God tormenting him ; he is not an atheist, because he cannot be one, it cannot stand with the state of a damned angel ; tliere may be atheists in the church, but there are none in hell. Humble thyself for such atheistical thoughts and suggestions. It is a sin irrational ; all the creatures confute it : Ps. Ixxiii. 22, ' So foolish was I and ignorant, I was as a beast before thee ; ' when he had an ill thought of providence, v When you go about to ungod God, you unman yourselves. Common sense and reason would teach you other- wise. Thoughts and desires that strike at the being of God are thoughts of a dangerous importance. Oh ! what a foul heart have I, that casteth up such mire and dirt ! Wrath came upon the Jews to the uttermost for killing Christ in his human nature ; but these are thoughts that strike at God, and Christ, and all together. 2. It reproveth those that wish down, or live down this principle. Some wish it down : Ps. xiv. 1, ' The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.' It is his desire rather than his thoughts. It is a pleasant thing for them to imagine that there is none to call them to an account. Guilty men would fain destroy the righteous God, which is an argument of the worst hatred. Some live it down : Titus i. 16, * In works they deny him.' It is the real language of their lives that there is no God. There is no greater temptation to atheism than the life of a scandalous professor. One surprised a christian in an act of lilthiness, and cried out, Ghristiane ! Christ lane I uhi JDeus iuus? — O christian ! christian ! where is thy God ? There are few atheists in opinion, more in affection, most in conversation of life. You live in deceit and cozenage, and yet profess to believe an omniscient God ; and your privy walkings are full of sin and excess. There is blas- phemy in your lives : Kev. ii. 9, ' I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.' Mr Greenham tells of one who was executed at Norwich for an atheist ; first he was a papist, then a protestant ; then he fell off from all reli- gion, and turned atheist. How can you believe it is true that there is a God, when this truth hath so little power on the heart ? 3. It presseth you to lay this principle up with care. All Satan's malice is to bring you to a denial of this supreme truth ; it is good to discern his wiles. There are special seasons when you are most liable to atheism. When providence is adverse, prayers are not heard, and those that worship God are in the worst case ; the Lord doth not come in when we would have him. The devil worketh upon our stomach and discontent ; and when we are vexed that we have not our desires, we complain, as Israel, Exod. xvii. 7, ' Is the Lord among us or no?' when they wanted water. But still ' our God is in the lieavens, and doth whatsoever he pleaseth.' The saints in their expostulation still yield the principle : Ps. Ixxiii. 1, ' Truly God is good to Israel ;' how- 156 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVI r. [Ser. IV. ever the state of things are, yet he is resolved to hold to principles. So Jer. xii. 1, he layeth it down as an undoubted maxim, ' Righteous art thou, 0 God.' God is God still. So when we meet with oppression, men pervert judgment, others forswear themselves, our innocency doth not prevail, the devil abuseth the rage of passions in such a case. As Diagoras, a noted atheist among the heathens, became so upon this occasion : he saw a man deeply forswearing himself, and yet was not stricken with a thunderbolt. Consider, though this be a sure tempta- tion, yet there is a God: Eccles, iii. 16, 17, ' I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there ; and the place of right- eousness, that iniquity was there.' What then ? ' I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked ; for there is a time for every purpose and for every work.' God will have a time to judge this matter ere long. Still recover your supreme principle out of the hands of the temptation. So in times of general oppression, when the innocent party are left as a prey to their adversaries : Eccles. v. 8, ' When thou seest the violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter ; for he that is higher than the highest regardeth, and there be higher than they.' We may lose all outward supports, but not our God. Attamen vivit Christus, el regnat. So when second causes operate and accomplish their wonted effects according to their fixed and stated course, ' All things continue as they were,' 2 Peter iii. 4, they think the world is governed by chance or nature ; so this proveth a snare. But you should see God at the other end of causes ; he can change them as he pleaseth. SERMON IV. And this is life eternal, that tliey might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. — John XVII. ?k DocT. 2. The next proposition is, that this God is but one, ' Thee the only true God.' Deut. vi. 4, ' Hear, 0 Israel ; the Lord thy God is one Lord.' The heathens multiplied gods according to their own fan- cies : they ' had lords many and gods many.' Austin in one of his epistles speaketh of one Maximius, a heathen, who excuseth the poly- theism of the gentiles, that they worshipped but one supreme essence, though under divers names. Ejus quasi qua:dam membra variis supplicationibus prosequimur, ut totum colere valeamus — that they had several deities, that they might, as by so many several parcels,, adore the whole divine essence. The truth is, nature hath some sense of it ; for as it showeth there is a God, so it showeth there is but one God. Socrates was a martyr to this truth. The Platonics worshipped one supreme essence, whom they called 6 ^aatXev^. The philoso- phers sometimes called God to 6v, that being ; sometimes to ev, that one thing. TertuUian proveth that the soul was naturaliter Chris- tiana, as he speaketh, 0 testimonium animce naturaliter christiance ; which he proveth from the forms of speech then in use. Deus videt, &c. — what God shall award ; God seeth ; let God determine of me. YeR. 3] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 157 and for me. And in troubles they cried out, 0 Grod ! and in straits they did not look to the Capitol, the imagined seat of such gods as the Romans worshipped, hut to heaven, the seat of the living God. Thus it is with the soul, saith he, when recovered out of a distemper. The truth is, it was the dotage and darkness of their spirits to acknowledge many gods, as drunkards and madmen usually see things double, two suns for one. But besides the consent of nations, to give you reasons : There is a God, and therefore but one God ; there can be but one first cause, and one infinite, one best, one most perfect, one omnipotent. If one can do all things, what need more gods ? If both be omnipotent, we must conceive them as agreeing or disagreeing ; if disagreeing, all would be brought to nothing ; if agreeing, one is superfluous. God hath decided the controversy : Isa. xliv. 8, ' Is there a God besides me? Yea, there is no God, I know not any.' As if he said. If any have cause to know, I have, but I know none. This point is useful, not only to exempt the soul from the anxious fear of a false deity, and to confute the Manichees, Marcion, Cerdo, and others, that held two sorts of gods, and those that parted the god- head into three essences, and the pagan fry. But practically — 1. It checketh those that set up other gods besides him in their hearts. If there be but one God, why do we make more, and give divine honour to creatures ? A worldling maketh his money his god, and a sensualist his belly his god. Covetousness is called idolatry ; and Phil. iii. 19, ' Whose god is their belly.' How is covetousness idolatry ? and how can any make their belly their god ? Who ever was seen praying to his pence, or worshipping his own belly? I answer — Though it be not done corporally and grossly, yet it is done spiritually. That which engrosseth our love, and confidence, and care, and choice, and delight, that is set up in the room and place of God ; and this is to give divine honour to a creature. Now this is in world- lings and sensualists. For confidence, they trust in their riches for a supply, do not live on providence : 1 Tim. vi. 17, ' Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in un- €ertain riches, but in the living God;' Prov. x. 15, 'A rich man's wealth is his strong city ;' he is provided of a defence against all the chances and strokes of providence. So for care ; a man devoteth his time to his god, and the sensualist sacrificeth his estate, his health, his soul to his own gullet, many sacrilegious morsels to his own throat ; every day he offereth a drink-offering, and meat-oflfering to appetite. O brethren ! take heed of gods of man's making. He is as much an idolater that preferreth his wealth to obedience, his pleasures before God's service, as he that falleth down to a stock. It would be sad if on your death-beds God should turn you back, as he did the Israelites in their distress : Judges x. 14, ' Go and cry to the gods whom ye have chosen ; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.' Go to your wealth, to your pleasures. 2. If God be but one, worship him with an entire heart. The story goeth, that the senate, hearing of the miracles in Judea, decreed divine worship to Christ ; but Tiberius the emperor crossed it, when he heard that he would be worshipped alone. God is but one ; our hearts should close with him as an all-sufficient portion : there is enough in one. The 158 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. IV. scripture speaks of ' believing with all the heart.' Other comforts and confidences must be disclaimed. Sometimes carnal persons set their hearts upon other comforts ; Christ is not their whole delight : they would have Christ for their consciences, and the world for their hearts; Christ in an extremity, but their affections go out to other things. Sometimes they will have other confidences : they would trust Christ for their eternal salvation, to salve conscience; but the world engrosses their care, as if they were to shift for themselves in temporal things, and be masters of their own fortunes ; as it appeareth when temporal supplies fail ; when visible supplies are absent, then they despair. It is a mere mistake and folly to think it is easier to trust Christ for pardon of sins and eternal life, than for daily bread ; as Christ said, Mark ii. 0, ' Whether is easier to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee ; or to say, Arise, take up thy bed and walk ? ' The truth is, temporal wants are more pressing and urging than spiritual, and men are care- less in the business of their souls. Doct. ?). The next proposition is, that this God is one in three per- sons. This also is collected from the text. * To know thee,' that is, the Father, with all the co-essential ])ersons. They are undivided in essence, though distinguished in personality. Take a place of scrip- ture : 1 John V. 7, ' There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one.' Let me a little open the doctrine of the Trinity by some short obser- vations. This is a mystery proper to the scriptures. Other truths are revealed in nature, but this is a treasure peculiar to the church. There are some passages in heathens that seem to look this way ; as Plato speaketh of vov<;, X6'yo<;, irvevixa, mind, word, and spirit; and Trismegistus, Trpcora, ^609, &c. But these were either some general notions, received by tradition from the Jews, and by them misunderstood, for they dreamed of three distinct separate essences, or else passages foisted into their writings by the fraud and fallacy of some christians, who counted it a piece of their zeal to lie for God. It is not likely that God would give the heathens a more clear revelation of these mysteries than lie did to his own people, the church of the Jews. We find it but spar- ingly revealed in the Old Testament, though I might bring many places where it is sufficiently hinted ; but more distinctly in the New, after the visible and sensible discovery of the three persons at Christ's baptism : Mat. iii, 17, ' The Spirit of God descended like a dove, and lighted upon him, and lo, a voice from heaven, saying. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' Voce Fater, Natus corpore, Numen ave. The whole Trinity were present at that solemnity..; Some darkness there is still upon the face of this deep ; we shall have more perfect knowledge of it in the heavens : John xiv. 20, ' At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.' Trinity in unity and unity in trinity still troubleth the present weak- ness of reason ; but when we shall see God face to face, our knowledge shall be more satisfactory and complete. For the present, we must come to this truth with a sober mind, and adore it with a humble piety, lest we puzzle faith while we would satisfy and inform reason. There are many words which the church hath used in the explication VeR. 3.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 159 of this mystery, as unity, trinity, essence, person, consubstantial ; which though they be not all found in the scriptures, yet they are the best that we can use in so deep a matter, and serve to prevent the errors and mistakes of those who would either multiply the essence, or abolish the persons. Some terms must be used, and these are the safest. They be three, and yet one; and the most commodious way to solve it to our understandings is, one in essence and three persons ; for there being three in the divine essence, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, each having the whole divine essence, and yet the essence undivided, there must be some words to express the mystery. Grod, being one, cannot be divided in nature and being ; and there being three, every one having the whole godhead in himself, distinguished by peculiar relative properties, what term shall we use ? Three ways of existence there are in the nature of God, because of those three real relations — paternity, filiation, and procession. One they are, and distinct they are really. There is and must be a distinction, for the essence and particular way of existence do differ. Whatever is said of the essence is true of every person. God is infinite, eternal, incomprehensible ; so is the Father, Son, and Spirit. But now, whatever is said of the existence, as existence, cannot be said of the essence ; eveiy one that is God is not Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. I say, then, there being a distinction between the nature and particular existences, there must be some terms to express it. The Greek Church in the Nicene Council, some three hundred and sixty years after Christ, worded it thus : The occasion was this, some heretics said, If Christ be God, of the same substance and being with the Father, then, when Christ was incarnate, the Father was incarnate also. No, say the orthodox, though the ovaia, the substance or essence be the same, it is not the same viroaraai.'i, the same subsistence in the godhead ; and then began the public and received distinction of ovaia and vTroa-raaa: ovata signifying the nature or substance ; V7r6ara^ JOHN XYII. [SeR. V. needeth.' When the ends of labour cannot otherwise be obtained, then handy labour is required. All others ore ' to serve their genera- tion according to the will oi God,' Acts xiii. 26. As instruments of providence to serve the common good, to promote the welftire of their family, neighbourhood, country. Those that spend their whole life in eating, drinking, sporting, and sleeping, are guilty of brutish idleness, one of Sodom's sins : Ezek. xvi. 49, ' Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom ; pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters.' And therefore those that are freed from service and handy labour are not freed from work and business. If any man must be allowed to be idle, then one member must be lost in the body politic. A man is born a member of some society, family, or city, and is to seek the good of it : he is ^mov ttoXltlkuv. We see in the body natural there is no member but hath its function and use, whereby it becometh serviceable to the whole. All have not the same office, that would make a confusion ; but all have their use, either as an eye, or as a hand, or as a tooth. So in the body politic, no member may be useless, they must have one function or another wherein to employ themselves, otherwise they are unprofitable burdens of the earth. Again, every man is more or less intrusted with a gift, which he is to exercise and improve for the good of others, and at the day of judgment he is to give up his accounts ; as you may learn from the parable of the talents, Mat. xxv. If he hath but one talent, it must not be hidden in a napkin. Well, then, if every man hath a gift, for which he is accountable to God, he must have a calling : 1 Cor. vii. 17, ' But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every man, so let him walk,' and choose his state of life. Be- sides, a calling is necessary to prevent the mischiefs of idleness, and those inconveniences that follow men not employed. Standing pools are apt to putrify, but running waters are sweetest. An idle man is a burden to himself, a prey to Satan, a grief to the Spirit of God, a mis- chief to others. He is a burden to himself, for he knoweth not what to do with his time ; in the morning he says. Would God it were evening ; and in the evening. Would God it were morning. ^ The mind is like a mill ; when it wanteth corn, it grindeth upon itself. He is a prey to Satan : * The house is emptied, swept, and garnished ; and then he goeth and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there,' Mat. xii. 44, 45. The devil findeth them at leisure. When David was idle on the terrace, he was tempted to adultery. Birds are seldom taken in their flight, but when they pitch and rest on the ground. He is a grief to God's Spirit : Eph. iv. 28, ' Let him that stole, steal no more ; but rather let him labour, working with his hands, that he may have to give to him that needeth ; ' with ver. 30, ' And grieve not the Hoi v Spirit of God.' Idle men quench the vigor of their natural gifts, and lose those abilities that are bestowed on them. He is a mischief to others : 2 Thes. iii. 11, ' For we hear there are some that walk among you disorderly, firjBev epya^ofievov^;, dWa irepiep'^afyiJ^evov^, working not at all, but are busy bodies.' They that do nothing will do too much ; no work maketh way for ill work, or for censure and busy in- quisition into other men's actions, and so they prove the firebrands of VeR. 4.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 181 contention and unneighbourly quarrels. There must be a calling, and a work to do. 3. This work is given them by God. He appointeth to every one his task, and will be gloriiied by no works but what are by himself assigned to them in their station : — (1.) By his word ; (2.) By his providence. [1.] By his word. There is no calling and course of service good but what is agreeable to the word of God : Ps. cxix. 105, ' Thy word is a light unto my feet and a lamp unto my paths.' We must not settle in a sinful course of life. Men may tolerate evil callings, but God never appointed them. As for instance, if any calling and course of life be against piety, temperance, justice, it is against the word : Titus ii. 12, ' Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.' Against piety ; as to be an idolatrous priest, or to make shrines for idols, which was Demetrius his calling in Ephesus ; and Tertullian, in his book De Idololatria, showeth this was the practice of many christians to get their livings by making statues and images and other ornaments to sell to heathen idolaters. Against justice ; as piracy, usury, and other oppressive courses. Against sobriety ; as such callings as merely tend to feed the luxury, pride, and vanity of men, so mountebanks, comedians, stage-players. It were endless to instance in all. In general, the calling must be good and lawful. [2.] By his providence, which ruleth in everything that falleth out, even to the least matters ; especially hath the Lord a great hand in callings, and appointing to every one his estate and condition of life. In paradise, God set Adam his work to dress and prune the trees of the garden, Gen. ii. 15 ; and still he doth not only give abilities and special inclinations, but also disposeth of the education of the parent, and the passages of men's lives to bring them to such a calling : Isa. liv. 16, ' Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work.' Com- mon trades and crafts are from the Lord. The heathens had a several god for every several trade, as the Papists now have a tutelar saint ; but they rob God of his honour, he giveth the faculty and the blessing : Isa. xxviii, 26-29, ' His God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him,' &c. He giveth the state, and appointeth the work. Your particular estate and condition of life doth not come by chance, or by the care, will, and pleasure of man, but the ordination of God, without whom a sparrow cannot fall to the ground. In the higher callings of ministry and magistracy there is a greater solemnity. But how should a man glorify God in his place and station wherein God hath set him ? Ans. [1.] Be content with it, God is the master of the scenes, and appoints which part to act. We must not prescribe to providence, at what rate we will be maintained, nor what we will do, but keep v/ithia the bounds of our place. If you do anything that is not within the compass of your calling, you can have no warrant that it pleaseth God. Christ would not intermeddle out of his calling : Luke xii. 14, ' Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? ' Uzzah's put- ting his hand to the ark cost him dear. If troubles arise, we cannot 182 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. V. suflfer them comfortably, we are out of God's way. Most of our late mischiefs came from invading callings; as there are confusions in nature when elements are out of their places. God is glorified and served in a lower calling as well as in a higlier ; poor servants may ' adorn the gospel of God our Saviour in all things/ Titus ii. 10. Aois. [2.] With patience digest the inconveniences of your calling. Affliction attendeth every state and condition of life, but we must go through cheerfully when in our way and place. 4. This work must be finished and perfected ; we must be working till God call us off by death or irresistible providences. We must persist, hold out in God's way without defection : Rev. ii. 10, ' Be thou faithful unto the death ; I will give thee a crown of life.' Get the gift of perseverance ; happy are they that have passed such a tempestuous sea with safety. He was a foolish builder who laid the foundation of a stately fabric and was not able to finish it. Oh ! when this is done, we may resign up ourselves to the mercy of God : 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8, ' I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day ; and not to me only, but unto them also that love his appearing.' It is an excel- lent thing, after such a dangerous voyage, to come safe to shore. How sweet is it to enjoy our past lives, and yield up our spirits to God, say- ing, Lord, I have made it my study to glorify thee : Isa. xxxviii. 3, ' Eemember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight.' Other souls are taken away, but yours are resigned. Secondly, Why this should be our great care ? 1. This is the end why all creatures were made : Eom. xi. 36, ' For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things.' When God did make the world, he did not throw it out of his hands, and leave it alone to subsist of itself, as a thing that had no further relation to him ; but so guides it and governs i it, that as the first production and continued subsistence of all things is from himself, so the ultimate resolution and tendency of all things might be to him. The whole world is a circle, and all the motions of the creatures are circular ; they end where they began ; as rivers run to the place whence they came. All that issueth out of the fountain of his goodness must fall again into the ocean of his glory, but man especially. If God had made us to live for ourselves, it were lawful ; but Prov. xvi. 4, ' The Lord hath made all things for himself ; ' all things are made ultimately and terminatively for God, but man immediately. Creatures are made immediately for us, and submit to our dominion, or are created for our use. 2. From God's right and interest in us : Eom. xiv. 7, 8, ' For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord ; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's;' we are his, and therefore for him. All that you have is God's, and by giving it to you he did not divest himself of his own right. God scatters his benefits as the husbandman doth his seed, that he may receive a crop. VeR. 4.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 183 His glory is not due to another ; he made us out of nothing, and bought us: 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20, *Ye are not your own, ye are bought with a price ; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.' If we had anything our own, we might use it for ourselves. 3. We shall be called to an account: Luke xix. 23, 'Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required my own with usury ? ' We must give an account, what honour God hath had by us in our relations, as magistrates, ministers, masters of families, servants, husbands, wives, parents, chil- dren ; what honour by our estates, relations, &c. We are obliged so deeply by preceding benefits, that if there were no account to be given, we should be careful to use all things for his glory. Oh ! but much more when there will be so strict and severe an account : ' The Lord of those servants will reckon with them.' What we enjoy is not donum, a gift, but talentum, a talent, to be improved for our master's use. Beasts are liable to no account, because they have not reason and con- science, as man hath, and are merely ruled with a rod of i^'on : they are to glorify God passively ; but we are left to our choice, and there- fore must give an account. 4. Because of the great benefit that cometh to us by it. God noteth it, and rewards it. He noteth it : John xvii. 10, ' And all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them.' Our Kedeemer speaketh well of us behind our backs, and maketh a good report of us in heaven. And he rewards it in the day of his royalty. Christ will not be ashamed of his poor servants : Mat. xix. 28, ' Ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.' 5. The end ennobleth a man, and still the man is according to his end. Low spirits have low designs, and a base end is pursued by base actions : /Eat. vi. 22, 23, ' The light of the body is the eye : if there- fore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light ; but if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.' Men are properly such as the end that they aim at ; he that pursueth any worldly interest or earthly thing, as his end is earthly, he becometh himself earthly ; the more the soul directeth itself to God, the more God-like ; their inclinations are above the base things of this world : Ps. xvii. 14, ' From men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasures.' The. noblest soul is for the noblest object ; others do but provide for the flesh, they drive on no greater trade ; they may talk of heaven, wish for it rather than hell, when they can live no longer, but their lives are only for feathering a nest, which will quickly be pulled down. To rule a kingdom is a nobler design than to play with children for pins or nuts. A man that designeth only to pamper his body, to live in all plenty, what a poor life doth he lead ! A beast can eat, drink, sleep, as they do : Phil. iii. 19, 20, ' Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things ; but our conversation is in heaven,' &c. They make a great pother in the world about a brutish life, which will soon have an end. 184 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. V. 6. God will have his glory upon you, if not from you, for he is re- solved not to be a loser by the creature : Prov. xvi. 4, ' The Lord hath made all things for himself, yea even the wicked for the day of evil ;' Lev. X. 3, ' This is that which the Lord saith, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified.' He will have the glory of his justice in the day of wrath and evil, if not the glory of his grace in the day of his patience and mercy. Therefore either he will be glorified by you, or upon you. Some give him glory in an active, some in a passive way. If he have not the glory of his command, which is our duty, he will have the glory of his providence in the event. And how sad that will be, judge ye, when you serve for no other use but to set forth the glory of his vin- dictive justice. 7. It must be our last end, which must fix men's mind, which otherwise will be tossed up and down with perpetual uncertainty, and distracted by a multiplicity of ends and objects, that it cannot con- tinue in any composed and settled frame : Ps. Ixxxvi. 11, ' Unite my heart to fear thy name;' James i. 8, 'A double-minded man is un- stable in all his ways.' A divided mind causes an uncertain life, no one part of our lives will agree with another, the whole not being firmly knit by the power of some last end running through all. Thirdly, That when we come to die, this will be our comfort, Christ hath left us a pattern here. And Hezekiah, Isa. xxxviii. 3, * Kemember now, 0 Lord, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight.' Oh ! the comfort of a Avell-spent life to a dying christian ! 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8, 'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith : henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day ; and not to me only, but to all them also that shall love his appearing." Then a man can run over his liie with comfort, when he hath been careful for the matter and end to glorify God. Use. Oh ! then, consider two things : — 1. The end why you were sent into the world. Why do I live here ? Most men live like beasts, eat, drink, sleep, and die ; never sit down, and in good earnest consider, Why was I born ? why did I come into the world ? and so their lives are but a mere lottery ; the fancies they are governed by are jumbled together by chance ; if they light of a good hit, it is a casual thing ; they live at pcradventure, and then no wonder they walk at random. 2. What we shall do when our lives are at an end, and we are to appear before God's tribunal. Oh ! that you would consider this, now you are in your health and strength : Dent, xxxii. 29, ' Oh ! that they "Were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end ! ' Much of wisdom lieth in considering the end of things. We are hastening apace into the other world, it is good to consider what we have to say when we come to die : Job xxxi. 14, ' What shall I then do, when God riseth up ? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him ?' viz., at the latter end, when I am immediately to appear before God, when he summons us by sickness into his presence, and the devil is more busy at such a time to tempt and trouble us, and all VeR. 5.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XYII. 185 other comforts fail, and are as unsavoury as the white of an eg^, then this will notably embolden our hearts : 2 Cor. i. 12, ' For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world.' Oh ! will this comfort you, that you have sported and gamed away your precious time, that you have fared of the best, lived in pomp and honour ? Oh ! no ; but this, I have made conscience of honouring and glorifying God, of being faith- ful in my place, in promoting the common good there, where God hath cast my lot. Oh ! then, go on, your comfort will increase. If hitherto you have been pleasing the flesh, idling and wantoning away your precious time, say, 1 Peter iv. 3, ' For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries.' You have too long walked contrary to the end of your creation, in dishonouring God, and destroying your own souls. SEEMON VI. And noio, 0 Father, glorify thou me ivith thine oivn self, with the glory which I had zvith thee before the luorld ivas. — John XVII. 5. Jesus Christ, as God-man, in this chapter, prayeth to God. His prayer is first for himself, and then for his members. In all things he is to have the pre-eminence, as being infinitely of more worth and desert than all. His prayer for himself is to be glorified, which he enforceth and explaineth. He enforceth it by sundry reasons ; the last that he pleaded was, that he had done his work, and therefore, according to the covenant and agreement that was between them, he sueth out his wages. In the suit, he explaineth how he would be glorified : ' I have glorified thee on earth, and now, 0 Father, glorify thou me with thyself, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.' For the opening of this request, I shall propound several ques- tions : — 1 . According to what nature this is spoken ? 2. What is this glory ? 3. Why he seeketh of the Father, the first person ? Could he not glorify himself ? 4. Why is he so earnest for his own glory ? Quest. 1. According to what nature is this spoken, the divine or human ? The reason of the doubt is, because to the divine nature nothing could be given, and the human nature cannot be said to have this glory which Christ had before the world was, for then it would remain no longer human. I answer — The request is made in the person of the mediator. God-man is distinctly and separately to be applied to neither nature, but to the whole person. The person of Christ was hitherto beclouded during the time of his humiliation ; now he desireth to be glorified, that is, that the divine majesty may shine forth in the person of the mediator ; and that 186 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. SeR. VI. laying aside the form of a servant, he might return to the form of God, and that he might appear in his whole person, the human nature not excluded, as he was before the foundation of the world. Quest. 2. The next question is, What is this glorifying ? I answer — There is a twofold glorifying — (1.) Per glorice manifcs- tationem ; (2.) Per glorice collationem ; by way of manifestation, and by way of gift and collation. Both are intended ; the manifestation concerneth both natures, and the collation or gift only the human nature. It must be understood according to the properties of each nature. Qum in tempore Ghristo dantur, secundum humanam naturam dantur. 1. For the divine nature, Christ prayeth that it may be glorified by the clearer manifestation of his godhead, for that cannot receive any intrinsecal improvement or glory. It is avrapKr^f; koL aixeTddr)To<; ; but so far as it was humbled, so far it was glorified. Now Christ humbled himself, not by putting off his divine glory, but by suffering it to be overshadowed ; as the h'ght of a candle in a dark lanthorn, there is a light in it, but you cannot see it till the cover be taken away. Now Christ desireth that the cover and veil may be taken away. His glory was not lessened, but beclouded ; the divine essence that was hidden under the weakness of the flesh was now to be manifested and made known to all men. But you will say, it is irapa Trarpl, not irapa dv6p(07roL<;, he desireth the glory he had with him might be restored, not the glory with men. I answer — [1.] The glory which he had with him may be more clearly mani- fested! to the world ; he had it with the Father, yet beggeth it of the Father. [2.] I answer again — There is somewhat more than manifestation in the world, for he saith, irapa aeavToj, ' with thyself.' The Father was glorified by the Son, eVt tt}? 7?}?, ' upon the earth ; ' but now * glorify thou me,' wapd aeavTM, ' with thyself.' So John xiii. 32, ' If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself,' or with himself. So that he beggeth a full use and exercise of the divine power, from which he had abstained in the time of his humiliation and abasement. Now that time being finished, he prayeth that it may be restored, that he may be exalted in the full manifestation and ex- ercise of his divine power ; that his whole person might be exalted again at the right hand of majesty. 2. For his human nature. The flesh was not yet glorified, and taken up to God's right hand, that is, exalted to the fruition of eternal glory, as afterwards it was above all creatures in heaven and earth. The human nature was to have as much glory as it is capable of, by being united to the divine person, immortality, power, clarity, know- ledge, grace ; but not to have the properties of the divine nature really transfused, for then it would no longer be finite, nor remain a creature. It was to be raised to the full fruition of the glory of the divine nature, and freed from those infirmities to which, by the exigence of Christ's office upon earth, it was subjected. Thus what this glorifying is; but I shall speak more fully to it by and by. Quest. 3. Why he seeketh it of the Father ? Could he not glorify himself, and exalt his own person and human nature ? VeE. 5.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 187 I answer — He could, but would not. 1. The Father is the fountain of the divinity ; he is first in order, and so all such actions are ascribed to him. However, to show the unity of essence, Christ is said to do it as well as the Father : John v. 19, ' What things soever the Father doth, these doth the Son likewise.' The Father is said to ' sanctify the Son,' John x. 36, and the Son is said to ' sanctify himself.' The Father raiseth the Son from the dead. Eph. i. 10 ; and Christ saith, John ii. 19, ' Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.' The Father placeth the Son at his right hand, Eph. i. 20 ; and the Son is said to ' sit down at the right hand of the Father.' However, because Christ came into the world to glorify the Father, and to show him to be the original and fountain of the divinity, therefore he saith, ' Father, glorify thou me with thyself.' 2. Because the Father is to be looked upon as judge and chief in the work of redemption. Man is the debtor, Christ the surety, and the Father the judge, before whose tribunal satisfaction is to be made. Therefore God the Father, after the price and ransom was paid, was to give Christ power and leave to rise from the dead, to ascend into heaven, and to govern and judge the world. And yet he raised himself by his own power. There is lootestas and j^otentia, Suvufxa and i^ovaia, authority, leave, and power. Christ had power in him- self, but he had leave from the Father : John x. 18, ' I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again.' Potentiam resur- gendi Christus hdbet a seipso, sed potestatem a patre. In this whole business, Christ is to be considered as the surety, that took our whole business upon himself, and rendered himself liable to the judgment of God so long, till the Father should declare himself to be satisfied, and so dismiss Christ from punishment. After full satisfaction, he was to raise him from the power of death, and to glorify liim. As the Father delivered him for us, so the Father dismissed him, raised him again ; he was not to break prison, but honourably to be brought out and rewarded by the judge. Quest. 4. Why is he so earnest for his own glory ? I answer — All Christ's mediatory acts were for our sake, and so are his prayers. 1. To comfort his disciples against his sufferings ; they were de- jected, and therefore Christ in their hearing prayeth for divine glory: John xvii. 13, ' And these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.' There is not a more excellent way of gaining upon others than to commend them to God in prayer for that which they desire. 2. To give the world an instruction, that sufiering for God is the highway to glory : 2 Cor. iv. 17, ' Our light affliction, that is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,' as a necessary antecedent. We may suffer more for men than they are able to recompense, but there is nothing lost for God : 2 Peter i. 11, 'An entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.' The whole scriptures witness the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow : accordino; to the measure of afflictions, there shall be a suit- 188 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. VI. able weight of glory. There are notable passages in the story of Christ, to show the coupling of the cross and glory. The same dis- ciples, Peter, James, and John, were the witnesses of his agonies, Mat. xxvi. 37, and of his transfiguration, Mat. xvii. 1. So where Christ began his passion there lie began his ascension : Luke xxii. 39, ' He went out to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him ; ' and Acts i. 12, he ascended from Mount Olivet. 3. For the advantage of his members. Christ knew it could not go well with the church unless it went well with himself ; it was for our profit. The holy ointment was first poured on the head of the high priest, then on his members, Ps. cxxxiii. 3. His glory and grace is an argument of ours. He is endowed with the Spirit without mea- sure, that we might have an unction from the Holy One. We are glorified with him, and are said to ascend with him: Eph. ii. 6, 'He hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.' Christ's glorification is a pledge of ours ; he is gone thither as our forerunner, to seize on heaven in our right : Heb. vi. 20, ' Whither our forerunner is for us entered ; ' and to ' prepare a place for us,' John xiv. 2. In heaven he is at God's right hand, and can procure it for us, and administereth and governeth the world for our good. He is in a greater capacity to do us good. He is our inter- cessor and the world's governor ; all things necessary to salvation can better be despatched by his intercession and power. These things premised, the words will be easily opened. ' Father, glorify thou me with thine own self ;' that is, sufi'er me to return to the glory which I had in common with thee in the divine nature, by the resurrection of my body, ascension, and sitting down at thy right hand. Uapa aeavrw, is opposed to eho^aaa ae cttI rrj