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: \~apeyane\~
\~de\~ \~kai\~ \~o\~ \~plousiov\~,
'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, \~en\~ \~fulakh\~: 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! [Pg. 84]
SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [Sl'T. XXV.
this startle wicked
men: before night they may be in hell, tefore body be
committed to the grave: the soul flitteth hence as
soon as leparteth oat of the body, to God that gave
it, to receive woe or I. The hour of death is sadden;
many are surprised, and taken wares. Tour carnal companions (if God would use
that dispensa-), that sometimes bowsed
and caroused with you, and wallowed in ly excess, by
this time know what it is to be in torments; they ild
fain come and tell you that you are as rotten fruit, ready to tble into the pit of darkness. Every wicked man groweth upon banks of eternity, and hangeth
but by a slender string and root; touch of God's
providence, and they drop into hell, econdly, There
is something expressed, to wit, that these torments I receive their full and
final accomplishment at the last day. 'hat their
torments shall be increased appeareth—(1.) By corn-son; (2.) By scripture; and (3 )
By reason.. By comparing them—
1.]
With the devils: Jude 6, 'And the angels which kept not r first estate, but
left their own habitation, he hath reserved in
•lasting
chains, under darkness, unto the judgment of the great 'As good men are 1<ταγγέ\οι, so wicked
men are δαί/ioi/e?.
The.Is for the present are under the powerful wrath
of God and horrible
•air. Though they have a ministry and service in
the world, yet carry their own hell about with them; full of fears and tremblings 3Γ the wrath of God, but not in that
extremity, discontented with; present condition. Such a fall is much to a proud
creature, and 3 is a despair of a better: Mat. viii. 29, 'What have we to do
ι thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come to
torment us re the time?' There is a bitter expectation of judgment to
come. 'they have some delight in mischief, but at the last day their 3r shall
be restrained, which is another infelicity of their nature, ir
ignominy shall be manifested before all the world; they shall (ragged before
Christ's tribunal, and judged by the saints, whom bate, 1 Cor.
vi. 3. The good angels shall come as Christ's corn-one, the evil as his
prisoners. These are sights that will work on
•
envy and thwart their pride, to see the glory of the saints and
•Is. Dolei diabolus, quod ipsum et angelos ej'us Christi serous, Me itor judicalurus est, saith Tertullian.
Then they are confined to there to keep their residence, where they shall have
a more active ) of their own condition, and of the
wrath of God that is upon t. So it is with wicked men; they have their hell
now, but at ast day they shall be brought forth as
trembling malefactors before jar of Christ; all their privy wickedness shall be
manifested before le world, 2 Cor. iv.
1, 2. However they may be honoured
and med now, either for their jx>wer or holiness, -they shall then be.ο
public shame, driven out of his presence with ignominy and mpt,
cast into hell to keep company with the devils, where their jnts
shall be most exquisite and painful.
]
Compare them with the saints. Heaven's
joys shall then be
so hell's
torments. The full recornj>ense of the righteous, and
the full vengeance
of the wicked keep time and pace.
Christ cometh
to fetch the saints
to heaven in state, ήμερα
φανερώσεων
· [Pg. 85]
ver. 41.] sermons upon matthew xxv.
19,
'The earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for
the mnnif tation of the
sons of God.' Then it shall be seen
what God will for his children. They
are clad in their beet robes to set off Chris triumph. So suitably the wicked's
judgment is not yet full; up the last day it shall be increased. Christ sets himself a-work show the power
of his wrath, to clothe them with shame and contemj
2.
Scripture: 2 These. I 7-9, 'When the Lord Jesus shall revealed from
heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, takii
vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel our Lord Jesus
Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting d etruction
from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of h power;' Heb. x. 27, 'There
remaineth nothing but a certain fearf
looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour tl adversary;' and in many other places.
3.
Reason. The body, which hath so long
respite, then hath i «hare of misery; upon the
reunion of the body and soul, they sha drink the
dregs of God's wrath: The soul worketh on the body, an the body on the soul.
As a heavy sad spirit weakens the body, an drieth
up the marrow of the bones, and a sickly l>ody maketh the so» sad and mopish, so
when the soul is filled with anguish, and the bod
with pains, their torment must needs be greater, because they hav had a great sense of the joys of the glorified saints;
as that noblemai 'Thine eyes shall see it, but thou shalt not taste of it.'
It worket upon their envy to see them
glorified whom they have maligned an» used
despitefully; and it worketh upon their conscience;
this the have lost by their own folly.
As a prodigal that cometh by the house and fields which he hath sold,
and thinks, This was mine; it is: grating thought to
think, This might have been mine. Partly becaus of judgment and sentence. Then the books are opened, and all the! ways are discussed; they are ashamed, but God is cleared and
vindi cated. There is a worm as well as a fire. The fire signifieth
God'f wrath, the worm the gnawing of their own conscience.
It is hard ti 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, ei? το τελο?,
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 bcsrinneth with [Pg. 86] 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 howlings 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 judgment we are plunged
into the depth of bell, the whole man is overwhelmed with misery. Well, then,
if you add drunkenness to thirst, Cod will add to your plagues, till wrath come
upon you to the uttermost.
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, \~en\~ \~pollh\~ \~makrotumia\~, Rom.
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 handa 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 affliction in
this world; these may be the beginnings of sorrow, miserable here and miserable
hereafter. There are wicked poor and [Pg. 87] wicked rich; some have a double
hell—here 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 \~kayarsion\~ \~pur\~, 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 \~Dareion\~, some \~dareian\~;
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 coarse 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 righteousness" sake:' it is no boot to have
the world's blessings; yet observe the 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
damnation 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 spesiketh
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 [Pg. 88] destruction.'
But then, ver. 23, 'The vessels of mercy which he hath aforehand 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 depravation, 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. The reprobates bring
something of their own to further their destruction, 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, Rom. 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 mieerendi; a purpose not to give
grace, a nilling to give grace. And then
2.
There is a positive hatred, which is voluntcu
puniendi et condemnandi. In other terms there is praeterition 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 punishment, 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,
'O Israel, thon 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.] Every man 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 [Pg. 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 presupposed; 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 condemnation, 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, Ί sat under
his shadow with great delight' It snppoeeth 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, [Pg. 90] no-value for him? We esteem men either
as they are excellent in themselves, or as they are profitable to us. There is both in Christ. Therefore, if you love him 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 nuke. The devil, though he be a proud spirit, careth not for
dispraises, 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 dreadful 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 η 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
[2.] We know not how soon God may take the advantage of
thin [Pg. 91] curse, and cat us off from the possibility of his grace. Christ
cometh 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 oat of a sudden. What provision have you made? How
stand matters 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! fly 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: Rom. iii. 19, 'That every month 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 Rom. 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. lxix. 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 [Pg. 92] 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.