slighting of the gospel of Christ; here thou shalt consider how
willing Christ was to come into the world to save sinners, and for
what a trifle thou didst reject him. This is plainly held forth in
Isaiah 28, where, speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, the foundation
of salvation, verse 16, he saith of them that reject the gospel,
that, when the overflowing scourge doth pass through the earth,
which I understand to be at the end of the world, then, saith he,
it shall take you morning by morning, by day and by night shall
it pass over you; that is, continually, without any intermission.
'And it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.' 'A
vexation,' that is, a torment, or a great part of hell only to
understand the report, to understand the good tidings that came
into the world by Christ's death for poor sinners. And you will
find this verily to be the mind of the Spirit, if you compare it
with Isaiah 53:1, where he speaks of men's turning their backs
upon the tenders of God's grace in the gospel, he saith, 'Who hath
believed our report?' or the gospel declared by us? Now this will
be a mighty torment to the ungodly, when they shall understand
the goodness of God was so great that he even sent his Son out of
his bosom to die for sinners, and yet that they should be so foolish
as to put him off from one time to another; that they should be so
foolish as to lose heaven and Christ, and eternal life in glory,
for the society of a company of drunkards; that they should lose
their souls for a little sport, for this world, for a strumpet,
for that which is lighter than vanity and nothing; I say this will
be a very great torment unto thee.
4. Another part of thy torment will be this: Thou shalt see thy
friends, thy acquaintance, they neighbours; nay, it may be thy
father, thy mother, thy wife, thy husband, thy children, thy brother,
thy sister, with others, in the kingdom of heaven, and thyself
thrust out (Luke 13:28). 'There shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth, when ye shall see Abraham (your father), and Isaac, and
Jacob, (together with your brethren), and all the prophets in
the kingdom of heaven, and you yourselves thrust out.' Nay, saith
he, 'they shall come from the east, and from the west'--that is,
those that thou didst never see in all thy life before, and they
shall sit down with thy friends, and thy neighbours, thy wife and
thy children, in the kingdom of heaven, and thou, for thy sins and
disobedience, shall be shut, nay, thrust out. O wonderful torment!
5. Again, thou shalt have none but a company of damned souls,
with an innumerable company of devils, to keep company with thee.
While thou art in this world, the very thoughts of the devils
appearing to thee makes thy flesh to tremble, and thine hair ready
to stand upright on thy head. But O! what wilt thou do, when not
only the supposition of the devils appearing, but the real society
of all the devils in hell will be with thee howling and roaring,
screeching and roaring in such a hideous manner, that thou wilt
be even at thy wits' end, and be ready to run stark mad again for
anguish and torment?
6. Again, that thou mightest be tormented to purpose, the mighty
God of heaven will lay as great wrath and vengeance upon thee as
ever he can, by the might of his glorious power. As I said before,
thou shalt have his wrath, not by drops, but by whole showers
shall it come, thunder, thunder, upon thy body and soul so fast,
and so thick, that thou shalt be tormented out of measure. And so
saith the Scripture (2 Thess 1:9), speaking of the wicked, 'Who
shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence
of the Lord, and from the glory of his power,' when the saints
shall be admiring his goodness and glory. Again, this thou shalt
have, as I said before, without any intermission; thou shalt not
have any ease so long as while a man may turn himself round; thou
shalt have it always every hour, day and night; for their worm
never dies, but always gnaws, and their fire is never quenched;
as it is written in Mark 9.
7. Again, in this condition thou must be for ever, and that is as
sad as all the rest. For if a man were to have all his sins laid
to his charge, and communion with the devils, and as much wrath
as the great God of heaven can inflict unto him; I say, if it were
but for a time, even ten thousand years, and so end, there would
be ground of comfort, and hopes of deliverance; but here is thy
misery, this is thy state for ever, here thou must be for ever:
when thou lookest about thee, and seest what an innumerable company
of howling devils thou art amongst, thou shalt think this again,
this is my portion for ever. When thou hast been in hell so many
thousand years as there are stars in the firmament, or drops in
the sea, or sands on the sea-shore, yet thou hast to lie there
for ever. O this one word EVER, how will it torment thy soul!
Friends, I have only given a very short touch of the torments of
hell. O! I am set, I am set, and am not able to utter what my mind
conceives of the torments of hell. Yet this let me say to thee,
accept of God's mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ, lest thou feel
THAT with thy conscience which I cannot express with my tongue,
and say, I am sorely tormented in this flame.
'And seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.'
When the damned are in this pitiful state, surrounded with fears,
with terrors, with torment and vengeance, one thing they shall
have, which is this, they shall see the happy and blessed state
of God's children. He seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his
bosom; which, as I said before, is the happy state of the saints
when this life is ended. This now shall be so far from being an
ease unto them, that it shall most wonderfully aggravate or heighten
their torment, as I said before. There shall be weeping, or cause
of lamentation, when they shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob,
in the kingdom of heaven, and themselves thrust out.
1. Observe, Those that die in their sins are far from going to
heaven; he seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And,
indeed, it is just with God to deal with them that die in their
sins according to what they have done; and to make them who are far
from righteousness now, to stand far from heaven to all eternity.
Hearken to this, ye stout-hearted, that are far from righteousness,
and that are resolved to go on in your sins, when you die you will
be far from heaven; you will see Lazarus, but it will be afar off.
Again, he 'seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.'
These are some of the things the damned do behold, so soon as
they come into torment. Mark, and he 'seeth Lazarus in Abraham's
bosom.' Lazarus, who was he? Why even he that was so slighted, so
disregarded, so undervalued by this ungodly one while he was in
the world, he seeth Lazarus in Abraham's bosom.
From whence observe, That those who live and die the enemies of
the saints of God, let them be never so great, or stout, let them
bear never so much sway while they are in the world, let them
brag and boast never so much while they are here, they shall, in
spite of their teeth, see the saints, yea, the poor saints, even
the Lazaruses or the ragged ones that belong to Jesus, to be in
a better condition than themselves. O! who do you think was in
the best condition? who do you think saw themselves in the best
condition? He that was in hell, or he that was in heaven? He that
was in darkness, or he that was in light? He that was in everlasting
joy, or he that was in everlasting torments? The one with God,
Christ, saints, angels, the other in tormenting flames, under the
curse of God's eternal hatred, with the devils and their angels,
together with an innumerable company of howling, roaring, cursing,
ever-burning reprobates? Certainly, this observation will be
easily proved to be true here in this world, by him that looks
upon it with an understanding heart, and will clear itself to be
true in the world to come, by such as shall go either to heaven
or to hell.
2. The second observation from these words, 'And seeth Abraham
afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom,' is this; they that are the
persecutors of the saints of the Lord now in this world, shall see
the Lord's persecuted ones to be they that are so highly esteemed
by the Lord, as to sit or to be in Abraham's bosom, in everlasting
glory, though they, the enemies to the children of God,[15] did
so lightly esteem them, that they scorned to let them gather up
the dog's meat that falls under their table. This is also verified,
and held forth plainly by this parable. And therefore be not
grieved, O you that are the tempted, persecuted, afflicted, sighing,
praying saints of the Lord, though your adversaries look upon you
now with a disdainful, surly, rugged, proud, and haughty countenance,
yet the time shall come when they shall spy you in Abraham's bosom!
I might enlarge upon these things, but shall leave them to the
Spirit of the Lord, which can better by ten thousand degrees
enlarge them on thy heart and conscience, than I can upon a piece
of paper. Therefore, leaving these to the blessing of the Lord,
I shall come to the next verse, and shall be brief in speaking to
that also, and so pass to the rest.
Verse 24.--'And he cried, and said, Father Abraham, have mercy
on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in
water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'
You know I told you that verse 22 is a discovery of the departure
of the godly and the ungodly out of this life; where he saith
the beggar died, and the rich man also died. The 23d verse is a
discovery of the proper places, both of the godly and the ungodly
after death; one being in Abraham's bosom, or in glory, the other
in hell. Now this 24th verse is a discovery of part of the too
late repentance of the ungodly, when they are dropped down into
hell; 'And he cried, and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me.'
From these words, 'And he cried,' we may observe,
First. What a change the ungodly will have when they come into
hell. 'He cried.' It is like he was laughing, jesting, jeering,
drinking, mocking, swearing, cursing, prating, persecuting of
the godly in his prosperity, among his filthy companions. But now
the case is otherwise, now he is in another frame, now his proud,
stout, currish carriage, is come down; 'And he cried.' The laughter
of the ungodly will not last always, but will be sure to end in a
cry; 'The triumphing of the wicked is short' (Job 20:5). Consider,
you must have a change either here or in hell. If you be not new
creatures, regenerate persons, new-born babes, in this world,
before you go hence, your note will be changed, your conditions
will be changed; for if you come into hell, you must cry. O did
but the singing drunkards, when they are making merry on the ale
bench,[16] think on this, it would make them change their note,
and cry, What shall I do? Whither shall I go when I die? But, as
I said before, the devil, as he labours to get poor souls to follow
their sins, so he labours also to keep the thoughts of eternal
damnation out of their minds; and, indeed, these two things are
so nearly linked together, that the devil cannot well get the soul
to go on in sin with delight unless he can keep the thoughts of
that terrible after clap out of their minds.
But let them know that it shall not always be thus with them; for
if, when they depart, they drop down into eternal destruction, they
shall have such a sense of their sins, and the punishment due to
the same, that it shall make them to cry; 'And he cried.' O what
an alteration will there be among the ungodly when they go out
of this world? It may be a fortnight, or a month before their
departure, they were light, stout, surly, drinking themselves
drunk, slighting God's people, mocking at goodness, and delighting
in sin, following the world, seeking after riches, faring
deliciously, keeping company with the bravest;[17] but now, they
are dropped down into hell, they cry. A little while ago they
were painting their faces, feeding their lusts, following their
whores, robbing their neighbours, telling of lies, following of
plays and sports, to pass away the time; but now they are in hell,
they do cry. It may be last year they heard some good sermons,
were invited to receive heaven, were told their sins should be
pardoned if they closed in with Jesus; but, refusing his proffers,
and slighting the grace that was once tendered, they are now in
hell, and do cry.
Before, they had so much time, they thought that they could not
tell how to spend it, unless it were in hunting, and whoring, in
dancing, and playing, and spending whole hours, yea, days, nay,
weeks, in the lusts of the flesh; but when they depart into another
place, and begin to lift up their eyes in hell, and consider their
miserable and irrecoverable condition, they will cry.
O what a condition wilt thou fall into, when thou dost depart
this world; if thou depart unconverted, and not born again, thou
hadst better have been smothered the first hour thou wast born;
thou hadst better have been plucked one limb from another; thou
hadst better have been made a dog, a toad, a serpent, nay, any
other creature in the visible world, than to die unconverted;[18]
and this thou wilt find to be true, when in hell thou dost lift
up thine eyes, and dost cry.
Here then, before we go any further, you may see that it is not
without good ground that these words are here spoken by our Lord,
that when any of the ungodly do depart into hell, they will cry.
Cry, why so? 1. They will cry to think that they should be cut
off from the land of the living, never more to have any footing
therein. 2. They will cry to think that the gospel of Christ should
be so often proffered them, and yet they are not profited by it.
3. They will cry to think that now, though they would never so
willingly repent and be saved, yet they are past all recovery. 4.
They will cry to think that they should be so foolish as to follow
their pleasures, when others were following of Christ (Luke 13:28).
5. They will cry to think that they must be separated from God,
Christ, and the kingdom of heaven, and that for ever. 6. To think
that their crying will now do them no good. 7. To think that, at
the day of judgment, they must stand at the left hand of Christ,
among an innumerable company of the damned ones. 8. They will cry
to think that Lazarus, whom once they slighted, must be of them
that must sit down with Christ to judge; or together with Christ,
to pass a sentence of condemnation on their souls for ever and
ever (1 Cor 6:2,3). 9. Cry to think that when the judgment is over,
and others are taken into the everlasting kingdom of glory, then
they must depart back again into that dungeon of darkness from
whence they came out, to appear before the terrible tribunal.
There they shall be tormented so long as eternity lasts, without
the least intermission or ease.
How sayest thou, O thou wanton, proud, swearing, lying, ungodly
wretch, whether this be to be slighted and made a mock at. And
again tell me now, if it be not better to leave sin, and to close
in with Christ Jesus, notwithstanding that reproach thou shalt
meet with for so doing, than to live a little while in this world
in pleasures and feeding thy lusts, in neglecting the welfare of
thy soul, and refusing to be justified by Jesus; and in a moment
to drop down to hell and to cry? O! consider, I say, consider
betimes, and put not off the tenders of the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, lest you lift up your eyes in hell, and cry for anguish
of spirit.
'And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send
Lazarus,' &c.
[Second.] These words do not only hold forth the lamentable
condition of the damned, and their lamentable howling and crying
out under their anguish of spirit, but also they do signify to us,
as I said before, their too late repentance; and also that they
would very willingly, if they might, be set at liberty from that
everlasting misery that by their sins they have plunged themselves
into. I say, these words do hold forth a desire that the damned
have, to be delivered from those torments that they now are in: O
'Father Abraham,' saith he, 'have mercy on me, and send Lazarus,
that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue,
for I am tormented in this flame.' These words, 'Father Abraham,'
may have some difficulty in them. It is possible that some may
think them to be meant of Abraham; and those, or him that crieth
out here, to be the Jews. Or it may be some may understand it to
be God, or Jesus Christ his Son, which I rather suppose it may be,
that is here cried out unto; because you find the same cry to him
as it were uttered by the ungodly in other places of the Scripture;
as in Luke 13:25, 26. Then shall they say, 'Lord, Lord, we have
eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our
streets.' Nay more, 'In thy name have cast out devils, and in
thy name done many wonderful works' (Matt 7:22). This was just at
their rejection. And again, in Matthew 25:11, they cry again to
him, even to Jesus, 'Lord, Lord, open to us.' And he there again
gives them a repulse, as also in this parable.
But however or whosoever Abraham is, yet these truths may be
observed from the words. 1. That the damned, when in an irrecoverable
estate, will seek for, or desire deliverance from the wrath that
they are and shall be in for eternity. 'Surely in the floods of
great waters they shall not come nigh unto him' (Psa 32:6). 2.
That they will pray, if I may so call it, earnestly for deliverance
from their miserable estate. These two things are clear from the
words. For mark, he not only said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy
on me'; but 'he CRIED,' and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on
me.' 3. From whence take a third observation; and that is, there
is a time coming wherein, though men shall both cry and pray, yet
they are like to have no mercy at the hands of God; for so was
this man served, as I shall further show by and by when I come to
it.
Some people are so deluded by the devil as to think that God is
so merciful as to own or regard anything for prayer; they think
anything will go for current and good satisfaction, while they
are here in this world, through ignorance of the true nature of
the mercy of God, and the knowledge in what way God is satisfied
for sinners. Now I say, through ignorance they think, that if they
do but mutter over some form of prayers,[19] though they know not
what they say, nor what they request, yet God is satisfied, yea,
very well satisfied with their doings; when, alas! there is nothing
less. O friends, I beseech you to look about you, and seek in good
earnest for the Spirit of Christ so to help you now, to strive
and pray, and to enable you to lay hold of Christ, that your souls
may be saved, lest the time come that though you cry and pray, and
wish also that you had laid hold on the Lord Jesus, yet you must
and shall be damned.
Then again, you may see that though God be willing to save sinners
at some time, yet this time doth not always last. No, he that can
find in his heart to turn his back upon Jesus Christ now, shall
have the back turned upon him hereafter, when he may cry and pray
for mercy, and yet go without it. God will have a time to meet
with them that now do not seek after him. They shall have a time,
yea time enough hereafter to repent their folly, and to befool
themselves, for turning their backs upon the Lord Jesus Christ. 'I
will laugh at your calamity,' saith he, and 'mock when your fear
cometh' (Prov 1:26).
Again, this should admonish us to take time while it is proffered,
lest we repent us of our unbelief and rebellion when we are deprived of
it. Ah friends! Time is precious, an hour's time to hear a sermon
is precious. I have sometimes thought thus with myself, Set the case,
the Lord should send two or three of his servants, the ministers
of the gospel, to hell among the damned, with this commission; Go
ye to hell, and preach my grace to those that are there. Let your
sermon be an hour long, and hold forth the merits of my Son's birth,
righteousness, death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession,
with all my love in him, and proffer it to them, telling them that
now once more, and but once, do I proffer the means of reconciliation
to them. They who are now roaring, being past hope, would then
leap at the least proffer of mercy. O they that could spend whole
days, weeks, nay, years, in rejecting the Son of God, would now
be glad of one tender of that mercy. 'Father,' saith he, 'have
mercy on me.'
Again, from these words you may observe, that mercy would
be welcome when souls are under judgment. Now his soul is in the
fire, now he is under the wrath of God, now he is in hell, there
to be tormented; now he is with the devils and damned spirits;
now he feels the vengeance of God. Now, O now, have mercy on me!
Here you may see, that mercy is prized by them that are in hell,
they would be glad if they could have it. Father, have mercy on
me; for my poor soul's sake, send me a little mercy.
'And send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water,
and cool my tongue.'
[Third.] These words do not only hold forth that the ungodly
have a desire of mercy, but what those mercies are, what these
poor creatures would be glad of. As, 1. to have the company of
a Lazarus granted to them. Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and
send Lazarus. Now Lazarus was he that was beloved of God, and
also he that was hated of them. Therefore, 2. Observe, that those
saints, that the world in their lifetime could not endure, now
they are departed, they would be glad to have society with them.
O now send Lazarus! Though the time was when I cared not for him,
yet now let me have some society with him.
Though the world disregard the society of God's children now, yet
there is a time coming in which they would be glad to have the
least company with them. Nay, do but observe, those of the saints
that are now most rejected by them, even from them shall they be
glad of comfort, if it might be. Send Lazarus; he that I slighted
more than my dogs, he that I could not endure should come into
my house, but must lie at my gate, send him. Now Lazarus shall
be welcome to me, now do I desire some comfort from him; but he
shall go without it.
From whence again observe, that there is a time coming, O ye surly
dogged persecutors of the saints, that they shall slight you as
much as ever you slighted them. You have given them many an hard
word, told many a lie of them, given them many a blow. And now
in your greatest need and extremity they shall not pity you, the
righteous shall rather 'rejoice when he seeth the vengeance' of
God upon thee (Psa 58:10).
Again, Send Lazarus. From whence observe, that any of the saints
shall then be owned by you to be saints. Now you look upon them
to be the sect with Hymeneus and Philetus, but then you shall see
them to be the Lazaruses of God, even God's dear children. Though
now the saints of the Lord will not be owned by you, because they
are beggarly, low, poor, contemptible among you; yet the day is
coming that you shall own them, desire their company, and wish
for the least courtesy from them.
'Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water,
and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'
Thus shall the souls that abide in their sins cry out in the
bitterness of their spirits, with wonderful anguish and torment
of conscience, without intermission; 'That he may dip the tip of
his finger in water, and cool my tongue.' That he, namely, the man
who before I scorned should eat with the dogs of my flock, that
before I slighted and had no regard of, that I shut out of door;
send him, 'that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and
cool my tongue.'
Now these words, 'that he may dip the tip of his finger in water,'
&c., do hold forth the least friendship or favour; as if he should
have said, Now I would be glad of the least mercy, now I would
be glad of the least comfort, though it be but one drop of cold
water on the tip of his finger. One would have thought that this
had been a small request, a small courtesy--ONE DROP OF WATER--what
is that? Take a pail full of it if that will do thee any good.
But mark, he is not permitted to have so much as one drop, not so
much as a man may hold upon the tip of his finger; this signifies
that they that fall short of Christ shall be tormented even as
long as eternity lasteth, and shall not have so much as the least
ease, no not so long as while a man may turn himself round, not
so much leave as to swallow his spittle, not a drop of cold water.
O that these things did take place in your hearts, how would it
make you to seek after rest for your souls before it be too late,
before the sun of the gospel be set upon you! Consider, I say,
the misery of the ungodly that they shall be in, and avoid their
vices, by closing in with the tenders of mercy; lest you partake
of the same portion with them, and cry out in the bitterness of
your souls, One drop of cold water to cool my tongue.
'For I am tormented in this flame.'
Indeed, the reason why the poor world does not so earnestly desire
for mercy, is partly because they do not so seriously consider
the torment that they must certainly fall into if they die out of
Christ. For let me tell you, did but poor souls indeed consider
that wrath, that doth by right fall to their shares because of
their sins against God, they would make more haste to God through
Christ for mercy than they do; then we should have them say, It is
good closing with Christ to-day, before we fall into such distress.
But why is it said, Let him 'dip the tip of his finger in water,
and cool my tongue?' Because that, as the several members in
the body have their share in sin, and committing of that, so the
several members of the body shall at that time be punished for the
same. Therefore, when Christ is admonishing his disciples, that
they should not turn aside from him, and that they should rather
fear and dread the power of their God than any other power, he
saith, 'Fear him,' therefore, that can cast both body and soul into
hell (Luke 12:4). And again, 'Fear him which is able to destroy
both soul and body in hell' (Matt 10:28). Here is not one member
only, but all the body, the whole body of which the hands, feet,
eyes, ears, and tongue are members. And I am persuaded, that
though this may be judged carnal by some now, yet it will appear
to be a truth then, to the greater misery of those who shall
be forced to undergo that which God, in his just judgment, shall
inflict upon them. O then they will cry, One dram of ease for my
cursing, swearing, lying, jeering tongue. Some ease for my bragging,
braving, flattering, threatening, dissembling tongue. Now men can
let their tongues run at random, as we used to say; now they will
be apt to say, Our tongues are our own, who shall control them?
(Psa 12:4). But then they will be in another mind. Then, O that
I might have a little ease for my deceitful tongue? Methinks
sometimes to consider how some men do let their tongues run at
random, it makes me marvel. Surely they do not think they shall
be made to give an account for their offending with their tongue.
Did they but think they shall be made to give an account to him
who is ready to judge the quick and the dead, surely they would
be more wary of, and have more regard unto their tongue.
'The tongue,' saith James, 'is an unruly evil, full of deadly
poison'; 'it setteth on fire the course of nature, and it is set
on fire of hell' (James 2). The tongue, how much mischief will it
stir up in a very little time! How many blows and wounds doth it
cause! How many times doth it, as James saith, curse man! How oft
is the tongue made the conveyer of that hellish poison that is in
the heart, both to the dishonour of God, the hurt of its neighbours,
and the utter ruin of its own soul! And do you think the Lord will
sit still, as I may say, and let thy tongue run as it lists, and
yet never bring you to an account for the same? No, stay. The Lord
will not always keep silence, but will reprove thee, and set thy
sins in order before thine eyes, O sinner. Yea, and thy tongue,
together with the rest of thy members, shall be tormented for
sinning. And I say, I am very confident, that though this be made
light of now, yet the time is coming when many poor souls will rue
the day that ever they did speak with a tongue. O, will one say,
that I should so disregard my tongue! O that I, when I said so and
so, had before bitten off my tongue! That I had been born without
a tongue! my tongue, my tongue, a little water to cool my tongue,
for I am tormented in this flame; even in that flame that my tongue,
together with the rest of my members, by sinning, have brought me
to. Poor souls now will let their tongues say anything for a little
profit, for two-pence or three-pence gain. But, O what a grief will
this be at that day when they, together with their tongue, must
smart for that which they by their tongues have done while they
were in this world. Then, you that love your souls, look to your
tongues, lest you bind yourselves down so fast to hell with the
sins of your tongues, that you will never be able to get loose
again to all eternity. 'For by thy words thou shalt be condemned,'
if thou have not a care of thy tongue. For 'I say unto you, That
every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account
thereof in the day of judgment' (Matt 12:36).
Verse 25.--'But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy
lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil
things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.'
These words are the answer to the request of the damned. The verse
before, as I told you, is a discovery of the desires they have
after they depart this world. Here is the answer, 'Son, remember,'
&c.
The answer signifies this much, that, instead of having any relief
or ease they are hereby the more tormented, and that by fresh
recollections, or by bringing afresh their former ill-spent life,
while in the world, into their remembrance. Son, remember thou hadst
good things in thy lifetime; as much as if he had said, Thou art
now sensible what it is to lose thy soul; thou art now sensible
what it is to put off repentance; thou art now sensible that thou
hast befooled thyself, in that thou didst spend that time in seeking
after outward, momentary, earthly things, which thou shouldest
have spent in seeking to make Jesus Christ sure to thy soul; and
now, through thy anguish of spirit, in the pains of hell thou
wouldst enjoy that which in former time thou didst make light
of; but alas! thou art here beguiled and altogether disappointed,
thy crying will now avail thee nothing at all; this is not the
acceptable time (2 Cor 6:2). This is not a time to answer the
desires of damned reprobates; if thou hadst cried out in good
earnest whilst grace was offered, much might have been; but then
thou wast careless, and didst turn the forbearance and goodness
of God into wantonness. Wast thou not told, that those who would
not hear the Lord when he did call, should not be heard, if they
turned away from him, when they did call. But contrariwise he
would laugh at their calamity, and mock when their fear did come
(Prov 1:24-28).
Now, therefore, instead of expecting the least drop of mercy and
favour, call into thy mind how thou didst spend those days which
God did permit thee to live; I say, remember that in thy lifetime
thou didst behave thyself rebelliously against the Lord, in that
thou wert careless of his word and ordinances, yea, and of the
welfare of thine own soul also. Therefore, now I say, instead of
expecting or hoping for any relief, thou must be forced to call
to remembrance thy filthy ways, and feed upon them, to thine
everlasting astonishment and confusion.
From these words, therefore, which say, 'Remember that thou in thy
life-time receivedst THY GOOD THINGS,' there are these things to
be taken notice of,
First. They that, by putting off repentance and living in their
sins, lose their souls, shall, instead of having the least measure
of comfort when they come into hell, have their ill-spent life
always very fresh in their remembrance. While they live here
they can sin and forget it, but when they depart they shall have
it before them; they shall have a remembrance, or their memory
notably enlightened, and a clearer, and a continual sight of all
their wicked practices that they wrought and did while they were
in the world. 'Son, remember,' saith he; then you will be made
to remember: 1. How you were born in sin, and brought up in the
same. 2. Remember how thou hadst many a time the gospel preached
to thee for taking away of the same, by him whom the gospel doth
hold forth. 3. Remember that out of love to thy sins and lusts,
thou didst turn thy back on the tenders of the same gospel of good
tidings and peace. 4. Remember that the reason why thou didst lose
thy soul, was because thou didst not close in with free grace,
and the tenders of a loving and free-hearted Jesus Christ. 5.
Remember how near thou wast to turning at such and such a time,
only thou wast willing to give way to thy lusts when they wrought;
to drunkards when they called; to pleasures when they proffered
themselves; to the cares and incumbrances of the world, which,
like so many thorns, did choke that or those convictions that were
set on thy heart. 6. Remember how willing thou wast to satisfy
thyself with a hypocrite's hope, and with a notion of the things
of God, without the real power and life of the same. 7. Remember
how thou, when thou wast admonished to turn, didst put off turning
and repenting till another time. 8. Remember how thou didst
dissemble at such a time, lie at such a time, cheat thy neighbour
at such a time, mock, flout, scoff, taunt, hate, persecute,[20]
the people of God at such a time, in such a place, among such
company. 9. Remember that while others were met together in the
fear of the Lord to seek him, thou wast met with a company of vain
companions to sin against him; whilst the saints were a praying,
thou wert a cursing; while they were speaking good of the name of
God, thou wast speaking evil of the saints of God. O then thou
shalt have a scalding hot remembrance of all thy sinful thoughts,
words, and actions, from the very first to the last of them that
ever thou didst commit in all thy life-time. Then thou wilt find
that scripture to be a truth, 'The Lord shall give thee there a
trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind. And thy
life shall hang in doubt before thee, and thou shalt fear day and
night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life. In the morning
thou shalt say, Would God it were even! for the fear of thine
heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes
which thou shalt see' (Deut 28:65-67). Nay, thou wilt find worse
things to thy woe than this scripture doth manifest. For, indeed,
there is no tongue able to express the horror, terror, torment,
and eternal misery that those poor souls shall undergo, without
the least mitigation of ease, and a very great part of it shall
come from that quick, full, and continual remembrance of their
sins that they shall have. And, therefore, there is much weight in
these words, 'Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst
thy good things.'
From these words you see this is to be observed, That the ungodly
shall remember, or have in remembrance, the misspending their lives;
'Remember that in thy lifetime thou receivedst thy good things.'
You may take these words, good things, either simply for the things
of this world, which in themselves are called, and may be called
good things; or else with these words, namely, the things of this
life, all the pleasures, delights, profits, and vanities, which
the ignorant people of the world do count their good things, and
do very much cheer themselves therewith. Soul, soul, eat, drink,
and be merry; for thou hast much goods laid up for many years
(Luke 12:19,20). Now I say, God, according to his glorious power
and wisdom, will make poor creatures have always in their minds a
fresh and clear remembrance of their ill-spent life; he will say
unto them, Remember, remember, that in thy lifetime it was thus
and thus with thee, and in thy lifetime thy carriage was so and
so.
If sinners might have their choice, they would not have their sins
and transgressions so much in the remembrance, as it is evident
by their carriages here in this world; for they will not endure
to entertain a serious thought of their filthy life, they 'put
far away the evil day' (Amos 6:3; Eze 12:27); but will labour by
all means to put the thoughts of it out of their mind; but there
they shall be made to remember to purpose, and to think continually of
their ungodly deeds. And therefore it is said, that when our Lord
Jesus Christ comes to judgment, it will be to convince the ungodly
world of their wicked and ungodly deeds; mark, 'to convince' them
(Jude 14,15). They will not willingly take notice of them now.
But then they shall hereafter, in spite of their teeth. And also,
between this and then, these that die out of Christ shall be made
to see, acknowledge, and confess, do what they can, when they lift
up their eyes in hell, and remember their transgressions. God will
be a swift witness against them (Mal 3:5), and will say, Remember
that thou didst in thy lifetime, how thou didst live in thy lifetime.
Ha, friend! if thou dost not in these days of light 'remember
the days of darkness' (Eccl 11:8), the days of death, hell, and
judgment, thou shalt be made in the days of darkness, death, hell,
and at the judgment too, to remember the days of the gospel, and
how thou didst disregard them too, to thy own destruction, and
everlasting misery. This is intimated in that 25th of St. Matthew.
'Remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things.'
The great God, instead of giving the ungodly any ease, will even
aggravate their torments; first, by slighting their perplexities,
and by telling of them what they must be thinking of. Remember,
saith he, O ye lost souls, that you had your joy in your lifetime,
your peace in your lifetime, your comforts, delights, ease,
wealth, health, your heaven, your happiness, and your portion in
your lifetime.
O miserable state! Thou wilt then be in a sad condition indeed,
when thou shalt see that thou hast had thy good things, thy best
things, thy pleasant things; for that is clearly signified by
these words, 'Remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy
good things,' or all the good things thou art like to have.
Second. From whence take notice of another truth, though it be a
dreadful one, which is this; there are many poor creatures, who
have all their good, sweet, and comfortable things in this life,
or while they are alive in this world; 'Remember,' saith he, 'that
in thy lifetime thou receivedst thy good things' (Psa 17:14).
The wicked's good things will shortly have an end; they will
last no longer with them than this life, or their lifetime. That
scripture was not written in vain; it is like the crackling of
thorns under a pot, make a little blaze for a sudden, a little heat
for a while; but come and consider them by and by, and instead of
a comfortable heat, you will find nothing but a few dead ashes;
and instead of a flaming fire, nothing but a smell of smoke.
There is a time coming, that the ungodly would be glad of a better
portion, when they shall see the vanity of this, that is, when they
shall see what a poor thing it is for a man to have his portion
in this world. It is true, while they are here on this side hell,
they think there is nothing to be compared with riches, honours,
and pleasures in this world; which makes them cry out, 'Who will
shew us any good?' (Psa 4:6). That is comparable to the pleasures,
profits, and glory of this world? But then they will see there is
another thing that is better, and of more value than ten thousand
worlds. And seriously, friends, will it not grieve you, trouble,
perplex, and torment you, when you shall see that you lost heaven
for a little pleasure and profit in your lifetime? Certainly, it
will grieve you and perplex you exceedingly, to see what a blessed
heaven you left for a dunghill-world. O! that you did but believe
this! that you did but consider this, and say within yourselves,
What! shall I be contented with my portion in this world! what!
shall I lose heaven for this world! I say, consider it while you
have day-light, and gospel-light, while the Son of God doth hold
out terms of reconciliation to you, lest you be made to hear
such a voice as this is, 'Son, remember that in thy lifetime thou
receivedst thy good things'; thy comforts, thy joys, thy ease, thy
peace, and all the heaven thou art like to have. O poor heaven!
O short pleasures! What a pitiful thing it is to be left in such
a case? Soul, consider, is it not miserable to lose heaven for
twenty, thirty, or forty years' sinning against God? When thy life
is done, thy heaven is also done? when death comes to separate
thy soul and body, in that day also thou must have thy heaven and
happiness separated from thee, and thou from that. Consider these
things betimes, lest thou have thy portion in thy lifetime. 'For
if in this life only we have hope,' our portion, 'we are of all
men most miserable' (1 Cor 15:19). Again consider, that when other
men, the saints, are to receive their good things, then thou hast
had thine. When others are to enter into joy, then thou art to
leave and depart from thy joy. When others are to go to God, thou
must go to the devil. O miserable! Thou hadst better thou hadst
never been born, than to be an heir of such a portion; therefore,
I say, have a care it be not thy condition.
'Remember that thou receivedst thy good things, and LAZARUS EVIL
THINGS.'
These words do not only hold forth the misery of the wicked in this
life, but also great consolation to the saints; where he saith,
'And Lazarus evil things'; that is, Lazarus had his evil things
in his lifetime, or when he was in the world. From whence observe,
1. That the life of the saints, so long as they are in this world,
is attended with many evils or afflictions; which may be discovered
to be of divers natures; as saith the Scripture, 'Many are the
troubles[21] of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of
them all' (Psa 34:19).
2. Take notice, that the afflictions or evils that accompany the
saints, may continue with them their lifetime, so long as they
live in this vale of tears; yea, and they may be divers, that is,
of several sorts; some outward, some inward, and that as long as
they shall continue here below, as hath been the experience of all
saints in all ages; and this might be proved at large, but I only
hint in these things, although I might enlarge much upon them.
3. The evils that do accompany the saints will continue with them
no longer than their lifetime; and here indeed lies the comfort
of believers, the Lazaruses, the saints, they must have all their
bitter cup wrung out to them in their lifetime. Here must be all
their trouble, here must be all their grief; Behold, saith Christ,
'the world shall rejoice, but ye shall lament; but your mourning'
shall, mark, it 'shall be turned into joy' (John 16:20). You shall
lament, you shall be sorrowful, you shall weep in your lifetime;
but your sorrow shall be turned into joy, and your joy no man, let
him be what he will, no man shall take away from you. Now if you
think, when I say the saints have all their evil things in their
lifetime, that I mean, they have nothing else but trouble in this
their lifetime, this is your mistake. For let me tell you, that
though the saints have all their evil things in their lifetime,
yet even in their lifetime they have also joy unspeakable, and
full of glory, while they look not at the things that are seen,
but at the things which are not seen. The joy that the saints have
sometimes in their heart, by a believing consideration of the good
things to come, when this life is ended, doth fill them fuller of
joy, than all the crosses, troubles, temptations, and evils, that
accompany them in this life can fill them with grief (2 Cor 4).
But some saints may say, My troubles are such as are ready to
overcome me. Answ. Yet be of good comfort, they shall last no
longer than thy lifetime. But my trouble is, I am perplexed with
a heart full of corruption and sin, so that I am much hindered in
walking with God. Answ. It is like so, but thou shalt have these
troubles no longer than thy lifetime. But I have a cross husband,
and that is a great grief to me. Well, but thou shalt be troubled
with him no longer than thy lifetime, and therefore be not dismayed,
be not discomforted, thou shalt have no trouble longer than this
lifetime. Art thou troubled with cross children, cross relations,
cross neighbours? They shall trouble thee no longer than this
lifetime.
Art thou troubled with a cunning devil, with unbelief; yea, let
it be what it will, thou shalt take thy farewell of them all,
if thou be a believer, after thy lifetime is ended. O! excellent!
'Then God shall wipe away all tears from your eyes; and there
shall be no more death nor sorrow, neither crying, nor any more
pain; for the former things are passed away' (Rev 21:4). But now
on the contrary, if thou be not a right and sound believer; then,
though thou shouldest live a thousand years in this world, and
meet with sore afflictions every day, yet these afflictions, be
they never so great and grievous, they are nothing to that torment
that will come upon thee, both in soul and in body, after this
life is ended.
I say, be what thou wilt, if thou be found in unbelief, or under
the first covenant, thou are sure to smart for it at the time when
thou dost depart this world. But the thing to be lamented is, for
all this is so sad a condition to be fallen into, yet poor souls
are, for the most part, senseless of it, yea, so senseless, at
some times, as though there was no such misery to come hereafter.
Because the Lord doth not immediately strike with his sword, but
doth bear long with his creature, waiting that he might be gracious.
Therefore, I say, the hearts of some of the sons of men are wholly
set upon it to do mischief (Eccl 8:11). And that forbearance and
goodness of God, that one would think should lead them to repentance;
the devil hardening of them, by their continuing in sin, and by
blinding their eyes, as to the end of God's forbearance towards
then, they are led away with a very hardened and senseless heart,
even until they drop into eternal destruction.
But poor hearts, they must have a time in which they must be made
sensible of their former behaviors, when the just judgments of
the Lord shall flame about their ears, insomuch, that they shall
be made to cry out again with anguish, I am sorely 'tormented in
this flame.'
'But now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.' As if he should
say, Now hath God recompensed both Lazarus and you, according to
what you sought after while you were in this world. As for your
part, you did neglect the precious mercy and goodness of God, you
did turn your back on the Son of God, that came into the world
to save sinners; you made a mock of preaching the gospel; you was
admonished over and over, to close in with the loving kindness of
the Lord, in his Son Jesus Christ. The Lord let you live twenty,
thirty, forty, fifty, sixty years; all which time you, instead
of spending it 'to make your calling and election sure' (2 Peter
1:10), did spend it in making of eternal damnation sure to thy soul
(Job 21:29,30). And also Lazarus, he in his lifetime did make it
his business to accept of my grace and salvation in the Lord Jesus
Christ. When thou wast in the ale-house, he frequented the word
preached; when thou wert jeering at goodness, he was sighing to
the sins of the times (Eccl 9:4-6). While thou wert swearing, he
was praying; in a word, while thou wert making sure of eternal
ruin, he, by faith in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, was making
sure of eternal salvation. Therefore, 'Now he is comforted, and
thou art tormented.'
Here, then, you may see, that as the righteous shall not be always
void of comfort and blessedness; so neither shall the ungodly go
always without their punishment. As sure as God is in heaven, it
will be thus. They must have their several portions. And, therefore,
you that are the saints of the Lord, follow on, be not dismayed,
forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord
(1 Cor 15:58). Your portion is eternal glory. And you that are so
loth now to close in with Jesus Christ, and to leave your sins to
follow him, your 'day is coming' (Psa 37:13), in which you shall
know, that your sweet morsels of sin, that you do so easily take
down (Job 20:12-14), and it scarce troubles you, will have a time
so to work within you to your eternal ruin, that you will be in
a worse condition than if you had ten thousand devils tormenting
of you. Nay, you had better have been plucked limb from limb
a thousand times, if it could be, than to be partakers of this
torment that will, assuredly without mercy, lie upon you.
Verse 26.--'And beside all this, between us and you there is a
great gulf fixed; so that they which would pass from hence to you
cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.'
These words are still part of that answer, that the souls in hell
shall have for all their sobbings, sighings, grievous cries,
tears, and desires, that they have, to be released out of those
intolerable pains they feel, and are perplexed with. And O!
methinks the words at the first view, if rightly considered, are
enough to make any hard-hearted sinner in the world to fall down
dead. The verse I last spake to was and is a very terrible one,
and aggravates the torments of poor sinners wonderfully. Where
he saith, 'Remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good
things, and Lazarus evil things,' &c. I say, these words are very
terrible to those poor souls that die out of Christ. But these
latter words do much more hold out their sorrow. They were spoken
as to the present condition then upon the sinner. These do not
only back the former, but do yet further aggravate their misery,
holding forth that which will be more intolerable. The former
verse is enough to smite any sinner into a swoon, but this is to
make him fall down dead. Where he saith, 'And beside all this.'
There is still something to aggravate thy misery yet far more
abundantly. I shall briefly speak to the words as they have relation
to the terror spoken of in the verses before. As if he had said,
Thou thinkest thy present state unsupportable, it makes thee sob
and sigh, it makes thee to rue the time that ever thou wert born.
Now thou findest the want of mercy; now thou wouldst leap at
the least dram of it: now thou feelest what it is to slight the
tenders of the grace of God; now it makes thee to sob, sigh, and
roar exceedingly for the anguish that thou art in. 'But beside
all this,' I have other things to tell thee of, that will break
thine heart indeed. Thou art now deprived of a being in the world;
thou art deprived of hearing the gospel; the devil hath been too
hard for thee, and hath made thee miss of heaven; thou art now
in hell among an innumerable company of devils, and all thy sins
beset thee round; thou art all over wrapped in flames, and canst
not have one drop of water to give thee any ease; thou criest
in vain, for nothing will be granted. Thou seest the saints in
heaven, which is no small trouble to thy damned soul; thou seest
that neither God nor Christ takes any care to ease thee, or speak
any comfort unto thee. 'But beside all this,' there thou art, and
there thou art like to lie, never think of any ease, never look
for any comfort; repentance now will do thee no good, the time
is past, and can never be called again, look what thou hast now,
thou must have for ever.
It is true, I spoke enough before to break thine heart asunder;
'But beside all this,' there lie and swim in flames for ever. These
words, 'Beside all this,' are terrible words indeed. I will give
you the scope of them in a similitude. Set the case you should take
a man, and tie him to a stake, and with red-hot pinchers, pinch
off his flesh by little pieces for two or three years together,
and at last, when the poor man cries out for ease and help, the
tormentors answer, Nay, 'but beside all this,' you must be handled
worse. We will serve you thus these twenty years together, and
after that we will fill your mangled body full of scalding lead,
or run you through with a red-hot spit; would not this be lamentable?
Yet this is but a flea-biting to the sorrow of those that go to
hell; for if a man were served so there would, ere it were long, be
an end of him. But he that goes to hell shall suffer ten thousand
times worse torments than these, and yet shall never be quite dead
under them. There they shall be ever whining, pining, weeping,
mourning, ever tormented without ease; and yet never dissolved
into nothing. If the biggest devil in hell might pull thee all
to pieces, and rend thee small as dust, and dissolve thee into
nothing, thou wouldst count this a mercy. But here thou mayst
lie and fry, scorch, and broil, and burn for ever. For ever, that
is a long while, and yet it must be so long. 'Depart from me, ye
cursed,' saith Christ, 'into everlasting fire,' into the fire that
burns for ever, 'prepared for the devil and his angels' (Matt
25:41). O! thou that wast loth to foul thy foot if it were but
dirty, or did but rain; thou that was loth to come out of the
chimney-corner, if the wind did but blow a little cold; and was
loth to go half-a-mile, yea, half-a-furlong to hear the word of
God, if it were but a little dark; thou that wast loth to leave
a few vain companions, to edify thy soul; thou shalt have fire
enough, thou shalt have night enough, and evil company enough, thy
bellyfull, if thou miss of Jesus Christ; and 'beside all this,'
thou shalt have them for ever, and for ever.
O thou that dost spend whole nights in carding and dicing, in
rioting and wantonness; thou that countest it a brave thing to
swear as fast as the bravest, to spend with the greatest spendthrift
in the country; thou that lovest to sin in a corner when nobody
sees thee! O thou that for bye-ends dost carry on the hypocrite's
profession, because thou wouldst be counted somebody among the
children of God,[22] but art an enemy to the things of Christ in
thine heart. Thou that dost satisfy thyself, either with sins, or
a bare profession of godliness, thy soul will fall into extreme
torment and anguish, so soon as ever thou dost depart this world,
and there thou shalt be weeping and gnashing thy teeth (Matt
8:12). 'And beside all this,' thou art like never to have any ease
or remedy, never look for any deliverance, thou shalt die in thy
sins, and be tormented as many years as there are stars in the
firmament, or sands on the seashore; 'and beside all this,' thou
must abide it for ever.
'And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf
fixed, so that they which would pass from hence to you, cannot;
neither can they pass to us that would come from thence.' 'There
is a great gulf fixed.' You will say, what is that? Answ. It is
a nice question; therefore,
1. See thou rather to enter in at the strait gate, than curiously
to inquire what this gulf is. But,
2. If thou wouldst needs know if thou do fall short of heaven,
thou wilt find it this, namely, the everlasting decree of God;
that is, there is decree gone forth from God, that those who fall
short of heaven in this world, God is resolved they shall never
enjoy it in the world to come. And thou wilt find this gulf so
deep, that thou shalt never be able to wade through it as long
as eternity lasts. As Christ saith, 'Agree with thine adversary
quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him' (Matt 5:25); 'lest
he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the
officer, and thou be cast into prison. I tell thee thou shalt by
no means come out thence,' there is the gulf, the decree, 'thou
shalt not depart thence till thou hast paid the' utmost farthing,
or 'very last mite' (Luke 12:58,59). These words therefore, 'there
is a great gulf fixed,' I do understand to be the everlasting
decree of God. God hath decreed that those who go to heaven shall
never go from thence again into a worse place; and also those that
go to hell, and would come out, they shall not come out thence
again. And friend, this is such a gulf, so fixed by him that
cannot lie, that thou wilt find it so, which way soever thou goest,
whether it be to heaven or hell.
Here therefore thou seest how secure God will make those who die
in the faith; God will keep them in heaven; but those that die in
their sins, God will throw them to hell and keep them there; so
that they that would go from heaven to hell, cannot; neither can
they come from hell that would go to heaven. Mark, he doth not
say, they would not--for, O how fain would these who have lost
their souls for a lust, for two-pence, for a jug of ale, for
a strumpet, for this world, come out of that hot scalding fiery
furnace of God's eternal vengeance, if they might--but here is
their misery, they that would come from you to us, that is, from
hell to heaven, cannot, they must not, they shall not; they cannot,
God hath decreed it, and is resolved the contrary; here therefore
lies the misery, not so much that they are in hell, but there they
must lie for ever and ever. Therefore, if thy heart would at any
time tempt thee to sin against God, cry out, No, for then I must
go to hell, and lie there for ever. If the drunkards, swearers,
liars, and hypocrites did but take this doctrine soundly down,
it would make them tremble when they think of sinning. But poor
souls, now they will 'make a mock of sin' (Prov 14:9), and play
with it as a child doth play with a rattle; but the time is coming,
that these rattles that now they play with will make such a noise
in their ears and consciences, that they shall find, that if all
the devils in hell were yelling at their heels, the noise would
not be comparable to it. Friend, thy sins, as so many bloodhounds,
will first hunt thee out (Num 32:23), and then take thee and bind
thee, and hold thee down for ever (Prov 5:22). They will gripe
thee and gnaw thee as if thou hadst a nest of poisonous serpents
in thy bowels (Job 20:14). And this will not be for a time, but,
as I have said, for ever, for ever, for ever.
Verse 27.--'Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou
wouldst send him to my father's house.'
The verses before, I told you, were spoken partly to hold forth the
desire that the damned have to be freed of their endless misery.
Now this verse still holds forth the cries of those poor souls
very vehement, they would very fain have something granted to
them, but it will not be; as will more clearly appear afterward.
'Then he said, I PRAY THEE THEREFORE, FATHER,' &c. As if he should
say, seeing I have brought myself into such a miserable condition,
that God will not regard me, that my exceeding loud and bitter
cries will not be heard for myself; seeing I must not be admitted
to have so much as one drop of cold water, nor the least help from
the poorest saints. And seeing, 'beside all this,' here my soul
must lie to all eternity, broiling and frying; seeing I must,
whether I will or no, undergo the hand of eternal vengeance, and
the rebukes of devouring fire; seeing my state is such, that I
would not wish a dog in my condition, 'send him to my father's
house.' It is worthy to be taken notice of, again, who it is he
desired to be sent, namely, Lazarus. O friend, see here how the
stout hearts and stomachs of poor creatures will be humbled, as I
said before, they will be so brought down, that those things that
they disdained and made light of in this world, they would be
glad of in the life to come. He who by this man was so slighted,
as that he thought it a dishonour that he should eat with the dogs
of his flock. What, shall I regard Lazarus, scrubbed, beggarly
Lazarus! what, shall I so far dishonour my fair, sumptuous, and
gay house, with such a scabbed creep-hedge as he! No, I scorn he
should be entertained under my roof. Thus in his lifetime, while
he was in his bravery; but now he is come into another world, now
he is parted from his pleasures, now he sees his fine house, his
dainty dishes, his rich neighbours and companions, and he, are parted
asunder; now he finds instead of pleasures, torments; instead of
joys, heaviness; instead of heaven, hell; instead of the pleasures
of sin, the horror and guilt of sin; O now send Lazarus!
Lazarus, it may be, might have done him some good, if he might
have been entertained in time past, and might have persuaded him,
at least not to have gone on so grievously wicked, but he slights
him, he will not regard him, he is resolved to disown him, though
he lose his own soul for so doing. Ay, but now send Lazarus, if
not to me, yet to my father's house, and let him tell them, from
me, that if they run on in sin, as I have done, they must and
shall receive the same wages that I have received.
Take notice of this, you that are despisers of the least of the
Lazaruses of our Lord Jesus Christ; it may be now you are loth to
receive these little ones of his, because they are not gentlemen,
because they cannot, with Pontius Pilate, speak Hebrew, Greek,
and Latin.[23] Nay, they must not, shall not speak to them, to
admonish them, and all because of this.
Though now the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ may be preached to
them freely, and for nothing; nay, they are now desired to hear
and receive it: though now they will not own, regard, or embrace
these Christian proffers of the glorious truth of Jesus, because
they come out of some of the basest earthen vessels; yet the
time is coming, when they will both sigh and cry, Send him to my
father's house (1 Cor 1:26). I say, remember this, ye that despise
the day of small things; the time is coming, when you would be
glad, if you might enjoy from God, from Christ, or his saints, one
small drop of cold water, though now you are unwilling to receive
the glorious distilling drops of the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
Again, see here the lamentable state they are in, that go to hell
from their fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, &c. While they
are in this world, men delight to set their children ill examples;
and also children love to follow the wicked steps of their ungodly
parents; but when they depart this life, and drop down into hell,
and find themselves in irrecoverable misery, then they cry, send
some body to my father's house, to my brother's house. Tell them
my state is miserable, tell them I am undone for ever; and tell
them also, that if they will be walking in these ungodly steps
wherein I left them, they will assuredly fall into this place of
torments.
'I pray thee--SEND HIM TO MY FATHER'S HOUSE.' Ah, friends and
neighbours, it is like you little think of this, that some of your
friends and relations are crying out in hell, Lord, send some body
to my father's house, to preach the gospel to them, lest they also
come into these torments.
Here, men while they live, can willingly walk together in the way
of sin, and when they are parted by death, they that are living,
seldom or never consider of the sad condition that they that are
dead are descended into. But ye ungodly fathers, how are your
ungodly children roaring now in hell? And you ungodly children,
how are your ungodly parents that lived and died ungodly, now in
the pains of hell also? And one drunkard is singing on the ale bench,
and another roaring under the wrath of God, saying, O that I was
with him, how would I rebuke him, and persuade him by all means
to leave off these evil courses. O! that they did but consider
what I now suffer for pride, covetousness, drunkenness, lying,
swearing, stealing, whoring, and the like. O! did they but feel
the thousandth part thereof, it would make them look about them,
and not buy sin at so dear a rate as I have done; even with the
loss of my precious soul.
'Send him to my father's house.' Not to my father, but to my
'father's house.' It may be there is ungodly children, there is
ungodly servants, wallowing in their ungodliness; send him therefore
to my father's house. It is like they are still the same that I
left them; I left them wicked, and they are wicked still; I left
them slighters of the gospel, saints, and ways of God, and they
do it still; 'send him to my father's house,' it is like there
is but a little between them and the place where I am; send him
to-day, before to-morrow, 'lest they also come into the same place
of torment. I pray thee that thou wouldst send him.' I beg it on
my bended knee, with crying and with tears, in the agony of my
soul. It may be they will not consider, if thou do not send him.
I left them sottish enough, hardened as well as I; they have the
same devil to tempt them, the same lusts and world to overcome
them; 'I pray thee therefore, that thou wouldst send him to my
father's house'; make no delay, lest they lose their souls, lest
they come hither: if they do, they are like never to return again.
O! little do they think how easily they may lose their souls; they
are apt to think their condition to be as good as the best, as I
once through ignorance did; but send him, send him without delay,
'lest they also come into this place of torment.' O that thou
wouldst give him commission, do thou send him thyself; the time
was when I, together with them, slighted those that were sent of
God; though we could not deny but that he spake the word of God,
and was sent of him, as our consciences told us; yet we preferred
the calls of men before the calls of God. For though they had the
one, yet because they had not the other in that antichristian way
which we thought meet, we could not, would not, either hear him
ourselves, nor yet give consent that others should. But now a call
from God is worth all. Do THOU 'therefore send him to my father's
house.'
The time was, when we did not like it, except it might be preached
in the synagogue; we thought it a low thing to preach and pray
together in houses. We were too high-spirited, too superstitious;
the gospel would not down with us, unless we had it in such a
place, by such a man; no, nor then neither effectually. But now,
O that I was to live in the world again; and might have that
privilege to have some acquaintance with blessed Lazarus, some
familiarity with that holy man; what attendance would I give unto
his wholesome words! How would I affect his doctrine, and close
in with it! How would I square my life thereby! Now therefore, as
it is better to hear the gospel under a hedge than to sit roaring
in a tavern, it is better to welcome God's begging Lazaruses than
the wicked companions of this world. It is better to receive a
saint in the name of a saint, a disciple in the name of a disciple,
than to do as I have done (Luke 10:16). O! it is better to receive
a child of God, that can by experience deliver the things of God,
his free love, his tender grace, his rich forbearance, and also the
misery of man, if without it, than to be 'daubed with untempered
mortar' (Eze 13:10). O! I may curse the day that ever I gave way
to the flatteries and fawning of a company of carnal clergymen,[24]
but this my repentance is too late; I should have looked about
me sooner, if I would have been saved from this woeful place.
Therefore send him, not only to the town I lived in, and unto some
of my acquaintance, but to my father's house.
In my lifetime I did not care to hear that word that cut me most,
and showed me mine estate aright. I was vexed to hear my sins
mentioned, and laid to my charge; I loved him best that deceived
me most--that said, Peace, peace, when there was no such thing
(Jer 5:30,31). But now, O that I had been soundly told of it!
O that it had pierced both mine ears and heart, and had stuck so
fast that nothing could have cured me, saving the blood of Christ!
It is better to be dealt plainly with, than that we should be
deceived; they had better see their lost condition in the world,
than stay while they be damned, as I have done. Therefore send
Lazarus, send him to my father's house. Let him go and say I saw
your son, your brother, in hell, weeping and wailing, and gnashing
his teeth. Let him bear them down in it, and tell them plainly it
is so, and that they shall see their everlasting misery, if they
have not a special care. 'Send him to my father's house.'
Verse 28.--'For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto
them, lest they also come into this place of torment.'
These words are, if I may so say, a reason given by those in hell
why they are so restless and do cry so loud; it is that their
companions might be delivered from those intolerable torments which
they must and shall undergo if they fall short of everlasting life
by Jesus Christ. 'Send him to my father's house; for I have five
brethren.' Though, while they lived among them in the world, they
were not so sensible of their ruin, yet now they are passed out of
the world, and do partake of that which before they were warned
of; they can, I say, then cry out, Now I find that to be true
indeed, which was once and again told and declared to me that it
would certainly come to pass.
'FOR I HAVE FIVE BRETHREN.' Here you may see that there may be, and
are, whole households in a damnable state and condition, as our
Lord Jesus doth by this signify. 'Send him to my father's house,'
for they are all in one state, I left all my brethren in a pitiful
case. People, while they live here, cannot endure to hear that they
should be all in a miserable condition; but when they are under
the wrath of God they see it, they know it, and are very sure of
it; for they themselves, when they were in the world, lived as
they do, but they fell short of heaven, and therefore, if they go
on, so shall they. O, therefore, send him quickly to my father's
house, for all the house is in an undone condition, and must be
damned if they continue so.
The thing observable is this, namely, that those that are in hell
do not desire that their companions should come thither; nay rather,
saith he, send him to my father's house, and let him testify to
them that are therein, lest they also come, &c.
Quest. But some may say, What should be the reason that the damned
should desire not to have their companions come into the same
condition that they are fallen into, but rather that they might
be kept from it, and escape that dreadful state?
Answ. I do believe there is scarce so much love in any of the
damned in hell as really to desire the salvation of any. But
in that there is any desire in them that are damned, that their
friends and relations should not come into that place of torment,
it appears to me to be rather for their own ease than for their
neighbour's good; for, let me tell you, this I do believe, that it
will aggravate the grief and horror of them to see their ungodly
neighbours in the like destruction with them. For where the ungodly
do live and die, and descend into the pit together, the one is
rather a vexation to the other than any thing else. And it must
needs be so, because there are no ungodly people that do live
ungodly together but they do learn ill examples one of another,
as thus: If there live one in the town that is very expert and
cunning for the world, why now the rest that are of the same mind
with him, they will labour to imitate and follow his steps: this
is commonly seen.
Again, if there be one given to drunkenness, others of the town,
through his means, run the more into that sin with him, and do
accustom themselves the more unto it because of his enticing them,
and also by setting such an ill example before them. And so if
there be any addicted to pride, and must needs be in all the newest
fashions, how do their example provoke others to love and follow
the same vanity; spending that upon their lusts which should
relieve their own and others' wants. Also if there be any given
to jesting, scoffing, lying, whoring, backbiting, junketing,[25]
wantonness, or any other sin, they that are most expert in these
things do ofttimes entangle others, that peradventure would not
have been so vile as now they are, had they not had such an example,
and hence they are called corrupters (Isa 1:4).
Now these will, by their doings, exceedingly aggravate the
condemnation of one another. He that did set his neighbor an ill
example, and thereby caused him to walk in sin, he will be found
one cause of his friend's destruction, insomuch that he will have
to answer for his own sins and for a great part of his neighbour's
too, which will add to his destruction; as that scripture in
Ezekiel showeth, where, speaking of the watchman that should give
the people warning, if he did not, though the man did die in his
sins, yet his blood shall be required at the watchman's hand (Eze
33).
So here let me tell thee that if thou shouldst be such a one, as
by thy conversation and practices shall be a trap and a stumbling-block
to cause thy neighbour to fall into eternal ruin--though he be
damned for his own sins--yet God may, nay he will charge thee as
being guilty of his blood, in that thou didst not content thyself
to keep from heaven thyself, but didst also, by thy filthy
conversation, keep away others, and cause them to fall with thee.
O, therefore, will not this aggravate thy torment? Yea, if thou
shouldst die and go to hell before thy neighbour or companions,
besides the guilt of thine own sins, thou wouldst be so loaden
with the fear of the damnation of others to be laid to thy charge,
that thou wouldst cry out, O send one from the dead to this companion
and that companion with whom I had society in my lifetime, for I
see my cursed carriage will be one cause of his condemnation, if
he fall short of glory.
I left him living in foul and heinous offences; but I was one of
the first instruments to bring him to them. O! I shall be guilty
both of my own and his damnation too! O that he might be kept out
hence, lest my torment be aggravated by his coming hither!
For where ungodly people do dwell together, they being a snare
and stumbling-block one to another by their practices, they must
needs be a torment one to another, and an aggravation of each
other's damnation. O cursed be thy face, saith one, that ever I
set mine eyes on thee. It was long of thee. I may thank thee. It
was thee that did entice me and ensnare me. It was your filthy
conversation that was a stumbling-block to me. It was your
covetousness, it was your pride, your haunting the ale-house, your
gaming and whoring. It was long of you that I fell short of life;
if you had set me a good example, as you did set me an ill one,
it may be I might have done better than now I do; but I learned
of you, I followed your steps, I took counsel of you. O that I
had never seen thy face! O that thou hadst never been born to do
my soul this wrong, as you have done! O, saith the other, and I
may as much blame you, for do not you remember how at such a time,
and at such a time, you drew me out, and drew me away, and asked
me if I would go with you, when I was going about other business,
about my calling; but you called me away, you sent for me, you
are as much in the fault as I; though I were covetous, you were
proud; and if you learned covetousness of me, I learned pride and
drunkenness of you. Though I learned you to cheat, you learned
me to whore, to lie, to scoff at goodness. Though I, base wretch,
did stumble you in some things, yet you did as much stumble me in
others. I can blame you as you blame me; and if I have to answer
for some of your most filthy actions, you have to answer for
some of mine. I would you had not come hither, the very looks of
you do wound my soul, by bringing my sins afresh into my mind,
the time when, the manner how, the place where, the persons with
whom. It was with you, you! Grief to my soul! Since I could not
shun thy company there, O that I had been without thy company
here!
I say, therefore, for those that have sinned together to go to
hell together, it will very much perplex and torment them both;
therefore I judge this is one reason why they that are in hell do
desire that their friends or companions do not come thither into
the same place of torment that they are in. And therefore where
Christ saith that these damned souls cry out, Send to our companions,
that they may be warned and commanded to look to themselves, O
send to my five brethren! it is because they would not have their
own torments heightened by their company; and a sense, yea, a
continual sense of their sins, which they did cause them to commit
when they were in the world with them. For I do believe that the
very looks of those that have been beguiled of their fellows, I
say their very looks will be a torment to them: for thereby will
the remembrance of their own sins be kept, if possible, the fresher
on their consciences, which they committed with them; and also
they will wonderfully have the guilt of the others sins upon them,
in that they were partly the cause of his committing them, being
instruments in the hands of the devil to draw them in too. And,
therefore, lest this come to pass, 'I pray thee send him to my
father's house.' For if they might not come hither, peradventure
my torment might have some mitigation; that is, if they might be
saved, then their sins will be pardoned, and not so heavily charged
on my soul. But if they do fall into the same place where I am,
the sins that I have caused them to commit will lie so heavy,
not only on their souls, but also on mine, that they sin me into
eternal misery, deeper and deeper. O therefore send him to my
father's house, to my five brethren, and let him testify to them,
lest they come into this place of torment.
These words being thus understood, what a condition doth it
show them to be in then, that now much delight in being the very
ringleaders of their companions into sins of all sorts whatsoever?
While men live here, if they can be counted the cunningest in
cheating, the boldest for lying, the archest for whoring, the
subtilest for coveting and getting the world; if they can but
cunningly defraud, undermine, cross, and anger their neighbours,
yea, and hinder them from the means of grace, the gospel of Christ,
they glory in it, take a pride in it, and think themselves pretty
well at ease, and their minds are somewhat quiet, being beguiled
with sin.
But, friend, when thou hast lost this life, and dost begin to lift
up thine eyes in hell, and seest what thy sins have brought thee
to; and not only so, but that thou, by thy filthy sins, didst
cause others, devil-like, to fall into the same condemnation with
thee; and that one of the reasons of their damnation was this, that
thou didst lead them to the commission of those wicked practices
of this world, and the lusts thereof; then, O that somebody
would stop them from coming, lest they also come into this place
of torment, and be damned as I am! How ill it torment me! Balaam
could not be contented to be damned himself, but also he must,
by his wickedness, cause others to stumble and fall. The Scribes
and Pharisees could not be contented to keep out of heaven themselves,
but they must labour to keep out others too. Therefore theirs is
the greater damnation.
The deceived cannot be content to be deceived himself; but he must
labour to deceive others also. The drunkard cannot be content to
go to hell for his own sins, but he must labour to cause others
to fall into the same furnace with him. But look to yourselves,
for here will be damnation upon damnation, damned for thy own
sins, and damned for thy being a partaker with others in their
sins; and damned for being guilty of the damnation of others.
O how will the drunkards cry for leading their neighbours into
drunkenness! How will the covetous person howl for setting his
neighbour, his friend, his brother, his children and relations,
so wicked an example! by which he hath not only wronged his own
soul, but also the souls of others. The liar, by lying, learned
others to lie; the swearer learned others to swear; the whoremonger
learned others to whore.
Now all these, with others of the like sort, will be guilty, not
only of their own damnation, but also of the damnation of others.
I tell you, that some men have so much been the authors of the
damnation of others, that I am ready to think that the damnation
of them will trouble them as much as their own damnation. Some
men, it is to be feared, at the day of judgment, will be found
to be the authors of destroying whole nations. How many souls do
you think Balaam, with his deceit, will have to answer for? How
many Mahomet? How many the Pharisees, that hired the soldiers to
say the disciples stole away Jesus? (Matt 18:11-15); and by that
means stumbled their brethren to this day; and was one means of
hindering them from believing the things of God and Jesus Christ,
and so the cause of the damnation of their brethren to this very
day.
How many poor souls hath Bonner to answer for, think you, and several
filthy blind priests? How many souls have they been the means of
destroying by their ignorance and corrupt doctrine? Preaching,
that was no better for their souls than ratsbane to the body, for
filthy lucre's sake (O ye priests, this word is for you). They
shall see, that they, many of them it is to be feared, will have
whole towns to answer for; whole cities to answer for. Ah, friend,
I tell thee, thou that hast taken in hand to preach to the people,
it may be thou hast taken in hand thou canst not tell what. Will
it not grieve thee to see thy whole parish come bellowing after
thee to hell, crying out, This we may thank thee for, this is
long of thee, thou didst not teach us the truth; thou didst lead
us away with fables, thou wast afraid to tell us of our sins, lest
we should not put meat fast enough in thy mouth. O cursed wretch,
that ever thou shouldst beguile us thus, deceive us thus, flatter
us thus! We would have gone out to hear the word abroad, but that
thou didst reprove us, and also tell us that that which we see
now is the way of God was heresy, and a deceivable doctrine; and
wast not contented, blind guide as thou wert, to fall into the
ditch thyself, but hast also led us thither with thee.[26]
I say, look to thyself, lest thou cry out when it is too late, Send
Lazarus to my people, my friends, my children, my congregation to
whom I preached, and beguiled through my folly. Send him to the
town in which I did preach last, lest I be the cause of their
damnation. Send him to my friends from whence I came, lest I be
made to answer for their souls and mine own too (Eze 33:1-6).
O send him therefore, and let him tell them, and testify unto them,
lest they also come into this place of torment. Consider this, ye
that live thus in the world, while ye are in the land of the living,
lest you fall into this condition. Set the case thou shouldest
by thy carriage destroy but a soul, but one poor soul, by one of
thy carriages or actions, by thy sinful works; consider it now, I
say, lest thou be forced to cry, 'I pray thee therefore, that thou
wouldst send him to my father's house, for I have five brethren,
that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place
of torment.'
If so, then I shall not only say to the blind guides, Look you to
yourselves, and shut not[27] out others; no, but this doth reach
unto all those that do not only keep souls from heaven by preaching
and the like, but speaks forth the doom of those that shall any
ways be instrumental to hinder others from closing in with Jesus
Christ. O what red lines will those be against all those rich
ungodly landlords, that so keep under their poor tenants that
they dare not go out to hear the word, for fear their rent should
be raised, or they turned out of their houses! What sayest thou,
landlord, will it not cut thy soul, when thou shalt see that thou
couldest not be content to miss of heaven thyself, but thou must
labour to hinder others also? Will it not give thee an eternal
wound in thy heart, both at death and judgment, to be accused of
the ruin of thy neighbour's soul, thy servant's soul, thy wife's
soul, together with the ruin of thy own? Think on this, you
drunken, proud, rich, and scornful landlords; think on this, you
mad-brained blasphemous husbands, that are against the godly and
chaste conversation of your wives; also you that hold your servants
so hard to it that you will not spare them time to hear the word,
unless it be where and when your lusts will let you. If you love
your own souls, your tenants' souls, your wives' souls, your
servants' souls, your children's souls; if you would not cry, if
you would not howl, if you would not bear the burden of the ruin
of others for ever, then I beseech you to consider this doleful
story, and labour to avoid the soul-killing torment that this poor
wretch groaneth under, when he saith, 'I pray thee therefore, that
thou wouldst send him to my father's house,[28]
For I have five brethren, THAT HE MAY TESTIFY,' mark, 'that he may
testify UNTO THEM, lest they also come into this place of torment.'
These words have still something more in them than I have yet
observed from them; there are one or two things more that I shall
briefly touch upon, and therefore, mark, he saith, 'That he may
testify unto them,' &c. Mark, I pray you, and take notice of the
word TESTIFY. He doth not say, And let him go unto them, or speak
with, or tell them such and such things. No, but let him testify,
or affirm it constantly, in case any should oppose it. 'Let him
testify unto them.' It is the same word the Scripture uses to
set forth the vehemency of Christ, his telling of his disciples
of him that should betray him. And he testified, saying, One of
you shall betray me. And he testified, that is, he spake it so
as to dash or overcome any that should have said it shall not be.
It is a word that signifies, that in case any should oppose the
thing spoken of, yet that the party speaking should still continue
constant in his saying. And he commanded them to preach, 'and to
testify, that it is he which was ordained of God to be the judge
of quick and dead.' To testify, mark, that is, to be constant,
irresistible, undaunted, in case it should be opposed and objected
against. So here, let him testify to them, lest they come into
this place of torment.
From whence observe, that it is not an easy matter to persuade
them who are in their sins alive in this world, that they must and
shall be damned if they turn not, and be converted to God. 'Let
him testify to them,' let him speak confidently, though they frown
upon him, or dislike his way of speaking. And how is this truth
verified and cleared by the carriages of almost all men now in
the world toward them that do preach the gospel; and show their
own miserable state plainly to them, if they close not with it?
If a man do but indeed labour to convince sinners of their sins
and lost condition by nature, though they must be damned if they
live and die in that condition, O how angry are they at it! Look
how he judges, say they, hark how he condemns us; he tells us we
must be damned if we live and die in this state. We are offended
at him, we cannot abide to hear him, or any such as he; we will
believe none of them all, but go on in the way we are agoing.
'Forbear, why shouldest thou be smitten,' said the ungodly king
to the prophet, when he told him of his sins (2 Chron 25:16).
I say, tell the drunkard he must be damned if he leaves not his
drunkenness, the swearer, liar, cheater, thief, covetous, railers,
or any ungodly persons, they must and shall lie in hell for it, if
they die in this condition; they will not believe you, not credit
you.
Again, tell others that there are many in hell that have lived
and died in their conditions, and so are they like to be, if they
convert not to Jesus Christ, and be found in him, or that there
are others that are more civil and sober men, who, although we
know that their civility will not save them, if we do but tell them
plainly of the emptiness and unprofitableness of that, as to the
saving of their souls, and that God will not accept them, nor love
them, notwithstanding these things, and that if they intend to be
saved, they must be better provided than with such a righteousness
as this; they will either fling away, and come to hear no more,
or else if they do come, they will bring such prejudice with them
in their hearts, that the word preached shall not profit them, it
being mixed not with faith, but with prejudice in them that hear
it (Heb 4:1,2). Nay, they will some of them be so full of anger
that they will break out and call, even those that speak the truth,
heretics; yea, and kill them (Luke 4:25-29). And why so? Because
they tell them, that if they live in their sins that will damn
them; yet if they turn and live a righteous life, according to
the holy, and just, and good law of God, that will not save them.
Yea, because we tell them plainly that unless they leave their
sins and [self] righteousness too, and close in with a naked Jesus
Christ, his blood and merits, and what he hath done, and is now
doing for sinners, they cannot be saved; and unless they do eat
the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, they have no
life abiding in them, they gravel[29] presently, and are offended
at it, as the Jews were with Christ for speaking the same thing
to them (John 6:53,60). And fling away themselves, their souls
and all, by quarrelling against the doctrine of the Son of God,
as indeed they do, though they will not believe they do; and
therefore, he that is a preacher of the Word, had need not only
tell them, but testify to them, again and again, that their sins,
if they continue in them, will damn them, and damn them again.
And tell them again, their living honestly according to the law,
their paying every one their own, their living quietly with their
neighbours, their giving to the poor, their notion of the gospel,
and saying they do believe in Christ, will do them no good at the
general day of judgment. Ha, friends! How many of you are there
at this very day, that have been told once and again of your lost
undone condition, because you want the right, real, and saving
work of God upon your souls! I say, hath not this been told you,
yea, testified unto you from time to time, that your state is
miserable, that yet you are never the better, but do still stand
where you did; some in an open ungodly life, and some drowned in
a self-conceited holiness of Christianity? Therefore, for God's
sake, if you love your souls, consider, and beg of God for Jesus
Christ's sake, that he would work such a work of grace in your
hearts, and give you such a faith in his Son Jesus Christ, that
you may not only have rest here, as you think, not only think your
state safe while you live here, but that you may be safe indeed,
not only here, but also when you are gone, lest you do cry in the
anguish and perplexity of your souls, Send one to my companions
that have been beguiled by Satan as I have been, and so, by going
on, come into this place of torment as I have done.
Again, one thing more is to be observed from these words, Let him
'testify to them, LEST THEY ALSO COME INTO THIS PLACE OF TORMENT.'
Mark, lest they come in. As if he had said, Or else they will come
into this place of torment, as sure as I am here. From whence
observe, that though some souls do for sin fall into the bottomless
pit of hell before their fellows, because they depart this world
before them, yet the other, abiding in the same course, are as
sure to go to the same place as if they were there already. How
so? Because that all are condemned together, they have all fallen
under the same law, and have all offended the same justice, and
must for certain, if they die in that condition, drink as deep,
if not deeper, of the same destruction. Mark, I pray you, what
the Scriptures say, 'He that believeth not, is condemned already'
(John 3:18).
He is condemned as well as they, having broken the same law
with them; if so, then what hinders but they will partake of the
same destruction with them? Only the one hath not the law yet so
executed upon them, because they are here; the other have had the
law executed upon them, they are gone to drink that which they
have been brewing, and thou art brewing that in this life which
thou must certainly drink.[30] The same law, I say, is in force
against you both, only he is executed and thou art not. Just as if
there were a company of prisoners at the bar, and all condemned to
die; what, because they are not all executed in one day, therefore
shall they not be executed at all? Yes, the same law that executed
its severity upon the parties now deceased, will for certain be
executed on them that are alive in its appointed time. Even so it
is here, we are all condemned by nature; if we close not in with
the grace of God by Jesus Christ, we must and shall be destroyed
with the same destruction; and 'therefore send him,' saith he,
'LEST,' mark, 'lest they also come into this place of torment.
Again, 'Send him to my father's house,' and let him 'testify unto
them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' As if he
had said, It may be he may prevail with them, it may be he may win
upon them, and so they may be kept from hence, from coming into
this grievous place of torment. Observe again, that there is
a possibility of obtaining mercy, if now, I say, now in this day
of grace, we turn from our sins to Jesus Christ; yea, it is more
than possible. And therefore, for thy encouragement, do thou know
for certain, that if thou shalt in this thy day accept of mercy
upon God's own terms, and close with him effectually, God hath
promised, yea, made many promises, that thy soul shall be conducted
safe to glory, and shall for certain escape all the evils that I
have told thee of; aye, and many more than I can imagine. Do but
search the Scriptures, and see how full of consolation they are
to a poor soul that is minded to close in with Jesus Christ. 'Him
that cometh to me,' saith Christ, 'I will in no wise cast out.'
Though he be an old sinner, 'I will in no wise cast him out';
mark, in no wise, though he be a great sinner, I will in no wise
cast him out, if he come to me. Though he have slighted me neve
so many times, and not regarded the welfare of his own soul, yet
let him now come to me, and notwithstanding this, 'I will in no
wise cast him out,' nor throw away his soul (John 6:37). Again,
saith the apostle, 'Now,' mark now, 'is the accepted time, now
is the day of their salvation.' Now here is mercy in good store,
now God's heart is open to sinners; now he will make you welcome;
now he will receive anybody if they do but come to Christ. 'He
that cometh to me,' saith Christ, 'I will in no wise cast out.'
And why? Because 'NOW is the accepted time, now is the day of
salvation' (2 Cor 6:2). As if the apostle had said, If you will
have mercy, have it now, receive it now, close in with it now.
God hath a certain day to hold out his grace to sinners. Now is
the time, now is the day. It is true, there is a day of damnation,
but this is a day of salvation. There is a day coming, wherein
sinners must cry to the mountains to fall on them, to the hills
to cover them from the wrath of God; but now, now is the day in
which he doth hold out his grace. There is a day coming, in which
you will not be admitted to have the privilege of one drop of
water to cool your tongue, if now, I say, if now you slight his
grace and goodness which he holds out to you. Ah, friends, consider
there is now hopes of mercy, but then there will not; now Christ
holds forth mercy unto you, but then he will not (Matt 7:23). Now
there are his servants that do beseech you to accept of his grace,
but if thou lose the opportunity that is put into thine hand,
thou thyself mayest beseech hereafter, and no mercy be given thee.
'And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send
Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool
my tongue.' And thee was none given. Therefore let it never be
said of thee, as it will be said of some, 'Wherefore is there a
price in the hand of a fool, seeing he hath no heart to it?' Seeing
he hath no heart to make a good use of it (Prov 17:16). Consider
therefore with thyself, and say, It is better going to heaven
than hell; it is better to be saved than damned; it is better to
be with saints than with damned souls; and to go to God is better
than to go to the devil. Therefore 'seek ye the Lord while he may
be found, and call ye upon him while he is near' (Isa 55:6). Lest
in thy trouble he leave thee to thyself, and say unto thee plainly,
Where I am, thither 'ye cannot come' (John 8:21).
O if they that are in hell might but now again have one such
invitation as this, how would they leap for joy! I have thought
sometimes should God send but one of his ministers to the damned
in hell, and give him commission to preach the free love of God
in Christ extended to them, and held out to them, if now while
it is proffered to them they will accept of his kindness; O how
welcome would they make this news, and close in with it on any
terms! Certainly they would say, we will accept of grace on any
terms in the world, and thank you too, though it cost life and
limbs to boot; we will spare no cost nor charge, if mercy may be
had. But poor souls, while they live here they will not part from
sin, with hell-bred devilish sin. No, they will rather lose their
souls than lose their filthy sins.
But, friend, thou wilt change thy note before it be long, and cry,
O simple wretch that I am that I should damn my soul by sin! It is
true, I have had the gospel preached to me, and have been invited
in. I have been preached to, and have been warned of this; but
'how have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; and
have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear
to them that instructed me' (Prov 5:12,13). O therefore, I say,
poor soul! Is there hope? Then lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and
kiss the dust, and close in with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make
much of his glorious mercy; and invite also thy companions to
close in with the same Lord Jesus Christ, lest one of you do go
to hell beforehand, and expect with grief of heart your companions
to come after; and in the mean time, with anguish of heart, do
sigh and say, O send him to my companions, and let him testify to
them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
[USE AND APPLICATION
Of the Preceding portion of the Parable.]
[31]Now then, from what hath been said, there might many things be
spoken by way of use and application; but I shall be very brief,
and but touch some things, and so wind up. And, First, I shall
begin with the sad condition of those that die out of Christ,
and speak something to that. Secondly, To the latter end of the
parable, which more evidently concerns the Scripture, and speak
somewhat to that.
[First. I shall begin with the sad condition of those that die out
of Christ.]
1. Therefore you see that the former part of the parable contains
a sad declaration of the state of one living and dying out of
Christ; how that they lose heaven for hell, God for the devil,
light for darkness, joy for sorrow. 2. How that they have not so
much as the least comfort from God, who in the time they live here
below neglect coming to him for mercy; not so much as one drop
of cold water. 3. That such souls will repent of their folly,
when repentance will do them no good, or when they shall be past
recovery. 4. That all the comfort such souls are like to have, they
have it in this world. 5. That all their groanings and sighs will
not move God to mitigate in the least his heavy hand of vengeance
that is upon them, for the transgression they have committed against
him. 6. That their sad state is irrecoverable, or they must never,
mark, never come out of that condition. 7. Their desires will not
be hard for their ungodly neighbours. From these things then, I
pray you consider the state of those that die out of Christ Jesus;
yea, I say, consider their miserable state; and think thus with
thyself, Well, if I neglect coming to Christ, I must go to the devil,
and he will not neglect to fetch me away into those intolerable
torments.
Think thus with thyself, What, shall I lose a long heaven for short
pleasure? Shall I buy the pleasures of this world at so dear a
rate as to lose my soul for the obtaining of that? Shall I content
myself with a heaven that will last no longer than my lifetime?
What advantage will these be to me when the Lord shall separate
soul and body asunder, and send one to the grave, the other to
hell, and at the judgment-day, the final sentence of eternal ruin
must be passed upon me?
1. Consider, that the profits, pleasures, and vanities of this world
will not last for ever, but the time is coming, yea, just at the
doors, when they will give thee the slip, and leave thee in the
suds,[32] and in the brambles of all that thou hast done. And
therefore to prevent this,
2. Consider thy dismal state, think thus with thyself, It is true, I
do love my sins, my lusts and pleasures; but what good will they
do me at the day of death and of judgment? Will my sins do me good
then? Will they be able to help me when I come to fetch my last
breath? What good will my profits do me? And what good will my
vanities do, when death says he will have no nay? What good will
all my companions, fellow-jesters, jeerers, liars, drunkards, and
all my wantons do me? Will they help to ease the pains of hell?
Will these help to turn the hand of God from inflicting his fierce
anger upon me? Nay, will not they rather cause God to show me no
mercy, to give me no comfort; but rather to thrust me down in the
hottest place of hell, where I may swim in fire and brimstone.
3. Consider thus with thyself, Would I be glad to have all, every
one of my sins to come in against me, to inflame the justice
of God against me? Would I be glad to be bound up in them as the
three children were bound in their clothes, and to be as really
thrown into the fiery furnace of the wrath of Almighty God as they
were into Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace?
4. Consider thus, Would I be glad to have all, and every one of
the ten commandments, to discharge themselves against my soul? The
first saying, Damn him, for he hath broken me; the second saying,
Damn him, for he hath broken me, &c. Consider how terrible this
will be, yea, more terrible than if thou shouldest have ten of
the biggest pieces of ordnance in England to be discharged against
thy body, thunder, thunder, one after another! Nay, this would not
be comparable to the reports that the law, for the breach thereof,
will give against thy soul; for those can but kill the body, but
these will kill both body and soul; and that not for an hour, a
day, a month, or a year, but they will condemn thee for ever.
Mark, it is for ever, for ever. It is into everlasting damnation,
eternal destruction, eternal wrath and displeasure from God,
eternal gnawings of conscience, eternal continuance with devils.
O consider, it may be the thought of seeing the devil doth now
make thine hair to stand right up on thine head. O but this, to be
damned, to be among all the devils, and that not only for a time,
as I said before, but for ever, to all eternity! This is wonderfully
miserable, ever miserable; that no tongue of man, no, nor of angels,
is able to express it.
5. Consider much with thyself, Not only my sins against the law
will be laid to my charge, but also the sins I have committed in
slighting the gospel, the glorious gospel. These also must come
with a voice against me. As thus, Nay, he is worthy to be damned,
for he rejected the gospel, he slighted the free grace of God
tendered in the gospel; how many times was thou, damned wretch,
invited, intreated, beseeched to come to Christ, to accept of
mercy, that thou mightest have heaven, thy sins pardoned, thy soul
saved, and body and soul glorified, and all this for nothing but
the acceptance, and through faith forsaking those imps of Satan,
which by their embracements have drawn thee downward toward the
gulf of God's eternal displeasure? How often didst thou read the
promises, yea, the free promises of the common salvation! How oft
didst thou read the sweet counsels and admonitions of the gospel,
to accept of the grace of God! But thou wouldst not, thou regardest
it not, thou didst slight all.
Second. As I would have thee to consider the sad and woeful state
of those that die out of Christ, and are past all recovery, so
would I have thee consider the many mercies and privileges thou
enjoyest above some, peradventure, of thy companions that are
departed to their proper place. As,
1. Consider, thou hast still the thread of thy life lengthened,
which for thy sins might seven years ago, or more, have been cut
asunder, and thou have dropped down amongst the flames.
2. Consider the terms of reconciliation by faith in Christ are still
proffered unto thee, and thou invited, yea, entreated to accept
of them.
3. Consider the terms of reconciliation are but--bear with me though
I say but--only to believe in Jesus Christ, with that faith that
purifies the heart, and enables thy soul to feed on him effectually,
and be saved from this sad state.
4. Consider the time of thy departure is at hand, and the time is
uncertain, and also that for ought thou knowest the day of grace
may be past to thee before thou diest, not lasting so long as thy
uncertain life in this world. And if so, then know for certain that
thou art as sure to be damned as if thou wast in hell already; if
thou convert not in the meanwhile.
5. Consider it may be some of thy friends are giving all diligence
to make their calling and election sure, being resolved for heaven,
and thou thyself endeavourest as fast to make sure of hell, as if
resolved to have it; and together with this, consider how it will
grieve thee that while thou wast making sure of hell thy friends
were making sure of heaven; but more of this by and by.
6. Consider what a sad reflection this will have on thy soul, to
see thy friends in heaven, and thyself in hell; thy father in
heaven, and thou in hell; thy mother in heaven, and thou in hell;
thy brother, thy sister, thy children in heaven, and thou in
hell. As Christ said to the Jews of their relations according to
the flesh, so may I say to thee concerning thy friends, 'There
shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth,' when you shall see your
fathers and mothers, brethren and sisters, husbands and wives,
children and kinsfolk, with your friends and neighbours in the
kingdom of heaven, and thou thyself thrust out (Luke 13:27-29).
But again, because I would not only tell thee of the damnable
state of those that die out of Christ, but also persuade thee to
take hold of life, and go to heaven, take notice of these following
things.
(1.) Consider that whatever thou canst do, as to thy acceptance
with God, is not worth the dirt of thy shoes, but is all 'as filthy
rags' (Isa 54:6).
(2.) Consider that all the conditions of the new covenant, as to
salvation, are and have been completely fulfilled by the Lord
Jesus Christ, and that for sinners.
(3.) Consider that the Lord calls to thee, for to receive whatsoever
Christ hath done, and that on free cost (Rev 22:17).
(4.) Consider that thou canst not honour God more than to close
in with his proffers of grace, mercy, and pardon of sin (Rom 4).
Again, that which will add to all the rest, thou shalt have the
very mercy of God, the blood of Christ, the preachers of the
word, together with every sermon, all the promises, invitations,
exhortations, and all the counsels and threatenings of the blessed
word of God. Thou shalt have all thy thoughts, words, and actions,
together with all thy food, thy raiment, thy sleep, thy goods,
and also all hours, days, weeks, months and years, together with
whatsoever else God hath given thee. I say, thy abuse of all these
shall come up in judgment against thy soul; for God will reckon
with thee for everything, whether it be good or bad (Eccl 12:14).
(5.) Nay further, it is so unreasonable a thing for a sinner to
refuse the gospel, that the very devils themselves will come in
against thee, as well as Sodom, that damned crew. May not they, I
say, come in against thee, and say, O thou simple[33] man! O vile
wretch! That had not so much care of thy soul, thy precious soul,
as the beast hath of its young, or the dog of the very bone that
lieth before him. Was thy soul worth so much, and didst thou so
little regard it? Were the thunder-claps of the law so terrible,
and didst thou so slight them? Besides, was the gospel so freely, so
frequently, so fully tendered to thee, and yet hast thou rejected
all these things? Hast thou valued sin at a higher rate than thy
soul, than God, Christ, angels, saints, and communion with them
in eternal blessedness and glory? Wast thou not told of hell-fire,
those intolerable flames? Didst thou never hear of the intolerable
roarings of the damned ones that are therein? Didst thou never
hear or read that doleful saying in Luke 16, how the sinful man
cries out among the flames, 'One drop of water to cool my tongue?'
Thus, I say, may the very devils, being ready to go with thee into
the burning furnace of fire and brimstone, though not for sins of
so high a nature as thine, trembling say, O that Christ had died
for devils, as he died for man! And, O that the gospel had been
preached to us as it hath been to thee! How would we have laboured
to have closed in with it! But woe be to us, for we might never
have it proffered; no, not in the least, though we would have
been glad of it. But you, you have it proffered, preached, and
proclaimed unto you (Prov 8:4). Besides, you have been intreated,
and beseeched to accept of it, but you would not. O simple fools!
that might have escaped wrath, vengeance, hell-fire, and that to
all eternity, and had no heart at all to do it.
(6.) May not the messengers of Jesus Christ also come in with a
shrill and terrible note against thy soul, when thou standest at
the bar of God's justice, saying, Nay, thou ungodly one, how often
hast thou been forewarned of this day? Did we not sound an alarm
in thine ears, by the trumpet of God's word day after day? How
often didst thou hear us tell thee of these things? Did we not tell
thee sin would damn thy soul? Did we not tell thee that without
conversion there was no salvation? Did we not tell thee that they
who loved their sins should be damned at this dark and gloomy
day, as thou art like to be? Yea, did we not tell thee that God,
out of his love to sinners, sent Christ to die for them, that they
might, by coming to him, be saved? Did not we tell thee of these
things? Did we not run, ride, labour, and strive abundantly, if
it might have been, for the good of thy soul, though now a damned
soul? Did we not venture our goods, our names, our lives? Yea, did
we not even kill ourselves with our earnest intreaties of thee to
consider of thine estate, and by Christ to escape this dreadful
day? O sad doom! When thou shalt be forced full sore against thy
will to fall under the truth of this judgment, saying, O 'How have
I hated instruction, and how hath my heart despised reproof!' for,
indeed, 'I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined
mine ear to them that instructed me' (Prov 5:12,13).
(7.) May not thy father, thy mother, thy brother, thy sister, thy
friend, &c., appear with gladness against thee at the terrible
day, saying, O thou silly wretch! how rightly hath God met with
thee! O how righteously doth his sentence pass upon thee! Remember
thou wouldst not be ruled nor persuaded in thy lifetime. As thou
didst not care for us and our admonitions then, so neither do
we care for thy ruin, terror, and damnation now. No, but we will
stand on God's side in sentencing of thee to that portion which
the devils must be partakers of. 'The righteous shall rejoice
when he seeth the vengeance, he shall wash his feet in the blood
of the wicked' (Psa 58:10). O sad! It is enough to make mountains
tremble, and the rocks rend in pieces, to hear this doleful sound.
Consider these things, and if thou wouldst be loth to be in this
condition, then have a care of living in sin now. How loth wilt
thou be to be thrust away from the gates of heaven! And how loth
wilt thou be to be deprived of the mercy of God! How unwillingly
wilt thou set foot forward towards the lake of fire! Never did
malefactor so unwillingly turn off the ladder when the halter
was about his neck, as thou will turn from God to the devil, from
heaven to hell, when the sentence is passed upon thy soul.
O how wilt thou sigh and groan! How willingly wouldst thou hide
thyself, and run away from justice! But alas! as it is with them
that are on the ladder ready to be executed, so it will be with
thee. They would fain run away, but there are many halbert-men[34]
to stay them. And so the angels of God will beset thee round,
I say round on every side; so that thou mayest indeed look, but
run thou canst not. Thou mayest wish thyself under some rock, or
mountain (Rev 6:15,16), but how to get under, thou knowest not.
O how unwilling wilt thou be to let thy father go to heaven without
thee! thy mother or friends, &c., go to heaven without thee! How
willingly wouldst thou hang on them, and not let them go! O father!
cannot you help me? Mother, cannot you do me some good? O how loth
am I to burn and fry in hell, while you are singing in heaven!
But alas! the father, mother, or friends reject them, slight them,
and turn their backs upon them, saying, You would have none of
heaven in your lifetime, therefore you shall have none of it now.
You slighted our counsels then, and we slight your tears, cries, and
condition now. What sayest thou, sinner? Will not this persuade
thine heart, nor make thee bethink thyself? This is now before thou
fall into that dreadful place, that fiery furnace. But O consider
how dreadful the place itself, the devils themselves, the fire
itself will be! And this at the end of all, Here thou must lie
for ever! Here thou must fry for ever, and for ever! This will
be more to thee than any man with tongue can express, or with pen
can write. There is none that can, I say, by the ten thousandth
part, discover the state and condition of such a soul.
I shall conclude this, then, with A FEW CONSIDERATIONS OF
ENCOURAGEMENT.
[First Encouragement.] Consider, for I would fain have thee come
in, sinner, that there is way made by Jesus Christ for them that
are under the curse of God, to come to this comfortable and blessed
state of Lazarus I was speaking of. See Ephesians 2.
[Second Encouragement.] Consider what pains Christ Jesus took for
the ransoming of thy soul from all the curses, thunder-claps, and
tempests of the law; from all the intolerable flames of hell; from
that soul-sinking appearance of thy person, on the left hand, before
the judgment-seat of Christ Jesus, from everlasting fellowship,
with innumerable companies of yelling and soul-amazing devils, I
say, consider what pains the Lord Jesus Christ took in bringing
in redemption for sinners from these things.
'In that though he was rich, yet he became poor, that ye, through
his poverty, might be' made 'rich' (2 Cor 8:9). He laid aside
his glory (John 17), and became a servant (Phil 2:7). He left the
company of angels, and encountered with the devil (Luke 4; Matt
4). He left heaven's ease for a time, to lie upon hard mountains
(Luke 6:12; John 8:1). In a word, he became poorer than they that
go with flail and rake; yea, than the very birds or foxes, and all
to do thee good. Besides, consider a little of these unspeakable
and intolerable slightings and rejections, and the manifold abuses
that came from men upon him. How he was falsely accused, being a
sweet, harmless, and undefiled lamb. How he was undervalued, so
that a murderer was counted less worthy of condemnation than he.
Besides, how they mocked him, spit on him, beat him over the head
with staves, had the hair plucked from his cheeks. 'I gave my back
to the smiters,' saith he, 'and my cheeks to them that plucked off
the hair; I hid not my face from shame and spitting' (Isa 50:6).
His head crowned with thorns, his hands pierced with nails, and
his side with a spear; together with how they used him, scourged
him, and so miserably misusing him, that they had even spent him
in a great measure before they did crucify him; insomuch that
there was another fain to carry his cross. Again,
[Third Encouragement.] Not only this, but lay to heart a little
what he received from God, his dear Father, though he were his
dear and tender Son.
1. In that he did reckon[35] him the greatest sinner and rebel in
the world. For he laid the sins of thousands, and ten thousands,
and thousands of thousands of sinners to his charge (Isa 53). And
caused him to drink the terrible cup that was due to them all;
and not only so, but did delight in so doing. 'For it pleased the
LORD to bruise him.' God dealt indeed with his son, as Abraham
would have deal with Isaac; ay, and more terribly by ten thousand
parts. For he did not only tear his body like a lion, but made
his soul an offering for sin. And this was not done feignedly,
but really--for justice called for it, he standing in the room of
sinners. Witness that horrible and unspeakable agony that fell on
him suddenly in the garden, as if all the vials of God's unspeakable
scalding vengeance had been cast upon him all at once, and all
the devils in hell had broken loose from thence at once to destroy
him, and that for ever; insomuch that the very pangs of death seized
upon him in the same hour. For, saith he, 'My soul is exceeding
sorrowful' and 'sore amazed,' even 'unto death' (Mark 14:34).
2. Witness also that strange kind of sweat that trickled down his
most blessed face, where it is said: 'And he sweat, as it were,
great drops' or clodders 'of blood,' trickling 'down to the ground.'
O Lord Jesus! what a load didst thou carry! What a burden didst
thou bear of the sins of the world, and the wrath of God! O thou
didst not only bleed at nose and mouth with the pressure that
lay upon thee, but thou wast so pressed, so loaden, that the pure
blood gushed through the flesh and skin, and so ran trickling
down to the ground. 'And his sweat was as it were great drops of
blood,' trickling or 'falling down to the ground' (Luke 22:44).
Canst thou read this, O thou wicked sinner, and yet go on in sin?
Canst thou think of this, and defer repentance one hour longer?
O heart of flint! yea, harder. O miserable wretch! What place in
hell will be hot enough for thee to have thy soul put into, if
thou shalt persist or go on still to add iniquity to iniquity.
3. Besides, his soul went down to hell, and his body to the bars
of the grave (Psa 16:10; Acts 2:31). And had hell, death, or the
grave, been strong enough to hold him, then he had suffered the
vengeance of eternal fire to all eternity. But, O blessed Jesus!
how didst thou discover thy love to man in thy thus suffering!
And, O God the Father! how didst thou also declare thy purity
and exactness of thy justice, in that, though it was thine only,
holy, innocent, harmless, and undefiled Son Jesus, that did take
on him our nature, and represent our persons, answering for our
sins, instead of ourselves! Thou didst so wonderfully pour out
thy wrath upon him, to the making of him cry out, 'My God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me?' And, O Lord Jesus! what a glorious
conquest hast thou made over the enemies of our souls, even wrath,
sin, death, hell, and devils, in that thou didst wring thyself from
under the power of them all! And not only so, but hast led them
captive which would have led us captive; and also hast received
for us that glorious and unspeakable inheritance that 'eye hath
not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of
man' to conceive; and also hast given thine some discovery thereof
through thy Spirit.
And now, sinner, together with this consider,
4. That though Jesus Christ hath done all these things for sinners,
yet the devils make it their whole work, and continually study
how they may keep thee and others from enjoying of these blessed
privileges that have been thus obtained for sinners by this sweet
Jesus. He labours, I say, (1.) To keep thee ignorant of thy state
by nature. (2.) To harden thy heart against the ways of God. (3.)
To inflame they heart with love to sin and the ways of darkness.
And, (4.) To get thee to continue herein. For that is the way, he
knows, to get thee to be a partaker with him of flaming hell-fire,
even the same that he himself is fallen into, together with the
rest of the wicked world, by reason of sin. Look to it therefore.
[Fourth Encouragement.] But now, in the next place, a word of
encouragement to you that are the saints of the Lord.
1. Consider what a happy state thou art in that hast gotten the
faith of the Lord Jesus into thy soul; but be sure thou have it,
I say, how safe, how sure, how happy art thou! For when others
go to hell, thou must go to heaven; when others go to the devil,
thou must go to God; when as others go to prison, thou must be
set at liberty, at ease, and at freedom; when others must roar for
sorrow of heart, then thou shalt also sing for the joy of heart.
2. Consider thou must have all thy well-spent life to follow thee
instead of all thy sins and the glorious blessings of the gospel
instead of the dreadful curses and condemnations of the law; the
blessing of the father, instead of a fiery sentence from the judge.
3. Let dissolution come when it will, it can do thee no harm;
for it will be but only a passage out of a prison into a palace;
out of a sea of troubles into a haven of rest; out of a crowd of
enemies, to an innumerable company of true, loving, and faithful
friends; out of shame, reproach, and contempt, into exceeding great
and eternal glory. For death shall not hurt thee with his sting,
nor bite thee with his soul-murdering teeth; but shall be a welcome
guest to thee, even to thy soul, in that it is sent to free thee
from thy troubles which thou art in whilst here in this world
dwelling in the tabernacle of clay.
4. Consider however it goes with friends and relations, yet it will
go well with thee (Eccl 8:12). However it goes with the wicked,
yet 'surely I know'; mark, 'yet surely I know,' saith he, 'that
it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him.'
And therefore let this,
(1.) In the first place, cause thee cheerfully to exercise thy patience
under all the calamities, crosses, troubles, and afflictions that
may come upon thee; and, by patient continuance in well-doing, to
commit both thyself and thine affairs and actions into the hands
of God, through Jesus Christ, as to a faithful Creator, who is
true in his word, and loveth to give unto thee whatsoever he hath
promised to thee.
(2.) And, therefore, to encourage thee while thou art here with
comfort to hold on for all thy crosses in this thy journey, be
much in considering the place that thou must go into so soon as
dissolution comes. It must be into heaven, to God the judge of
all, to an innumerable company of angels, to the spirits of just
men made perfect, to the general assembly and church of the first-born,
whose names are written in heaven, and to Jesus, to the redeemer,
who is the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of
sprinkling, that speaks better things for thee than Abel's did
for Cain (Heb 11:22-24).
(3.) Consider that when the time of the dead that they shall be
raised is come, then shall thy body be raised out of the grave
and be glorified, and be made like to Jesus Christ (Phil 3:21).
O excellent condition!
(4.) When Jesus Christ shall sit on the throne of his glory you
also shall sit with him, even when he shall sit on the throne of
his glory. O will not this be glorious, that when thousands, and
thousands of thousands shall be arraigned before the judgment-seat
of Christ, then for them to sit with him upon the throne, together
with him to pass the sentence upon the ungodly (1 Cor 6:2,3). Will
it not be glorious to enjoy those things that eye hath not seen,
nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man to
conceive?
Will it not be glorious to have this sentence, 'Come, ye blessed
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world?' Will it not be glorious to enter then
with the angels and saints into that glorious kingdom? Will it
not be glorious for thee to be in glory with them, while others
are in unutterable torments? O then, how will it comfort thee to
see thou hast not lost that glory; to think that the devil hath
not got thy soul, that thy soul should be saved, and that not from
a little, but from an exceeding danger;[36] not with a little,
but a great salvation. O, therefore, let the saints be joyful in
glory, let them triumph over all their enemies. Let them begin
to sing heaven upon earth, triumph before they come to glory,
salvation, even when they are in the midst of their enemies, for
'this honour have all his saints' (Psa 149:9).
Verse 29.--'Abraham said unto him, They have Moses and the prophets,
let them hear them.'
In the verses foregoing you see there is a discovery of the lamentable
state of the poor soul that dies out of Christ, and the special
favour of God. And also how little the glorious God of heaven doth
regard and take notice of their most miserable condition.
Now in this verse he doth magnify the word which was spoken to
the people by the prophets and apostles, 'They have Moses and the
prophets, let them hear them.' As if he should say, thou askest
me that I should send Lazarus back again into the world to preach
to them that live there, that they might escape that doleful
place that thou art in. What needs that? Have they not Moses and
the prophets? Have they not had my ministers and servants sent
unto them and coming as from me? I sent Enoch and Noah, Moses and
Samuel. I sent David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea,
and the rest of the prophets, together with Peter, Paul, John,
Matthew, James, Jude, with the rest; 'Let them hear them.' What
they have spoken by divine inspiration I will own, whether it be
for the damnation of those that reject, or the saving of them that
receive their doctrine. And, therefore, what need have they that
one should be sent unto them in another way? 'They have Moses and
the prophets, let them hear them.' Let them receive their word,
close in with the doctrine declared by them. I shall not at this
time speak anything to that word 'Abraham,' having touched upon
it already; but shall tell you what is to be understood by these
words, 'They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.'
The things that I shall observe from hence are these:--
[First.] That the scriptures spoken by the holy men of God are a
sufficient rule to instruct to salvation them that do assuredly
believe and close in with what they hold forth. 'They have Moses
and the prophets, let them hear them.' That is, if they would
escape that doleful place, and be saved indeed from the intolerable
pains of hell-fire, as they desire, they have that which is sufficient
to counsel them. 'They have Moses and the prophets'; let them be
instructed by them, 'Let them hear them.' For 'all scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness'; why?
'That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto
all good works' (2 Tim 3:16,17). Do but mark these words, 'All
scripture is profitable.' ALL; take it where you will, and in what
place you will, 'All is profitable': For what? 'That the man of
God,' or he that is bound for heaven, and would instruct others
in their progress thither.
It is profitable to instruct him, in case he be ignorant; to reprove
him, in case he transgress; to correct him, if he hath need of it;
to confirm him, if he be wavering. It is profitable for doctrine,
and all this in a very righteous way--that the poor soul may not
only be helped, but thoroughly furnished, not only to some, but
to all good works. And when Paul would counsel Timothy to stick
close to the things that are sound and sure, presently he puts
him upon the scripture, saying, 'From a child thou hast known the
holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation,
through faith which is in Christ Jesus.' The scripture holds forth
God's mind and will, of his love and mercy towards man, and also
the creature's carriage towards him from first to last; so if thou
wouldst know the love of God in Christ to sinners, then 'search
the scriptures, for they are they which testify of him.'
Wouldst thou know what thou art, and what is in thine heart? Then
search the Scriptures and see what is written in them (Rom 1:29-31,
3:9-18; Jer 17:9; Gen 6:5, 8:21; Eph 4:18, with many others). The
Scriptures, I say, they are able to give a man perfect instruction
into any of the things of God necessary to faith and godliness,
if he hath but an honest heart seriously to weigh and ponder the
several things contained in them. As to instance in things more
particular for the further clearing up of this. And first, if we
come to the creation of the world.
Wouldst thou know somewhat concerning that? Then read Genesis 1
and 2, and compare them with Psalm 33:6; also Isaiah 66:2; Proverbs
8 towards the end.
Wouldst thou know whether he made them of something or nothing?
Read Hebrews 11:3.
Wouldst thou know whether he put forth any labour in making them,
as we do in making things? Read Psalm 33:9.
If thou wouldst know whether man was made by God corrupt or upright,
read Ecclesiastes 7:29; Genesis 1:10, 18, 25, 31.
Wouldst thou know where God did place man after he had made him?
Read Genesis 2:15.