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to which they are expos'd by their Sins, they rather treasure up Wrath against the Day of Wrath, than labour to be found of Chrift in Peace, without Spot and Blame, in the Day of God. For while Men are stupidly ignorant of God and themselves, and are intire Strangers to the Method of Salvation, which is establish'd in the Gospel, thro the meritorious Suffering of the Son of God; no wonder if they defer their Preparation for Death and Judgment. No one would be follicitous about a Saviour, till he is fenfible that he is a loft Sinner, and has his Mind deeply impress'd with a Senfe of the exceeding Sinfulness of his Sins, as they are oppofite to the pure Nature and the perfect Word of God.

Too many take up with this general Notion: We are indeed Sinners, but then Chrift dy'd for Sinners, and God is merciful to Sinners; and we doubt not but he will be fo to us. These Men are ready, with the Jews of old, to bless themselves in their Heart, faying, We shall have Deut. 29.19. Peace, tho we walk in the Imaginations of our Heart, to add Drunkenness to Thirft. Never confidering that the Promises of Pardon and Eternal Life are made only to believing Penitents: As that Scripture imports in the Prophet, Let the Wicked forfake his Way, and 1fa. 55. 7. the unrighteous Man his Thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and he will have Mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Before I pass this Head, I cannot but remark, That even amongst Men of an extraordinary Genius and a vaft Compafs of Knowledg, their Mifmanagement with refpect to another Life is owing to their Ignorance: and tho this looks like venturing on a Paradox, yet 'tis too evi

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dent to be deny'd. The Difcourfe of a Learned Ruler among the Jews concerning the new Birth, recorded in the Gospel of St. John, does not discover a little Ignorance. And if our modern Libertines, who dare lampoon the Office of the Holy Spirit, and reprefent his renewing and fanctifying Work, as Vision and the Spleen; I fay, if fuch Men cannot bear to be thought fo ignorant as Nicodemus, I am fure they are more profane: concerning whom Deur. 32.29. I fhall only fay at prefent, O that they were wife, that they understood this, that they wou'd confider their latter End! Let Men boast ever fo much of their Wit, they are utter Strangers to true Wisdom, who lay afide all Thoughts of a future State, and neglect to prepare for the Invifible World. The Wisdom of a Man does not only appear in the Choice of a right End, but in the vigorous Use of those Means, which are most proper for the attaining of his End. So that whatsoever Excufes Men may frame for deferring their Preparation for Death; 'tis very evident, that one true Cause of it is a ftupid Ignorance of God and themselves, and of that Eternal State into which they are haftning.

2. Another Cause of Peoples ill Conduct in this most important Affair, is Scepticism and Unbelief, with refpect to a future State of Rewards and Punishments. One would think that Men fhould not want to be confirm'd in the Doctrine of a future State, or that any fhou'd have Doubts concerning the Distribution of Rewards and Punishments after this Life, who have the Gofpel in their hands, which has brought Life and Immortality to Light.

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Indeed thofe Philofophers among the Antients, who were vicious, have done their utmost to perfuade themselves and others that the Matter was doubtful; tho after all the Dif guifes they could invent, and the Colour of Reason they gave to their Difcourfes, they could not but own, that the Doctrine of future Rewards for good Men, was more probable than the contrary. For indeed if we abftract from the Confideration of that Discovery which is made of a future State by the Holy Scriptures, we have from Principles of Reason a much better Affurance that good Men fhall be rewarded in a Life to come, than we have of many other things in this World, which yet have an extraordinary Influence both on Our Minds and Manners. For this might be accounted for, from the Juftice and Wisdom of God's governing Providence, from the Nature of our Souls as Rational and Immortal Beings, together with the Defires which feem to be interwoven with the very Frame and Conftitution of our Minds; to which might be added, the Capacity God has given us to contemplate and admire him, to love and adore him. But that which is the most certain Proof of this matter, is the Revelation God has made by his Son, who came from Heaven with this kind Defign; and after his Refurrection from the Dead, did visibly afcend thither again, to give Affurance to all whom his Father had given him, that where he was, there they should be alfo, to behold his Glory. Yet we have too much reason to fear, that many who enjoy the Gospel-Revelation, are Scepticks in this fundamental Article of the Chriftian Faith. And of many of those who profefs to believe the Doctrine

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Doctrine of a future State, it may rather be faid, that they do not disbelieve it: for what they call Faith, is but a wavering Opinion, not a cordial Affent, or a well-grounded Perfuafion. Now 'tis not likely that an unfettled Opinion about these important Matters should influence Men to prepare for that State and Life, which they do not fteddily believe will ever come. Whereas if Men were fully perfuaded, That fuch who, by patient continuance in well doing, feek for Glory, and Honour, and Immortality, fhould obtain Eternal Life; and, that they who are harden'd thro the Deceitfulness of Sin, who are fearful and unbelieving, and to every good work Reprobate, fhould have their Portion in that Lake which burns with Fire and Brimftone: I fay, did Men fteddily believe thefe things, 'tis hardly to be conceiv'd, that any under the influence of fuch a Faith, could neglect and defer their Preparation for Death.

Faith, in the ordinary Affairs of this Life, is a great Principle of Action, and will pufh Men on to enterprize things very difficult and hazardous. But how much stronger Influence then should the Faith of the Gospel have upon our Conduct, fince the Objects which the Chriftian Revelation propofes, either to raise our Hope, or excite our Fear, are in their different Natures infinitely tranfcending any thing which the God of this World can prefent, either to please or terrify us?

Could we by Faith look on those things which are not feen, and make them prefent to our Minds, tho diftant and future; were we firmly perfuaded that a State of inconceivable Happiness awaits all good Men, and that all who are finally difobedient and impenitent,

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fhall not only be excluded God's Eternal Reft, but doom'd to fuffer the Vengeance of Everlafting Fire: I fay, did we as verily believe these things, as if Heaven were open to our View, and the Covering taken off from Deftruction, as if we heard the Hallelujahs of the Sav'd, and the Groans of the Damn'd; how eafily fhould we repel all the fiery Darts of the Devil? With what contempt fhould we look down upon the vanishing Glories of this World? and with how great Abhorrence reject all thofe Temptations which were defign'd to draw us into Sin, and hinder our Preparation for the invisible State? But,

3. Another Caufe why Men procrastinate their Repentance, and delay their Preparation for Death, is the want of ferious Confideration. For tho a Man may have a competent Knowledg of God and of himself, and be very fenfible of the great Evil of Sin, and that his Guilt can only be expiated by the Sacrifice of the Son of God; and that there is a future State of Rewards and Punishments: Yet if this Perfon does not seriously confider these things, fo as to have his Mind deeply imprefs'd with an aweful Senfe of them, he'll perfevere in his Negligence, and make no Provision for the Eternal World. Inconfiderate People often cheat themselves with the Appearances of Happiness 3 for they look no farther than the Surface of things, and like the ignorant Pilot, if the Face of the Waters be fmooth, have no apprehenfion of Dangers which are out of fight. 'Tis want of Confideration which makes Men confident and carelefs. For tho People believe that God is, and that He is a Rewarder of them who diligently feek him; that Man

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