Next Part Objection

Objection—Wicked men sometimes live long, and good men die soon.

Answer—1. Though wicked men sometimes live a long life, yet theirs is not a promised life. "Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days" (Psalm 55:23). Now every wicked man is a bloody and deceitful man, he is a self-deceiver, and imbrues his hands in the blood of his own soul.

2. Though good men sometimes lose life soon, yet firstly, they live in a spiritual, comfortable manner while they live. And secondly, by losing a temporal life, they gain an eternal life; the life which they gain, is infinitely better than the life which they lose. It is not a hard and difficult thing to live holily, after a man has obtained a willing mind, and made an entrance into heaven's way. It is not so much lack of power to live holily, as lack of will that is the cause of so much unholiness. Many pretend they cannot, but the truth is they will not. I would have gathered you, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not (Matt. 23:37). "You will not come to me, that you might have life" (John 5:40). "Knowledge is easy unto him that understands" (Prov. 14:6). Therefore up and be doing! Use a holy violence, a holy habit. If there be only an hearty willingness, and gracious assistance, what will these not do? What difficulties can hinder a resolved and encouraged Christian? There is honey in the carcass of the lion, for such as will not stumble at the cost. There is glory as well as duty, and yet will you say that duty is hard? Be but persuaded of the reward that attends duty, and you shall acknowledge that Christ's yoke is easy.

Compare the freedom of God's servants, with the service of Satan. Is not Satan's service a terrible task, an intolerable burden, an iron yoke, in comparison to God's service? Is it not easier to tell the truth, than by telling forgeries to bring upon ourselves shame and fear? Is it not easier to employ our thoughts in the service of God, than to waste our estates in satisfying our lusts? A wicked life will arm death with dread and terror. A holy life is always sure to be concluded with a happy death. Augustine used to say, that man cannot die ill, who lives well; and seldom does he die well, who lived ill. I grant, a bad life may sometimes be attended with a good death, where there is the interposition of an sincere late repentance.

Oh but, he who has lived wickedly, for the most part, laments ruefully when he comes to die. "Alas! Alas," says he, "the end is now come, the end of all my mirth and jollity, of all my honors and prosperity. My wife weeps, my children wail, and all my friends are troubled for me, but alas, not one of them will go with me to the judgment seat, to plead for me. Now all my delicious hours are past and gone; all my joys and pleasures, all my mirth and pastimes, are now finished. Where are all my companions, that used to laugh with me, and seemed as if they would never have forsaken me? Now they are all gone, and have left me here alone to answer the reckoning for all.

None of them will do so much, as to go with me to judgment, or speak one word on my behalf. Oh, fool that I was, not to think of this day sooner, not to change my life sooner! Oh, unfortunate wretch that I am, now I must die whether I will or not! I must change earth for hell, pleasure for pain, light for darkness, and companions for devils. Now I see the difference between the ends of good and evil. Now I see, it is unprofitable service to serve the devil, the world and the flesh. It is no profit to me now, that I have been beautiful, rich, and prosperous upon earth. It is no profit that I have glittered in gold, and borne a great sway in the world. Now I would give all my estate, all I ever had in the world, yes, mountains of gold and silver, if I had them, but for one mite of true gospel-grace and holiness. But alas, it is not to be bought, and if it were, I have now no time to buy it! Now death is come, I must go away, and yet, alas, I know not where."

Oh, when death comes, a little grace will be worth all the world! Poor sinner, are not you as well as others tumbling towards the grave? Every moment of life you come nearer death. Your strength is but ashes, your glory but a flower. You eat today of the meat of birds and animals, and soon, it may be in two or three months time, your flesh may be dished out for crawling worms! Oh, it is but one spurn with God's foot, one touch with God's finger, and you are gone, and where, oh where! Think where you are then going without holiness. Catch therefore fleeing time, and make the best of it. Bid farewell to self, and welcome holiness. Abandon vanity, and embrace true piety. So live every day, that you may not be afraid of the day of death.

You may be wise, and rich, and educated, and yet damned at last, if not holy. For all the wicked shall be turned into hell. And God will wound the hairy scalp of every one that goes on in His trespasses (Psalm 68:21). Many that are clothed with infamy, and poverty, shall be saved; but none that die in unholiness, can escape hell and damnation. What but everlasting death, is the outcome and consequence of a sinful and vicious course of life? "The end of these things is death. The wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:21-23), even eternal death. A death that comprehends in it all those fearful and startling miseries, with which the wrath of God will afflict and pursue sinners, in another world. "But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that does evil" (Rom. 2:8-9).

So that, no matter how quietly a wicked man may pass out of this world, yet unspeakable and intolerable misery will most certainly overtake him at last. Sin is the highway to hell. Those who persevere in sin while they live, cannot escape hell when they die. Such may read their doom, "They must drink the wine of God's wrath. It is poured out undiluted into God's cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb." (Rev. 14:10). It is mixed with all stinging ingredients, but unmixed with any relief or offer of mercy! No tortures so great as fire, and no fire worse than that of brimstone. Yet, the impenitent sinner shall be tormented with fire and brimstone, in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.

How did the poor scorched Sodomites run, howling and yelling, and lamenting their pains, when God rained hell out of heaven upon them? How then will poor damned creatures howl and lament their pains, in that lake of fire and brimstone! What can be more horrible than that place, where both soul and body must be crowded into a fiery dungeon, with torments that can neither be avoided nor endured! There the sun, much less the face of God, never shines! There the eyes shall distill like fountains, and the teeth clatter like armed men, and the mind muse on nothing but sad despair, and that forever! Oh, the bitterness, the multitude, the everlastingness of their pains! Oh, eternity, eternity! Who can comprehend it? After the expiration of millions of years, eternity will not be one minute less. Oh, when eternity is added to extremity, then hell is hell indeed!

If dissolute sinners of our age were allowed to have a sight of hell, what a fear and astonishment would it strike into their hearts! How would they weep, yes, bleed for their sins? How constantly would they pray for pardon? How would they rectify their crooked and cursed steps, that they might never come to such a place? How would they loathe and leave sin, which only can endanger them there?

There is a story of one, who gave a young ruffian a curious ring, with a 'death's head' on it, upon this condition, that for a certain time, he should spend one hour every day in looking and thinking upon it. He took the ring in excitement, but performing his promise with diligence wrought a wonder upon him—so a desperate ruffian became a conscionable Christian. Did a Christian spend but one half hour fixedly every day, in meditating seriously on hell, the sad yet certain consequence of a sinful life, I doubt not, but by God's grace, he would find a blessed alteration, both in his heart and life.

Bishop Babington, in his comforting notes upon the book of Exodus, tells us of an unconcerned woman, who, spending her time in sin, desired her wicked associate, to bestow on her a new gown. When he hesitated, she instantly answered, "Do I desperately cast away both body and soul forever to content you, and do you deny me so small a request? Henceforward, I am resolved to look to myself better, and to avoid both you and this wicked life." If she did turn from her wickedness, the denial was made a blessing unto her.

We also read of a covetous father, who raking up riches sinfully, suddenly called for his eldest son and for a dish of coals, and required his son to put his finger in and burn it off. At first, he thought his father had jested, but in the end, perceiving his settled resolution, he begged to be excused, for he would not do it. Thereupon the father answered, "Shall I, to make you a great man in the world, so heap up riches by all unlawful means, that I am sure to burn for it, both body and soul, eternally in hell, and will not you endure the loss of one finger for me? Now I will alter my course, and consider in time that which hereafter cannot be redressed."

Oh, it is good to meditate often on the wages of sin! I know, such thoughts, and meditations are held as being too melancholy, but it is the way to prevent sin, and consequently destruction. Now is the time to think of these things. The torments of hell are without measure, and the continuance in these torments is without end. The damned shall be punished in hell, so long as there is a God in heaven; and yet, will you, O man, for the pleasure of an hour, incur these everlasting pains? Will you rather lose your soul, than leave your sins? Is sin more sweet, than the wrath of God would be bitter? I think the very thought of the end of outcome of a wicked life (that the end of these things is death, that tribulation and anguish, far greater than we can imagine, shall be to every soul of man that does evil), should be more than enough to dishearten any man from a wicked life and to bring him to a better course.

Remember, oh man, if you who bear the name of Christ, live wickedly, your hell will be far hotter than the hell of superstitious Pagans! If Turks and Tartars shall be damned, wicked and debauched professing Christians shall be doubly damned. And believe it, the brick-kilns of Egypt, and Babel's fiery furnace, are but shadows and pictures of pain, when compared with the fiery Tophet. Resolve, therefore henceforward so to live and conduct yourself, that you may be of the number of those, who shall be accounted worthy to escape all these things, and to stand before the Son of man. Holiness is the only way to happiness. Grace is the only way to glory. No holiness, no heaven. "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14). Holiness is the highway to that high and holy place. "And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the way of holiness" (Isaiah 35:8). "The pure in heart shall see God" (Matt. 5:8).

Heaven is the inheritance of saints (Col. 1:12). No unclean thing can enter into God's kingdom. They who live in those sins which are the works of the devil, and mock those who are sanctified, shall have no place with God and His glorious angels. Heaven was never prepared for the workers of iniquity. "To sit on My right hand, and on My left—it shall be given unto them for whom it is prepared of My Father" (Matt. 20:23). Who are the blessed royal guests? Men who are gracious and holy. Heaven is no common inn. "Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom" (Matt. 25:34). You that fed Me and clothed Me, you that visited the fatherless, which is pure religion (James 1:27).

A wicked man has not so much as half a promise of heaven in the whole Bible. The poor man has a promise (James 2:5), but the wicked man has none. Oh, you enemy of gospel holiness, show your warrant. Why do you look for heaven? You have received no promise from God; and if you have no promise, you can expect no performance.

It may be, at present, you do taste some comfort from your self-flattery; oh, but in the end you shall reap the sorrow of your woeful self-deceit. God is sometimes better than His Word, but never contradicts His Word, which He must do, if the unholy, unhumbled sinner comes to heaven. Heaven begins in holiness, and our expectation of future glory, obliges us to present sanctity. "Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent, that you may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless" (2 Peter 3:13-14).

What will move us to holiness, if glory does not? Shall the devil, by showing "the fading glory of this earthly world", prevail with thousands to serve him? And shall not Jesus, by showing us the everlasting glory of the world to come, prevail with us to serve Him? Are we called to this glory, and shall we not walk worthy of Him who has called us to it? (1 Thess. 2:12). Surely the enjoyment of God Himself hereafter, in all His perfections, sufficiency, blessedness, and goodness to us, according to our capacity, should make us study holiness, for how can an impure and filthy soul enjoy God? Alas, there is no suitableness, no fitness in such a soul.

The more holy we are, the more we are like the glorified saints. Holiness will be our perfection and delight in Heaven, and shall it not be our desire and study here on earth? Will we rather part with eternal life, than with our lust? Is our sin to be reckoned or compared with heavenly glory? Oh, let us choose an holy life, if we would be happy both in life and death. Let us become the servants of God, and have our fruit unto holiness, if we ever expect that the end shall be everlasting life. God calls us from sin to holiness, which is most reasonable (1 Thess. 4:7).

God calls us to follow Him in the way of holiness to eternal glory. The devil calls us to follow him in the way of sin to eternal torments. Now whether it be right that we obey God or the devil, judge you. "Follow peace with all men and holiness" (Heb. 12:14). Though lions be in the way, and discouragements be multiplied, though Satan interposes, and corruptions stop our course, we are yet to follow holiness. Who calls us? Is it not He, whose presence and breath is consuming? He who can command us into nothing, and shall not His call be complied with? Must the eternal God become a humble condescending suppliant to man? Majesty and mercy kneel and entreat us to be holy, and yet we live in sin still!

What are we called from? Is it not from sin and destruction to purity and salvation? Is it not from Satan to God, from embracing of sensual pleasures, to the pursuing of spirituality? And who can withstand such reasonable entreaties? Our profession of Christianity obliges us to holiness. Christianity is a matter of free acceptation; it is our own voluntary choice. When we take upon us the Name of Christ, we bind ourselves to leave sin, and live holily. "Let every one that names the Name of Christ, depart from iniquity" (2 Tim. 2:19).

Our Christian profession obliges us to a Christian way of life. What! Will we plow with an ox and an donkey together? I mean, will we have the face of a Christian, and yet thelife of a heathen! Oh, let us not be "almost Christians", lest we be at last almost saved, that is, altogether damned. Oh, let this truth be like the water of jealousy, like fire in our bones, like the archangel's trumpet to awaken us.

You who possess Christ are bound to follow Christ, both in inward and outward holiness. You have taken upon you to be holy in part, and this obliges you to be holy in all. As he who believes one fundamental article is bound to believe all fundamental points, so he who obeys God in one practical duty, is bound to obey all. As for example, suppose you being a professor of Christianity, come to the Lord 's house upon His blessed day. Now I tell you—you are the greatest self-condemned man in the world, if you do not also cast by all profaneness, and make religion your chief business, both at home and abroad. For upon the same ground you come to Christ, upon that same ground you should pray with your family, educate your children Christianly, live strictly, and do all that is required. "He who said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill; Now if you commit no adultery, yet if you kill, you are become a transgressor of the law" (James 2:11).

You that out of conscience, and from the command of God do one thing, ought likewise to do all. The same law, the same God, and the same authority that binds you to one, binds you to another. If you endeavor not to obey God in all, you obey Him insincerely. A professing Christian that endeavors not to be strict, exact, circumspect, and holy in practice shall never by me be called a Christian.

Your virtue and piety will profit your posterity after you. It will help to keep wrath from your children, and to procure a blessing upon them. This is that which God cannot forget, neither will He forget His goodness sake. "Showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments" (Ex. 20:6). "Oh that there were such an heart in them that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it might be well with them, and their children forever" (Deut. 5:29); 1 Kings 6:34). "The just man walks in his integrity—his children are blessed after him" (Prov. 20:7).

According as we behave ourselves towards God (says an ancient writer) we entail a lasting blessing—or a great curse upon our children. As wicked parents entail God's anger and curse upon their posterity, so God reserves mercy for the posterity of the godly. He will be good, even to thousands of their seed, who diligently serve Him. Lo, here is the fruit of your prayers and tears, of your hearing God's Word, and leading your lives according to the sacred rules thereof. This seals up the Lord's favor not only to yourselves, but to your children after you. I beseech you, professing Christians, think seriously of all this, and as you would ever wish well to your own souls, as to their dear pledges, that are as your own heart, be afraid to offend God. And be constantly careful to lead your lives according to the rules of His most Holy Word.

If God has irresistibly and effectually called you, among those few, very few called ones, whom He has chosen for Himself, let this engage you to be holy yet more and more. Did not the Spirit of grace knock at your door with infinite holy motions, before you condescended to open? You refused to obey, until He called, not a third time, as to Samuel, but many an hundred times. As Lot was reluctant to depart out of Sodom, until the angels laid hold upon his hand, and brought him forth; so you were unwilling to leave your sins, and sinful companions, until the hand of the Lord laid hold upon your heart. God's arbitrary and free grace called you and left others. Oh, how should this make you to admire God's love, and to strive for God's holiness! When God took you, He left others; he passed by thousands and ten thousands in the world, and left them in their impenitency and carnal security under the bondage and vassalage of Satan.

Consider, how few there are that shall be saved, in comparison of the multitude that shall be eternally destroyed. Consider that God should call you with a holy calling, and bring you in to be one of that little flock, that is under the care of the good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. If you should be chosen and singled out from the rest, when they are left in a state of sin to perish eternally, what astonishing distinguishing mercy is this! How should this engage you to be eminently holy. Was you called in your younger years? Oh, be holy in all manner of conversation for a requital of God's love that suffered you not to stab your soul to old age.

It is a greater mercy to be called at the first, or third, than at the eleventh hour; to be called in your infancy and early days, than in the afternoon, and evening, and twilight of your age. Being early called, you never made such sad shipwrecks, never involved yourself in such gross wickedness as others have done. You have had long trial of the sweetness of holiness, therefore follow after it still.

Were you called in old age? Labor to make requital for the many hours, days, and years, you lost before you were acquainted with God. Surely holiness becomes you forever. Oh, be holy, you old disciples, for your time to gather grace in will not be long.

Oh, be holy, you young converts, for you need liveliness, strength, and vigor in the way and work of the Lord. Your experiences are but short; some tastings you have had, oh, but desire more, for the more holiness you have, the more sweetness you shall find. The richest wine lies in the lowest cellar. Has Christ come down into your heart? Oh, be pure and holy that you vex not His righteous soul. Oh, how should you please Him, who has so highly honored and advanced you!

If a peasant's daughter were married to a prince, would she put on her old rags, or eat her poor food again? Christ the Prince of Peace has married you to Himself, and appointed you a rich estate. Will not you forever lay aside the filthy garments of sin, and slight those husks on which you fed before? It may be that you are so poor, that of your own you have nowhere to lay your head, and it is certain you possess not one foot of land that is your own forever. Yet are you an heir, a child, dearly beloved, both by God and angels. This honor have all the saints.

Once you were a great, a filthy sinner; oh, be holy, for Christ has washed you in His blood, justified you by His righteousness, and sanctified you by His Spirit, even when you were filthy to look upon. Moses once married a black woman; David had vile men for his soldiers; and Christ had publicans, harlots, and sinners for His companions. So God chose you when you had little morality, little ingenuity, or natural goodness. You are of the number of those few that shall be saved, and so strongly bound to be eminently holy.