It is worth remarking, that the measure of the sin, and the end of the sinner, come together. So Joel iii. 13. " Put ye in the sickle, *' for the harvest of the earth is ripe ; for the press is full, the fats *' overflow : for their wickedness is great.*" Where, note, sinners are not cut down till they be ripe and ready. Indeed, they are never ripo for death, nor ready for the grave ; that is, fit to die ; yet they are always ripe for wrath, and ready for hell before they die. l^ow, as husbandmen judge of the ripeness of their iiarvest, by tlie colour and hardness of the grain ; so may we judge of the ripeness both of saints and sinners, for heaven or hell, by these following signs.
Three signs of the maturity of grace.
1. ▼ T HEN the corn is near ripe, it bows the head, and stoops lower than when it was green. When the people of God are near ripe for heaven, they grow more humble and self-denying, than in the days of their first profession. The longer a saint grows in the world, the better he is still acquainted with his own heart, and his obligations to God ; both which are very humbling things. Paul had one foot in heaven, when he called himself the chiefest of siimers, and least of saints, 1 Tim. i. 15. Eph. iii. 8. A Christian in the progress of his knowledge and grace, is like a vessel cast into the sea, the more it fills, the deeper it sinks. Those that went to study at Athens (saith Plutarch) at first coming seemed to themselves to be wise men ; afterwards only lovers of wisdom, and after that, only rhetoricians, such as could speak of wisdom, but knew little of it, and last of all, ideots in their own apprehensions ; still, with the increase of learning, laying aside their pride and arrogancy.
2. When harvest is nigh, the grain is more solid and pithy tlian ever it was before ; green corn is soft and spungy, but ripe corn is
THE HEAVENLY USE OF EARTHLY THINGS. 113
substantial and weighty : So it is with Christians ; the affections of a young Christian, perhaps are more feverous and sprightly ; but those of a grown Christian are more judicious and solid; their love to Christ abounds more and more in all judgments, Phil. i. 9. The limbs of a child are more active and pliable : but as he grows up to a perfect state, the parts are more consolidated and firmly knit. The fingers of an old musician are not so nimble ; but he hath a more judicious ear in music than in his youth.
3. When corn is dead ripe, it is apt to fall of its own accord to the ground, and there shed ; whereby it doth, as it were, anticipate the harvest-man, and calls upon him to put in the sickle. Not unlike to which are the lookings and longings, the groanings and hastenings of ready Christians to their expected glory ; they hasten to the coming of the Lord, or, as Montanus more fitly renders it, they hasten the coming of the Lord ; (i. e.) they are urgent and instant in their de- sires and cries to hasten his coming ; their desires sally forth to meet the Lord ; they willingly take death by the hand ; as the corn bcnda to the earth, so doth these souls to heaven : This shows their harvest to be near.
Sia: siffjis of the maturity of sin.
T T HEN sinners are even dead-ripe for hell, the signs appear upon them ; or by these, at least, you may conclude those souls not to be far from wrath, upon whom they appear.
1. AVhen conscience is wasted, and grown past feeling, having no remorse for sin ; when it ceases to check, reprove, and smite, for sin any more, the day of that sinner is at hand, his harvest is even come- The greatest violation of conscience is the greatest of sins ; this was the case of the forlorn Gentiles, among whom Satan had such a plen- tiful harvest ; the patience of God suffered them to grow till their consciences were grown seared, and past feelings, Eph. iv. 19. When a member is so mortified, that if you lance and cut it never so much, no fresh blood, or quick flesh appears, nor doth the man feel any pain in all this, then it is time to cut it off.
2. When men give themselves over to the satisfaction of their lusts, to commit sin with greediness, then are they grown to a ma- turity of sin; when men have slipped the reins of conscience, and rush headlong into all impiety, then the last sands of God's patience are running down. Thus Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, in like manner gave themsclvcj over to wickedness and strange sins ; and then justice quickly gave them up for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
3. That man is even ripe for hell, that is become a contriver of sin, a designer, a student m wickedness. One would think it strange that any man should set his invention on work upon such a subject as sin is, that any should study to become a dexterous artist this way ! And yet the scripture frequently speaks of such, " whose bellies pre-
Hi HL'SBAXDIIY SPllilTUALlZED ; OR,
" pare deceit," Job xv. 35. " who travail in pain to brinf^ forth" this deformed birth, ver. 20. " who wink with their eyes,'' whilst plodding wickedness, as men used to do when they are most intent upon the study of any knotty problem, Prov. vi. 13. These have so much of hell already in them, tliat they are more than half in hell already.
4. He that of a forward professor is turned a bitter persecutor, is also within a few rounds of the top of the ladder ; the contempt of their light the Lord hath already punished upon them, in their obduracy and madness against the light. Reader, if thou be gone thus far, thou art almost gone beyond all hope of recovery. Towards other sinners God usually exercises more patience, but with such he makes short work. When Judas turns traitor to his Lord, he is quickly sent to his own place. Such as are again intangled and overcome of those lusts they once seemed to have clean escaped, these bring upon themselves swift damnation, and their judgment lingers not, 2 Pet. ii. 3, 20.
5. He that can endure no reproof or controul in the way of his sin^ but derides all counsel, and like a strong current, rages at, and sweeps away all obstacles in his wav, will quicklv fall into the dead lake, Prov. xxix. 1. " He that being often reproved, hardeneth his '• neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."" This is a death-spot, a hell-spot, wherever it appears. From this very symptom the prophet plainly predicted the approaching ruin of Amaziah, 2 Chron. xxv. 16. "I know that God hath determin- ** ed to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not " hearkened to my voice." He that will not be timely counselled, shall be quickly destroyed.
Lastly^ When a man comes to glory in his sin, and boast of hi$ ivickedness, then it is time to cut him down, " whose end is de- '•' struction, whose glory is in their shame;'' Phil. iii. 19. This is a braving, a daring of God to his face ; and with whomsoever he bears long, to be sure these are none of them.