2. The carnal sensualist ; that is, the practical atheist, that put it off, because they cannot put it away, Amos vi. 3. Many that know themselves careless, wretched creatures, yet are not at all troubled about things to come. A star that is bigger than the earth yet seemeth to us to be but a spark, because of the great distance between them and us. The sensual man looketh upon all things of the other world to be at a distance. It may be nearer than they are aware of ; their damnation sleepeth not ; it lieth watching to take hold of them. God can easily put you into the suburbs of hell, as Belshazzar, Dan. viii. 5, if you be negligent, and slip your time. You should labour to be found of him in peace. Now is the time of making peace with God ; if not, ' Depart, ye cursed.' So is every man by nature. And such who were never brought to a sense of the curse, and have not fled to Christ for refuge, Heb. vi. 18, and are not at leisure to think of eter- nity, God's curse cleaveth to them.
Use 3. To chide us for our unbelief. The knowledge of these things swimmeth in the brains ; we are guilty of incogitancy at least. This appeareth —
1. By our drowsiness, and weakness, and carelessness about the things of eternity. Did Ave believe that for every lie we told, or every one whom M^e deceived or slandered, we were forced to hold our hands in scalding lead for half an hour, how afraid would men be to commit an oftence ! Temporal things affect us more than eternal. Who would taste meat if he knew it were present death, or that it would cost him bitter gripes and torments? How cautious are we in eating or drink- ing anything in the stone or cholic or gout, where it is but probable
VeK. 41.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 83
it will do US hurt ! We know certainly that sin hath death in it : ' The wages of sin is death,' Eom vi. 23 ; yet we continue in sin.
2. By our backwardness to good works. Sins of omission will damn a man, as well as sins of commission, small as well as great. Christ saith not, Ye have robbed, but, Not fed, not clothed ; not, Blasphemed, but, Not invoked the name of God ; not that you have done hurt, but that you have done no good.
3. By our weakness in temptations and conflicts. We cannot deny a carnal pleasure, nor withstand a carnal fear, Mat. x. 28 ; shrink at the least pains in duty. The whole world promised for a reward cannot induce us to enter into a fiery furnace for half an hour ; yet, for a momentary pleasure, we run the hazard of eternal torments.
4. By our carelessness in the matters of our peace. If a man were in danger of death every moment, he would not be quiet till he had got a pardon. How can a man be quiet till he hath secured his soul in the hands of Jesus Christ ? ' He that believeth not in Christ, the wrath of God abideth on him.'
SERMON XXV.
Then shall he say to them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. — Mat. XXV. 41.
I COME now to the second doctrine.
Doct. 2. That these torments shall be full at the day of judgment : ' Then shall he say,' &c.
First, There is something presupposed, that they begin presently after death. They are in hell as soon as the soul departeth out of the body ; that is, as to the soul, as to the better half : Luke xvi. 22, 23, ' And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by angels into Abraham's bosom : the rich man also died, and was buried ; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments.' It is a parable, but sure Christ spake intelligibly, and according to the received doctrine of the church in those times, Mark how quick it followeth. Here he had his pleasures : airedave Be koI 6 7r\ov(TLo<;, ' The rich man also died ' (rich men die as well as others), ' and was buried ; ' it may be, had a pompous and stately funeral, when the soul is in hell. The body is left in the hands of death, but the soul is in a living and suffering condition. The souls of good men are in heaven : Heb. xii. 24, ' Spirits of just men made perfect.' It would be uncomfortable for the saints to tarry out of the arms of Christ so long as the last judgment, to be in a drowsy estate, wherein they neither enjoy God nor glorify him. And so the spirits of wicked men, they are in hell, iv (pvXaio]-. 1 Peter iii. 19, 'Who were sometimes disobedient, now in prison.' It would be some kind of comfort to the wicked to be so long delayed. The time is long till the last judgment, and we are not moved with things at a distance, what shall be thousands of years hence. It begetteth a greater awe when the danger is nigh. Oh I