(1.) At the day of judgment. Shame is properly <\)6^o(i BiKaiov Xoyov, a fear of a just reproof, and that chiefly from one in authority, most of all from the judge of the world. TJais is principally intended, not shame of face before men, so much as shame of conscience, a loathness to come into God's presence : Gen. iii. 10, ' I was afraid, or ashamed, because I was naked, and I hid myself.' There was verecundia before, an aweful bashfulness, but not pudor, fear of reproof and blame ; that entered with sin ; much more when all things shall be opened and brought to light, as at the great day : 1 John ii. 28, ' That we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.' Wicked persons that are void of righteousness, and all hypocrites that have been unfaithful and unthankful to him, will then be ashamed.
VeR, 21.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 351
(2.) In hell. Shame in the damned is that troublous confounding sense of their lost estate, past folly, and evil choice, having now no hope of his grace : Dan. xii. 2, ' Some shall arise to shame and ever- lasting contempt ;' they shall be rejected by God as much as they now reject and disown him.
Use. Well, then, let us walk more cautiously, not return again to our wallowing in the mire, lest we provide matter of grief and shame to ourselves. It is a grace to be ashamed in a penitent manner ; but it is a sin to provide matter of shame anew. The godly and wicked are both ashamed, the one to get sin pardoned, the other would have conscience deadened ; the one to get sin mortified, the other only to have ease within themselves, though they wallow in sin, and be not reconciled to God. God's children are more watchful for the time to come, but the other would only get rid of trouble. Now if we cannot hope to prevail with the one, we have great confidence the other will weigh his motive. Will you once more render yourselves odious to God, a burden to yourselves, and live contrary to him, whose favour is your life ? You have more to do with him than with all the world, your happiness is to hold communion with him ; will you, now you have eyes to see the odiousness of sin, break through all the restraints which light and love lay upon you?
Thirdly, The apostle's argument is a damno, it is harmful, the end of sin is death. The end may be taken for the scope, or for the efiect ; it is not scopus jJ^ccantis, but Jinis peccati;] this is the issue it cometh unto, we incur the penalty of eternal death. The sinner hopeth for a better issue, but the end of the work is death ; it is finis operis, though not operantis.
Doct. If we continue in sin, we cannot expect other or better fruit and conclusion than eternal death.
Now we find the shame, hereafter death. All that I shall say now, shall be referred to these three heads: (1.) It is terrible; (2.) It is just ; (3.) It is certain.
(1.) It is terrible, if we consider the loss — a separation from the blessed presence of God ; the disciples wept when Paul said, ' Ye shall see my face no more.' Oh ! what wiU be our case and plight when God shall say, ' Depart, ye cursed, ye shall see my face no more ! ' Then for the pain, it is set forth by the worm and fire : Mark ix. 48, ' Where the worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.' Alas! for momentary pleasures we run the hazard of eternal pains.
(2.) It is just. They sin against an infinite God, refuse eternal blessedness, have passed their trial, when they were upon their choice ! If they had lived longer, they had continued in their impenitency ; now they are in their final estate, in termino, when no change of mind can be thought to proceed from grace.
(3.) It is certain, both by God's commination : Gen ii. 17, ' In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die the death ;' it is sin's wages : Rom. vi. 23, ' The wages of sin is death ;' and conscience is in dread of it: Rom. i. 32, 'Knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death.'
Use. Often think of the end. Men would be much more wise if they would more seriously think of the end of things. For the
352 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. [SeR. XXII.
present, a sinner may bear it out confidently, and with some degree of pleasure ; but what will the end be ? That quite spoileth sin's market : Prov. i. 17, ' In vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.' ' The silliest creature would not run into the destructive snare if he did see it. But we are guilty of two faults, either we believe it not, or we consider it not.
1. We believe it not. The apostle tells us, ' All men have not faith,' 2 Thes. iii. 2 ; few have it, and the best have too little of it. Would they live such a careless life if they were persuaded that all would end in hell-torments ? No, they would think they could not soon enough get out of the snare ; they would ' flee from the wrath to come,' Mat. iii. 7 ; they would ' fly for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before them ;' but alas! the other world seemeth little better than a fable to most men.