us to due concern in it. Often do men look into the ftate of finners here, and behold the easy life they have of it, and they wish in effect to be among them; but if we look to them in the other world, we will with to be far from them, to have nothing ado with them. 3. A horror of the ftate of finners there. The man looking to it fhrinks back, faying, Save me from it! Their ftate there duly apprehended, is apt to breed fuch a horror, as not only cures the envy at their present profperous ftate, but makes the man that he would not for a thousand worlds, his foul were in their fouls ftead, Pfal. lxxiii. 18,-20. 4. An earneft concern to be delivered from it. The man takes a view of it seriously, and he is not indifferent in the matter. He is not negligent as to the future state of his foul in the other world; but timely lays down measures for eternity, knowing that to miscarry in that point is a lofs that can never be made up. 5. An acknowledgement that God may in justice gather one's foul with finners. The best have as much fin as deserves it, and all are by nature liable to it, Rom. iii. 19. And every one that fees the ill of fin, and its juft demerit, will fee that if justice take place against them, they will be gathered with finners in the other world. Laftly, A betaking one's felf to the mercy of the Judge, in his own way, for the pardon of fin, and the removal of the juft punishment, Job ix. 15. And that is to confess fin, flee to lay hold on the altar Jefus Chrift by faith, feparating from the fociety and way of finners in time. V. I COME now to give reasons, why we should be in fuch care and concern, that our fouls be not gathered with finners in the other world. 1. Because to be gathered with them is to be separated for ever from God, and the holy and happy fo→ ciety whereof Chrift is the head, Matth. vii. 23Depart from me, ye that work iniquity." The whole herd of finners in the other world will be in a state of excommunication, banished from the comfortable prefence of God; the place of his glory, Pfal v. 4, 5. keept out of the fociety of Chrift, the holy angels, and faints, Matth. xiii. 41. And to be ga thered with them muft needs then be horrible. 2. They will be gatherd into a most doleful places Ifa. xxiv. 22. "They fhall be gathered together as prifoners are gathered in the pit, and fhall be shut up in the prison." At death finners are gathered into the prison of hell, fhut up there to the judgment of the great day; and from the tribunal they will be driven away thither again all together, there to be flut up for ever, Matth. xxv. 41. The horror of the place they are gathered into, the eternal gloom there, the chains of darkness that will hold them there, the mist of darkness that never clears there, may all move to fay," Gather not my foul with finnets." 3. Becaufe they will be gathered unto the most frightful fociety there, with the devil and his angels, Matth. xxv. 4r. They will be caft into the lake of fire with the devil that deceived them; and that will be more terrible than to be gathered with dragons, ferpents, and vipers here, which would quickly make an end of one. O that men would confider how the fervice of the devil in fin here, will bring them into the fociety of him and his angels hereafter, that they might have a horror of being joined with finners! 4. Becaufe finners will be in a ftate of punishment there, heavy beyond expreffion; being "punished with everlasting destruction from the prefence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power," 2 Theff. i. 9. Now is the time wherein finners take leave to commit their crimes, trampling on God's laws, defpifing his Son, and grieving his Spirt; then will be the time that they muft fuffer and pay for all to the fatisfaction of injured justice. juftice. And the view of that fearful reckoning may cause one fay, "Gather not my foul with finners. At the moment af 5. Because they will be left in their fin there, Prov.. xiv. 32. "The wicked is driven away in his wickednefs." John viii. 24. 166 If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your fins." death, it is faid of the finner, "He that is filthy, let him be filthy ftill;" and he is caft away as an unclean perfon into the unclean place, with all the guilt, filth, and power of his fins upon him, never to be removed. And here confider, (1.) The perverfe frame of fpirit, which is natural to man, being enmity against God, will remain with them there; for there is no fanctification of the Spirit begun on the other fide of death. And it will be undisguised there, the peace being blocked up, and the war for ever betwixt God and them proclaimed. It will be irritated by their hopelefs miferable ftate, Rev. xvi. ult. (2.) Their fin will be their punishment there; a just revenge of cleaving to it over the belly of all reproofs, warnings, and entreaties! So they will be filled with their own ways. And, [1] They will be cut with tormenting paffions, envy at the happiness of the faints, fretting under their own mifery, and defpairing for ever of relief, Mat. xxii. 13. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' [2.] As for their pleasurable fins that their hearts were fet on here, the defire of them will continue, but the fatisfying of them in any measure will be impoffible. So they will be for ever racked between the defire and the denial of fatisfaction to their lufts. Who then would not fay, "Gather not my foul with finners?" Laftly, Becaufe being once gathered with them, they will never more be separated from among them. As the tree falls it muft lie. They that are gathered with finners at death, must be gathered with them at the refurrection, and fhut up with them in the pit of deAtruction for ever. I fhall I shall now make some application of this subject. 1. That the state and condition of finners, whatever advantages of eafe, wealth, &c, it be attended with, is a miserable one, to be pitied, lamented and avoided, not to be envied or defired. For it is impoffible that all the wealth of this world fhould counterbalance the wo in the other world that is abiding them. Who would defire his lot with a condemned malefactor, though he fared deliciously every day; or quietly enjoy the best covered table, while a fword was hanging by a hair over his head? 2. That the great business of our life is to learn to die, and the great business which we have to do in this world is to prepare for the other, Job xiv. 14. "If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come." Here we do but fojourn, there we are to abide: here we are on our journey, there we come to our dwelling-place and it is of the utmost consequence which part of that world we arrive in, Matth. xvi. 26. And they who do not fee to that in the first and chief place, are fools with a witness. 3. That we are in hazard of miscarrying with reference to our abode in the other world; and careleffnefs about it will have a fatal iffue. If all were to be gathered there into the happy receptacle without diftinction, we might be eafy; but it is not fo; there will be a gathering into the region of horror, as well as into the region of bless. And we will be sure to mifcarry, if we do not in time fecure our happy reception, in the way appointed. Laftly, That the hazard of miscarrying in it should quicken us to fuitable endeavours for fecuring our happiness in the other world. Our eternal ftate is our greatest concern, and every thing being to be plied according to its weight, it fhould be feen to with the greatest care, and nothing laid in the balance with it, neither cares, profits, nor pleasures. USE II. Of reproof to several sorts of finners. reproves, It 1. The carelefs finner, who is careless about the other world, and his future state. How many are there, who never once seriously confider, where they are like to take up their abode in the other world? But they live as if there were no other life but this. O what do you think, that you will get away in a dream to the region of blifs, that you will ftumble into heaven which you was not looking out for? No; you may drop into the pit that way, but not get up into the holy hill, If. xxxii. 9, 10. The foolish virgins that were careless about oil to their lamps, got their head and heart full of care out of time, Matth. xxv. and fo will ye, if ye continue in that careless temper. 2. The flothful finner, who cannot beftir himself to be at due pains in this matter. Though fuch are not quite unconcerned about the other world, yet they do nothing to purpofe in it. If lazy wishes and faint endeavours would do it, they would be happy; but they cannot ftir up themselves to take hold of an offered Christ, covenant, and falvation, Ifa.lxiv. 7. to cut off offending right hands, and pluck out offending right eyes; to take the kingdom of heaven by force, and prefs into it. Alas! this is not a business to be managed on the bed of floth, Eccl. x. 18. Remember the doom of the flothful fervant, who was cast inte utter darkness, Matth. xxv. 26, 30. 3. The delaying finner, who puts off the bufinefs from time to time, till it be out of time, and he is ruined. The young put it off till they fhould become aged, the aged to a fick-bed, and the fick often find they have enough ado otherwife. So the proper time of fecuring happiness in the other world is loft, as in the cafe of Felix, Acts xxiv. 25. But why will meu T delay |