Think Well On't/Day 11
THE ELEVENTH DAY.
On the general judgment.
CONSIDER, that the dead being all risen shall immediately be assembled together in the place designed for the last judgment, commonly believed to be the valley of Josaphat, near Jerusalem, in the sight of mount Olivet and mount Calvary, where our Lord heretofore shed his blood for our redemption. What a sight will it be to behold here all the children of Adam, that innumerable multitude of all nations, ages and degrees, standing together without any distinction now of rich or poor, great or little, master or servant, monarch or subject; excepting only the distinction of good and bad, which shall be wonderful and eternal. Alas! how mean a figure will an Alexander or a Caesar make at this appearance, or any of those great heroes of antiquity, whose very name has made whole nations tremble? Those mighty monarchs, who had once the world at their beck, are now levelled with the meanest of their slaves, and would wish a thousand times never to have borne the sceptre, nor worn the diadem.
2. Consider, that the dead being now assembled altogether, the great Judge shall descend from heaven, with great glory and majesty, environed with all his heavenly courtiers and all the legions of angels. Oh! how different from his first coming will this second appearance be! His first coming was in great meekness and humility, because that was our day, in which he came to redeem us by his mercy: but at his second coming, it will be his day, when he shall arm himself with all the terrors of his justice, to revenge upon sinful man the cause of his injured mercy, with a final vengeance once for all. Miserable sinners! how will you be able to stand before his face, or endure his wrathful countenance? Ah! then it is you will begin to cry out to the mountains and rocks to fall upon you, and hide you from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. Nay, such a dread and terror will the very sight of the incensed Judge carry with it, that you will even wish a thousand times to hide your guilty heads in the lowest hell, rather than endure this dreadful appearance: but all in vain; you must stand it out
3. Consider, that, before the Judge, shall be borne the royal standard of the cross shining more bright than the sun, to the great comfort of the good, and the unspeakable anguish and confusion of the wicked, for having made so little use of the inestimable benefit of their redemption. Here they shall plainly see how much their God has suffered for their salvation: how great has been his love for them, that boundless and unparalleled love, which brought him down from the throne of glory, and nailed him to the cross. Oh! how will they now condemn their own obstinacy in sin, their blindness and ingratitude! Oh! how will this glorious ensign justify, in the face of the whole universe, the conduct of God and the eternity of hell's torments: for what less than a miserable eternity can be punishment enough for so much obstinacy in evil, after so much love?
4. Consider, how at the command of the Sovereign Judge, which shall be instantly obeyed, the servants of God shall be picked out from the midst of that vast multitude, and placed with honour on his right hand; whilst the wicked, with all those evil spirits whose part they have taken, shall with ignominy be driven to the left. Oh! dreadful and eternal separation, after which these two companies shall never more meet. And thou, my soul, where dost thou expect to stand at that day? In which of these two companies shalt thou be ranked? Thou hast it now in thy choice: choose then now that better part, which will never be taken from thee. Fly now from the midst of Babylon; renounce now the false maxims, the corrupt customs, and sinful divertisements of worldlings; separate thyself from the wicked in time, that thou mayest not be involved in their eternal damnation.
5. Consider, what then will be the thoughts of the great ones of this world; what fury, what envy, what bitter anguish and confusion will oppress their souls; when they shall see the poor in spirit, the meek and humble, who were so contemptible in their eyes, whilst they were here in this mortal life, now honoured and exalted in the sight of the whole universe; and themselves treated with so much contempt? Hearken to their complaints, as they are set down by the wise man: Wisd. v. These are they, whom heretofore we laughed at, and whom we made the subjects of our scoffs. Senseless wretches as we were! We esteemed their life madness, and their end without honour. See how they are now reckoned amongst the children of God, and with the saints is their eternal lot. Therefore we have erred from the way of truth. Alas! after all, we are the persons that have been mistaken; we, that have unfortunately run on in the wrong way! And they were truly wise in making a better choice, which afforded them comfort in life, and has now entitled them to endless joys.
6. Consider, how much the anguish and confusion of the wicked will be increased, at the opening of the books of conscience, when all the guilt of their whole lives shall be laid open to the public view of the universe. Poor sinner! what will thy thoughts be, when those crimes, which thou hast committed in the greatest secrecy, and which thou wouldst not have known for the world; those abominations, which thou imaginedst covered with the obscurity of night and darkness, and which thou didst flatter thyself thy friends and acquaintance would never know; those works of iniquity which perhaps thou couldst not find in thy heart to discover to one person, tied by all laws to a perpetual secresy, shall all now be exposed in their true colours, to the eyes of the whole world, angels and men, good and bad, to thy eternal shame. Ah! Christians, it is now in your power to prevent, by a sincere repentance and confession, this confusion which you must otherwise one day suffer.