A practical discourse concerning a future judgment by William Sherlock ...

SECT. IV. The Day of Iudgment is at the End of the World.

III. THe Day of Judgment is at the End of the World: That it will be so, and the Reasons why it will be so, are very plain, from what I have already discoursed: our Saviour tells us, that it is at the end of the World, when the Angels shall separate between the Wheat and the Tares, which grew in the same Field, between the good and the bad Fish, which were taken in the same Net, 13 Matth. It is in the Evening of the World, when the Lord comes to reckon with his Servants, and to reward those who have laboured in his Vine∣yard, 20 Matth. for when Christ comes to Judgment, this World shall be set on fire, and this present visible Frame of Things shall be dissolved, as St. Peter tells us, 2 Pet. 3.10, 11, 12. Upon which ac∣count Christ is said to come in flaming Fire, of which more hereafter: and if God will judge all Mankind together, the Day of Judgment must be at the end of the World.

But besides this, it seems very reasona∣ble and congruous, that the final Judge∣ment, and the End of the World should come together; or that when God final∣ly Judges all Mankind, he shall put an end to this habitable Earth.

For this Earth was made for the Habi∣tation of Man, and all things in it for his use and delight, and therefore it receives its Fate and Destiny with Man too.

Paradise was the Habitation of innocent Man, and had Man continued Innocent, and Peopled the World with an innocent and holy Race, the whole World must have been a Paradise; but when Man had sinned, and had no Right to so easie and happy a Life, the Ground was cursed for his sake, 3 Gen. 17, 18, 19. Cursed be the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee: and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread, till thou return unto the ground.

When all Flesh had corrupted their ways, excepting Noah and his Family, God destroyed the Old World with its wicked Inhabitants: and to this day, be∣sides that Original Curse which still rests upon the Earth, Nature suffers for the Sins

of Man, and revives and flourishes again, as he returns to his Duty: He turneth rivers into a wilderness▪ and the water∣springs into dry ground: a fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. And on the other hand, He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into wa∣ter springs. And there he maketh the hun∣gry to dwell, that they may prepare a ci∣ty for habitation, 107 Psal. 33, 34, 35, 36.

It were easie to Harangue here, and de∣scribe the Ruines and Desolations which the Judgments of God have brought up∣on the most flourishing Countries, for the Sins of the Inhabitants, Famine, and Pe∣stilence, and Sword: The Sword which carries all other Judgments along with it; but God knows, we live in an Age where∣in there is no need of haranguing about it; this is seen, and felt, and heard every day; such Miseries as are beyond the De∣scription of the most Eloquent Tongue or Pen: God grant we may only hear of them; that we may take warning by what others suffer, and appease the Wrath of God by a timely Repentance.

Now for the same reason, when God Judges all Mankind, he will put an end to

this present state of Things; when Man, for whom this Earth was framed, shall dwell no longer on it, but all good Men shall be received into Heaven, and all bad Men condemned to Hell, this World has lasted as long as it was made for, and must now be cast into a new Mould and Frame.

For so indeed the Scripture represents it, not that this World shall be destroyed, but that it shall be new made; that as the whole Creation is made subject to Vanity by Adam's Curse, so it shall be redeemed from Vanity and Corruption too, when Man is. It shall be purged by Fire, and a new incorruptible World shall spring out of its Ashes: 8 Rom. 19, 20, 21, 22. For the earnest expectation of the creature (which must signifie this visible Creation,) waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope: Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God: (Or when the Sons and Children of God shall be delivered from Corruption.) For we know the whole creation groaneth, and travelleth in pain until now. And thus St. Peter tells us, That at the last Judge∣ment

this World shall be destroyed with Fire; Nevertheless we, according to his pro∣mise, look for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, 2 Pet. 1 •••• where St. Peter refers to the Prophesy of Isaiah 65.17. For behold, I create new hea∣vens, and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembred, nor come into mind. Which St. Peter understands in a literal sence, not meerly of a more prosperous state of Things in this World.

And thus St. Iohn, as the Conclusion of his Revelations, immediately after his Ac∣count of the last Judgment, gives us a Description of this new Heaven and new Earth, 21 Rev. 1, &c. And I saw a new heaven, and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed a∣way; and there was no more sea. And I Iohn saw the holy city, new Ierusalem, com∣ing down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven, say∣ing, The tabernacle of God is with men, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former

things are passed away. And the rest of that Book is spent in describing the Glory of the Great City, the Holy Ie∣rusalem, the River of the Water of Life, proceeding from the Throne of God, and of the Lamb, and the Tree of Life, which bore twelve manner of Fruits.

These are great Mysteries, which we cannot perfectly understand yet, especial∣ly what St. Iohn says about the new Ie∣rusalem's coming down from Heaven, to take up its Seat and Habitation on this new Earth, that there is the Throne of God, and of the Lamb, where God dwells, and which he enlightens with his Pre∣sence, and from whence he drives away Death, and Sorrow, and Pain, which seems to signifie, that as the old Heavens and old Earth are destroyed by Fire, in Ven∣geance on its wicked Inhabitants, so this new Heaven and new Earth which God makes after the Destruction of the old, is the Seat of the Blessed, after their Resur∣rection from the Dead; which, I confess, I know not how to understand.

But this gives a plain account why the final Judgment, when good Men shall re∣ceive their final Reward, shall not be till the end of the World, because this old World must be destroyed before GOD

makes those new Heavens and new Earth: The final Destruction of bad Men will be∣gin with the Destruction of this old World▪ and the Rewards and Happiness of good Men shall be consummated in the new World, whatever that be, where they shall dwell for ever in the immediate Presence of God, and of the Lamb.

Now that God defers the Day of Judg∣ment to the end of the World, May, 1. convince us of God's great Patience and Long-suffering towards Sinners; for he forbears their Execution as long as he can forbear destroying the World, and that we may be sure is as long as Wisdom and Justice will permit: To destroy a World is a Work of as great Wisdom and Coun∣sel, as to make one; nay, the Divine Goodness will easily justifie the making of a World at any time; for no time is unfit to exercise such acts of Goodness, as will justifie themselves; but for God to de∣stroy the World, which he has made, with∣out great necessity for it, reflects upon his Wisdom and Goodness in making it: The wise Maker of the World can have no in∣clination to destroy it; and though the Justice of Providence may require some more hasty Executions to maintain good Order and Government, and to give check

to Vice, yet the final Destruction of the World requires all wise Delays; and Sin∣ners can expect no more of God, than to defer their final Sentence, as long as he can defer the end of the World. It is great pitty that such Goodness and Pa∣tience should be so monstrously abused; that Men should harden themselves in sin, and conclude, that God will not judge the World, because he is so unwilling to de∣stroy it; but this will justifie the Severi∣ty of the last Judgment, that it is not the Effect of a hasty and sudden Fury, but of mature Counsel; that God did not want Goodness to spare Sinners, as long as Wis∣dom and Justice could spare them. To be slow to execute Judgment, is as essen∣tial to Goodness, as it is to Justice, at last to punish: and to conclude that God will not punish at all, because he is patient and delays to punish, is to prove, that God cannot be just, because he is good.

2. That God destroys the World when he judges it, is an undeniable Proof of the Severity of the last Judgment; for what a terrible Vengeance is that, which fires the World, and dissolves this present Frame of Nature; this is a fiery indignation in∣deed to devour the Adversary, 10 Heb. 27. when bad Men and wicked Spirits

shall be encompassed with Flames and Smoke without any possibility to escape; for whether can they flie out of a fired World? when the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with ••ervent heat; the earth also, and all that is therein shall be burnt up.

There are a great many brave Sinners, who mock at Fear, and harden themselves against Hell itself; but if they can be se∣rious but for some few Minutes, let them imagine all the World on fire about them; the Heavens covered with thick Darkness, and the whole Earth but one Vulcano, one AEtna, or Vesuvius Vomiting up Ri∣vers of Burning Sulphur, and themselves plunged in the midst of it; let them try how they can bear this Thought, before they laugh at Hell; for this will certainly be the State of Sinners at the Day of Judgment, and should not this make us fear and tremble before that great and powerful Judge? Who knoweth the power of his wrath? who can live with de∣vouring fire? who can dwell with everlast∣ing burnings?

What an irresistible Judge is he who can destroy the World, and all Sinners with it: the World, that was their God, and now will be their Funeral Pile; ac∣cording

to the Fate of some Heathen Ido∣laters, they shall be sacrificed to their own God, and tormented in the Embra∣ces of a burning Idol.

The Destruction of the World gives a terrible Pomp and Solemnity to the last Judgment: it will astonish bad Men, and break their stout Hearts to see the World in Flames; it will convince them to pur∣pose, that God is come to judge them, and that he is very severe and terrible in his Judgments: Who can describe the Horrours, and Agonies, and Consternati∣on of that Day! Cast your thoughts back a little upon that terrible Day, when you saw London on Fire; when you saw your Houses and Treasure all vanish into Dust and Smoke; What did you think then of the Power and Justice of God? And yet this was no more than a little Boan-fire, compared with the Universal Conflagra∣tion; though you could not save your Houses, and Furniture, and Treasure, from its Rage and Fury, yet there was room left for your own Escape; and if this were so amazing a Sight, as all of you, who saw it, cannot but confess it was, what will it be to see the whole World on Fire, and yourselves incompassed in the Flames of 〈◊〉〈◊〉! to see all those tempting Objects, all

the Instruments of your Pleasures, all the Riches and Glory of the World, which were the Fuel of your Lusts, now turned into a devouring Fire to torment you, to expiate those Flames they kindled in your Souls by sensible and material Flames: Who would make this World his Portion and Inheritance, who considers the end of it? It looks charmingly indeed at pre∣sent, it invites and caresses, and lays Baits and Snares for us; but if we will have the World for our Portion, it must be our Portion too at the Day of Judgment: and consider how you shall like its Courtship when it incircles you with Flames, and Smoke, and Darkness; those who choose this World for their Portion, can never remove out of it, and therefore must be contented to share Fortunes with it, to smile when it smiles, and to burn when it burns.

With what Triumph will good Men at that Day, see themselves out of the reach of a burning World! They betimes made their Escape out of this World, as fore∣seeing its approaching Ruin; they were not of the World while they lived in it, but disintangled their Affections from this World, while their Bodies were confined below: And such Divine Souls, whose

Conversation was in Heaven, as soon as they get loose from these Bodies, ascend far above this Sphere of Corruption, out of danger either of being tempted, or be∣ing hurt by this World.

With what Triumph will they behold God erect a new World for them to in∣habite; create a new Heaven and new Earth, where he will place his Throne and Tabernacle, and dwell among them, and be their God!

What bad Man can hear these things without Terrour and Amazement? What good Man does not long for this happy Day, for this Marriage of the Lamb? when the new Ierusalem shall come down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, 21 Revel. 2.

3. That the Day of Judgment is at the end of the World, proves that this Judg∣ment is final and irreversible, because this present state of Things is come to an end; and as this puts a final Conclusion to this World, so to all accounts relating to it: This World is a changeable Scene, but the next World is eternal; and therefore as good and bad Men are disposed of in the next World, they must continue for ever. This World will be destroyed, and

therefore bad Men can never return in∣to it again, to act over a new part, and to correct the Sins and Follies of their former Lives, as Origen conceived they should, after a long time of Punishment, when the fleshly Principle is thorough∣ly subdued by the Torments they have suffered: Which Opinion, how much mercy and good nature soever there may be in it, has not the least countenance from Scripture, nor any foundation that I know of in Reason; when the World where they lived, and where they sinned, is at an end, I think there is an end also of their acting any new part in it.

And that new World, where good Men shall dwell in the immediate Presence of God, shall last for ever; there is no death, no pain, no crying, for there can be no sin there; there is no Devil, no World to tempt, and nothing within to be tempt∣ed; they enter clean and pure into that holy Place, and the immediate Sight and Presence of God will eternally keep them so. Had we no positive Revelation of the Eternity of Rewards and Punishments, it were yet reasonable to conclude, that if the Day of Judgment put an end to this World, without putting an end to good or bad Men, but only translating

them to a new state of Happiness or Mi∣sery, that their Happiness or Misery must last as long as that new State does, and their Sentence can never be reversed with∣out a new Day of Judgment: and there∣fore if this be the last and final Judgment, good and bad Men must then enter up∣on an unalterable and eternal State of Hap∣piness or Misery; and this is the most comfortable and most terrible Considera∣tion of all.

How will the Souls of good Men re∣joyce in God their Saviour, when they shall see themselves possest of an eternal and unchangeable Happiness! when this mutable Scene is vanished, and they have an abiding City, whose Builder and Ma∣ker is God; when they can look forward to Eternity without fearing Death, or a∣ny Change or Diminution of their Hap∣piness, which may encrease to Eternity, and be always new and fresh, but can never admit of any interruption or al∣lay.

But I will not pretend to describe the Confusion, the Distraction, the Raging Despair of those wretched Sinners who shall be condemned to Everlasting Fire; who see an end of all their Happiness, and but the beginning of their Miseries in a

Fired World: our Thoughts cannot reach this now, we have no Passions yet big e∣nough for such a Misery; Eternal Tor∣ment! Blessed JESU, have Mercy up∣on us! and let the present Fear and Dread of it preserve us from ever knowing what it means.

If you should ask me, When the end of the World, and the Day of Judgment will come; I must confess to you, I do not know; for our Saviour has before told us, Of that day and hour knoweth no man, not the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. That we are not con∣cerned to know when this shall be, nay, that God has very wise Reasons to conceal this from us, I have shewed you before: I shall now add, 1. That it is not likely to be yet. 2. That how long soever it be delayed, we have great reason at present to provide for it. Especially, 3. when we are sure that the time now hastens, af∣ter so long an expectation of it.

I. That it is not likely to be yet: In St. Paul's time some Christians were in great apprehension, that the Day of Judg∣ment was near, and it seems were in a terrible Fright about it: but the Apostle thought fit to correct this Mistake, and

that with some Earnestness, as if it were a Mistake of ill consequence; and so in∣deed it might have proved, if not to them, yet to those who followed; who observing their Mistake about the Day of Judgment confuted, as all such Mistake are, by the Event, might have conclud∣ed, that the whole was a Mistake, and that there should be no Day of Judgment, be∣cause it did not come when it was expect∣ed; and therefore the Apostle thought fit to warn them against it: Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand, 2 Thess. 2.1, 2.

And to satisfie them in this, he does not undertake to tell them when the Day of Judgment shall be, for that he did not know, but only tells them, That there must come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition: who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God. And this Man of Sin not being then revealed, it was plain, that the Day of Judgment could not so sudden∣ly come as they expected: And now we

find by Story, that it was some Ages af∣ter this, before the Man of Sin was reveal∣ed.

After this St. Iohn wrote his Book of the Revelations, and did we thoroughly understand that, though we should not certainly know the precise time of Judg∣ment, yet we should know how many things are still to be done before the Day of Judgment, for that contains an entire Prophesy of the Christian Church, from the beginning of it to the end of the World. And though I will not pretend to under∣stand those Mysteries, especially what is there called the thousand Years Reign of Christ upon the Earth, which, whatever it signifie, seems to be before the end of the World, and the final Judgment, yet we certainly learn from thence, that the Man of Sin must be destroyed before the last Judgment; and if this be the Popish Hierarchy, as I doubt not but it is, it is plain this is not done yet; and I wish his final Overthrow be so near as some learn∣ed Men think it is.

But I think there is another Prophesy of St. Paul himself, which has not been accomplished yet, which must receive its accomplishment before the Day of Judg∣ment; and we see no prospect of its pre∣sent

accomplishment, I mean the Conver∣sion of the Iews, and the Re-union of them to the Christian Church.

This we have an account of in 11 Rom. which whatever some learned Men ima∣gine, I can by no means think has recei∣ved its just accomplishment by those few Iews which were converted by the Preach∣ing of the Apostles, and the Destruction of Ierusalem; for Verse 15. he tells us, If the casting away of the Iews is the recon∣ciling of the world; (that is, if the Gospel was preached to the Gentiles upon the ob∣stinate Infidelity of the Iews,) what shall the reconciling of them be, but life from the dead? That is, the Conversion of the Iews shall be a new Life to the Gentile World, a new Resurrection of Christiani∣ty among us. But was ever any such thing done yet? In Verse 25, 26. he tells them, For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, (lest ye should be wise in your own conceits) that blindness in part is happened to Israel, un∣til the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Iacob. Now has any such thing yet been done? has all Israel, or the generali∣ty

of the Iews been converted to Christi∣anity? and yet the Apostle assures us this must be done by Vertue of God's Cove∣nant with Abraham: As concerning the go∣spel, they are enemies for your sake; (God so ordered it, that by their Infidelity the Gospel should be preached to the Gentile World,) yet as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers sake: As the Posterity of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, whom God chose as his peculiar People. For the gifts and calling of God are with∣out repentance: God will never wholly reject the Posterity of Abraham, whom he hath chose for his People, but will still e∣stablish his Covenant with them: and that God has now rejected them for their In∣fidelity, is no argument that he will never own them again; for so he had rejected the Gentiles for their Unbelief, but now has received them again into his Church upon their Faith in Christ; and thus he will again graft the Iews into his Church, if they abide not still in their unbelief, v. 30, 31. which the Apostle prophesies they shall not, For as ye in times past have not be∣lieved God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: even so have these also now not believed, that thro' your mer∣cy they also may obtain mercy. Now such

a Conversion as this of the Iews, I think has not been yet, and therefore must be expected before the Day of Judgment, and the end of the World, which shews that the end of the World will not be yet; and how long it may be deferred we cannot tell.

II. How long soever the end of the World, and the Day of Judgment be de∣layed, yet we have great reason imme∣diately to prepare for it: for indeed this Life is the only time we have to prepare for it, Death puts an end to our account for Eternity; for we shall be judged ac∣cording to what we have done in the Bo∣dy, whether it be good or bad; and the final Sentence shall pass on us according to that state which Death finds us in; which seems to be the reason why our Saviour warns us always to be upon our watch, As not knowing at what hour our Lord will come; for whatever the inter∣mediate State be, how long soever it be between Death and Judgment, yet our account is the same; and to be surprized by Death before we are provided for it, is the same thing as to be surprized by Judgment: 24 Matth. 42, 43, 44. Watch therefore, for ye know not at what hour your

Lord doth come. But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as you think not, the Son of man cometh. Which if it concern all Christians, must relate to the Hour of Death, as well as to the Day of Judgment.

And therefore flatter not yourselves, that Judgment is a great way off, when you know not how near Death is, which will finish your Account. The State of bad Men is very miserable, as you have already heard, as soon as they go out of these Bodies, and they are reserved for the terrible Judgment of the great Day; and though the Day of Judgment is not yet, is it not a terrible thing to be cer∣tainly reserved for it? which how long soever it be delayed, has an Eternity to follow.

III. But if the near approach of the end of the World, and the Day of Judg∣ment be considerable, it is certain that is not far off neither; the World has conti∣nued now some thousand Years, and if the time of Christ and his Apostles were

the last Days, after sixteen hundred Years we must be pretty near the end of the last Days: We have a nearer prospect of E∣ternity, then those had who lived some thousand Years ago, at least if they had known how long this World would have continued; but though they might not think it would have continued so long, we know now, that it cannot continue so much longer: there are some Prophesies to be accomplished still, but how soon they may be accomplished, we know not; no Man questions but that the World now grows to an end, and therefore it is time for every Man to think of Eternity.