and this Proof consists of several Branches and though each particular considered apart by itself may not be thought sufficient yet if we unite them into one and take them in their natural order they add such light and strength to each other that I perswade myself they will convince any Man of a Future Judgment who is not obstinately resolved against this belief SECT I. That Man is by nature an accountable Creature FIrst then I observe That the very make and frame and condition of Humane Nature proves that Man is an accountable Creature who can give an account of his Actions and therfore may be called to an account for them and that is a strong Presumption that he will be called to an account that is that he will be judged There are four things necessary to make any Being accountable 1. That he have a Principle of Reason to know what he does and to judge for himself 2. That he have a Rule to live by to direct him what to do and what to avoid 3. That he have liberty of Choice and the free government of his own Actions 4. That he be an inferior and subordinate Creature who has some above him to call him to an account I. As for the first we know a Beast which is governed by Instincâ— not by Reason can't be judged because such brute Creatures know not what they do and therefore can give no account what they do which is the case also of Infants of Fools and mad Men who must be governed that they may do no hurt but can't be judg'd but a reasonable Creature as Man is who knows what he does and can judge of his own actions may be judged for them too II. Where there is no Rule to live by there is nothing to be judged for when nothing is commanded and nothing forbid all actions are alike indifferent and in this case there is no other Rule but for every Man to please himself and to do what he likes best and he who does so gives a good account of himself and cannot be blamed for it if there were no Rule of Good and Evil there could be no place for Rewards and Punishments and consequently no place for Judgment but when we have a Rule to live by as all Mankind have either the Laws of Nature or the revealed Will of God we may do either good or evil and may deserve either rewards or punishments and then we may be judged too III. Whatever Being acts by Necessity or Fate not by Choice is no more capable of being judged then the Winds and Seas are or any other natural and necessary Causes for where there is no choice there is neither moral good nor evil but Man is a free Agent who not only knows the difference between good and evil but can choose the good and refuse the evil and therefore he is capable of praise or blame of rewards or punishments for the good or evil which he does that is he may be called to an account and be judged for what he does Especially IV. if he be an inferior and subordinate Creature who has a Superior to judge him to judge indeed is an act of Superior authority and power and therefore those who have none above them cannot be judged but an Inferior is by the condition of his nature or circumstances of life obnoxious to the judgment of his Superiors for the very Notion of a Superior and Inferior signifies to govern and to be governed to judge and to be judged An Inferior is obnoxious to the judgment of his Superior who may judge him if he pleases and this is the condition of all Mankind if we believe that there is a God above us who is our Natural Lord. So that Man by his very nature and condition was made to be judged which is a very good argument that he shall be judged if we will but allow that God will govern all Creatures according to their natures which is essential to the wisdom and justice of his Goverment As to take a particular Review of this matter 1. If it be naturally decent and fitting that a reasonable Creature should give a reason of his actions why should we doubt whether the wise Governor of the World will require a reason of him and call him to an account Reason makes us capable of giving an account of our actions and which is more than that it makes us sensible that we ought to give an account our own minds exact an account of us and when we cannot give a good account to ourselves we blush alone when nobody sees us nay Reason makes us so liable to give an account that it requires no Authority to ask it it is what we owe to all Mankind and the meanest Man may expect it from us as well as our Judge and when we cannot give a reasonable account of our actions a Child or Beggar shall shame and confound us whatever our Quality or Character be And it would seem strange if Reason should make us accountable to all the World but only to God who is the Soveraign Lord of all that God should make us accountable to ourselves and to all other reasonable Beings but noâ— to himself 2. If GOD have given Man a Rule of Life and a natural Measure of Good and Evil can it be thought that he will require no account of him whether he keeps or breaks these Laws for to what purpose then did he give ' em how contemptible are Laws without a Sanction or a Sanction without a Judge to dispense Rewards and Punishments to give Laâ—s without taking notice how they are observed or punishing the breach of them is so very absurd that no Humane Government was ever wholly guilty of such Folly and why should we charge God with such Absurdities in Government as would be ridiculous in Men If we will but allow God as much wisdom and discretion as an earthly Prince we may certainly conclude that if he have given Laws to Men he will judge them by those Laws 3. There is no way of governing a free Agent as Man is but by Hopes and Fears by Rewards and Punishments for Force and Violence is not the Government of a free Agent because it destroys its Liberty so that if God govern Mankind at all he must judge them that is he must reward or punish them according to the good or evil they do and though this does not directly and immediately prove a Future Judgment yet it is a fair step towards it as will appear more heareafter All that I desire to conclude from hence at present is only this That if God govern Men like reasonable Creatures he must judge them and if we have as great assurance that God will judge the World as we have that he governs it there is an end of this Dispute to Men who believe a God and a Providence Nay indeed we need onely suppose that Man was made by a wise Being to
go out of these Bodies they shall go to Christ 2 Cor. 5.6 8. and this made it so difficult a Choice to St. Paul whether he should desire to live or die by living he might do great service to the Church and therefore he was very well contented to live but if he departed he should be with Christ which is best of all For I am in a strait between two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you 1 Phil. 23 24. And it is universally pronounced Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth Yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works follow them 14 Revel 13. This evidently proves that good Men shall be happy as soon as they die and besides the express Authority of our Saviour in the Parable of Dives and Lazarus the reason of the thing proves that bad Men must be miserable that as the Happiness of good Men commences with their death so must the Miseries of the Wicked Bad Men indeed many times live very happily in this World for this is the time of God's Patience while he waits to be gracious not being willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance but the Day of Grace ends with this Life the next World is for Retributions we must there receive according to our Works and therefore though we should suppose that the perfect Rewards of good Men and the perfect Miseries of the wicked should be deferred till the Day of Judgment when the final Sentence shall be pronounced which shall bestow Heaven upon good Men and condemn the wicked to Hell yet the Punishment of bad Men must begin when they leave this World because God's Patience is then at an end and the Rewards of good Men must begin too because their Work and Labour is at an end And this has been the universal Belief of Mankind who have believed a future State though they knew nothing of a General Judgment when all Mankind should be summon'd before God's Tribunal yet they all believed that when bad Men died they immediately went to a place of Punishment and good Men to Elysium a place of Rest and Happiness for if we shall be rewarded and punished in the next World for what we have done in this it is natural and reasonable to think that our Rewards and Punishments shall begin as soon as we go into the next World 2. And yet we read of no other formal Judgment but that great and general Judgment when the Son of Man shall descend from Heaven with a glorious Retinue of Angels to Judge the World if we examine all those express Declarations of Christ and his Apostles concerning Judgment or those Parables of our Saviour which relate to it we shall plainly find that they concern the last and general Judgment It is in that day which relates to a certain determined Day of Judgment that many shall say unto him Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name 7 Matth. 22. It is at the end of the World when the Angels shall separate between the Wheat and the Tares between the good and bad Fish which were taken in the same Net 13 Matth. It is when the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels that he shall reward every man according to his works 16 Matth. 27. that is as St. Paul speaks when the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ 2 Thess. 8 9. God hath given him authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of man And when he must do this he tells us The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good to the resurrection of life and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation 5 John 27 28 29. And in his account of his Judging the World he tells us When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all his holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory And before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd separateth his sheep from the goats 25 Matth. 31 32. Then it is when the Man who travelled into a far Country returns and calls his Servants to an Account how they have improved their Talents v. 14 c. Christ is the only Judge of the World for all Judgment is committed to the Son and he does not judge the World till his second Appearance till he returns in the Glory of his Father with his Angels The Apostle to the Hebrews indeed tells us It is appointed unto men once to die and after death the judgment which might seem to intimate a particular Judgment of all Men as soon as they die but he adds when this Judgment shall be in the next Verse So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many he died once for us because we must once die and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation That is he shall appear the second time to judge the World which shews that this Judgement after Death is the general Judgement 9 Heb. 27 28. And the truth is if all Men have a final Sentence past on them as soon as they go into the other World it is very unaccountable why Christ at the last Day shall come with such a terrible Pomp and Solemnity to Judge and Condemn those who are judged and condemned and executed already as much as ever they can be And therefore in the Parable of Dives and Lazarus we have no mention of their being judged but Lazarus was carried by an Angel into Abraham's Bosom the Angels being ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation 1 Heb. 14. Thus they minister to good Men in this World and do a great many kind Offices for us which we know not of and thus they minister to us when we go out of this World and conduct us to a place of Ease and Rest carry us safe through the Crowds of evil Spirits which fill these lower Regions into Abraham's bosom but the rich man was dead and buried and lift up his eyes in hell or Hades not Gehennah which signifies the State of separate Souls and it seems of wicked Souls and was in Torment but how he came thither it is not said there is no notice given us of any Judgment which sat on him or who carried him thither and therefore if we may guess by the Analogy of the Parable as Lazarus was carried by an Angel into Abraham's Bosom so Dives having no good Angel to guard him fell into
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 suddenly come as they expected And now we find by Story that it was some Ages after this before the Man of Sin was revealed 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 Judgment 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 understand 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 learned 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 Judgment and we see no prospect of its present accomplishment I mean the Conversion 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 imagine I can by no means think has received its just accomplishment by those few Iews which were converted by the Preaching of the Apostles and the Destruction of Ierusalem for Verse 15. he tells us If the casting away of the Iews is the reconciling of the world that is if the Gospel was preached to the Gentiles upon the obstinate 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 Christianity 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 until 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 generality of the Iews been converted to Christianity and yet the Apostle assures us this must be done by Vertue of God's Covenant with Abraham As concerning the gospel 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 without repentance God will never wholly reject the Posterity of Abraham whom he hath chose for his People but will still establish his Covenant with them and that God has now rejected them for their Infidelity 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 believed God yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief even so have these also now not believed that thro' your mercy 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 delayed yet we have great reason immediately 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 according to what we have done in the Body 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 intermediate 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 certainly 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 Judgment be considerable it is certain that is not far off neither the World has continued 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 Eternity 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
to have their whole Lives to unlive again to abhor themselves for what they have done and to look forward with trembling into the other World for such late Penitents generally carry the Marks of their Repentance in Shame and Sorrow to the Grave with them All this Young Men may prevent if they will but think of Judgment in their Youth and govern their Lives under a sence of it This will make them remember their Creator in the days of their youth and consecrate their tender Age to his Service it will preserve them from youthful Lusts from all enormous Crimes and give them the humble Assurance and Confidence of dutiful Children in their Addresses to God when they draw near a conclusion of their Lives they review their past Victories over the World and the Flesh with the securest Triumphs The little Follies and Indiscretions and Miscarriages which the best Men are subject to will keep them humble and teach them to trust only in the Merits and Intercession of Christ but when they have made it the whole business of their Lives to please God though with the common Weaknesses and Infirmities of Humane Nature they feel great Peace of Mind and assurance of the Love of God and the nearer their Work is to an end the more securely they triumph What a happy State shall we think this when Death and Judgment are in view to feel so sweâ—â—â— Calm in our Breasts to have so joyful a Prospect before us And who would not think of Judgment when he is young that the hope and expectation of it may be the Comfort and Support of Age that then he may review his past Life not to undo what he has done but to tast the Pleasures and to reap the Rewards of it in present Peace of Mind and great Hopes 2 ly There is another Advantage which Young Men may make of the early thoughts of Judgment which old Sinners have lost and can never retrieve by all their Repentance viz. To make great Advances and Attainments in Piety and Vertue which will greatly augment their Reward Men who sin on till old Age though they prove true Penitents at last can never recover this for their time is past and their youthful Strength and Vigour spent and the Scene of Action over they can never re-call thirty or forty Years past in which if they had improved their time well they might have done great Service to God and to Religion and great good to Men but those who are beginning their Lives if they start right at first and pursue an even and steady Course of Piety and Vertâ—â— if they keep the Future Judgment and the next World always in their Eye what Improvements will they make what rich Treasures and glorious Rewards may they expect from that Righteous Judge who will render to every Man according to his Works The most that a Penitent can expect after a long Life spent in Wickedness and Folly is to get to Heaven and it is infinite Mercy in God to accept of such Penitents but the bright and dazling Crowns are reserved for those who have spent their Lives well and glorified God on Earth and finished the Work he gave them to do such Men will triumph at the Conclusion of their Race and Warfare as St. Paul did I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness I know this will not affect those Men now who love their Sins and desire to keep them as long as they can they will be very well satisfied if they can but get to Heaven at last how mean soever their Station be there for they are not so desirous to go to Heaven as to escape Hell and if they can but keep out of Hell it is all they hope for but Men must have a greater Spirit a more Divine and Generous Temper of Soul before they can get to Heaven If ever they prove true Penitents the loss of so many opportunities of doing Good and the loss of any degrees of Glory they might have had will both shame and afflict them I am sure the greater Rewards we expect in the other World the greater degrees of Glory and Happiness the greater will our Joy and Triumph be Are not Men in this World as fond of Happiness as they are afraid of Misery Does not a great Mind despise little things and aim at what is great And is there not as much reason to aim at the highest Happiness we are capable of in the next World as well as in this This is the noble Prize I would propoâ—e to Young Men You are now beginning your Race your Day is but in its Dawn if you rise with the Sun and work hard all day and spend your whole Lives in God's Service what a great deal of work will you do and what a proportionably great Reward will you have This you will do if you make the Thoughts of Judgment familiar to you this will keep a constant Guard upon your Actions this will excite and quicken your Industry this will make you stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord as knowing that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. CHAP. VI. For what we shall be Iudged VI. LET us now enquire What we are to be judged for And the general Answer to this is very plain That we must all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to what he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5.10 That is we shall be judged for all the Good and Evil we have done This is obvious to all Men and acknowledged by all who believe a Judgement and it may be thought impertinent to prove that we shall be judged for such or such particular Crimes when it is universally confessed that we shall be judged for all But as I observed under the former Head though all Men who believe a Future Judgment profess also to believe that all Men shall be judged yet some Men are very apt to forget it and to flatter themselves that they shall escape better than others so it is here Though Men will in general acknowledge that we must give an account of whatever we have done in the Body yet there are a great many things which in themselves are very great Crimes and yet many Men think there is no account to be given of them I shall not instance in particular Sins though a great many such there are which few Men take any great notice of but shall confine myself to what is of a more General Nature for Particulars would be endless I. First then we must remember we shall be judged for our Ignorance which some Men are so far from suspecting that they take Sanctuary in their Ignorance to Skreen them from the Judgment of GOD. If they can but keep out the Light they
have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. By grace you are saved tbrough faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works least any man should boast Not by works of righteousness which we have done but by grace hath he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost But then it is as plain on the other hand that God will render to every man according to his deeds that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive the things done in the body according to what we have done whether it be good or bad That Christ will condemn all wicked Christians whatever their Faith be Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out devils and in thy name done many wonderful works and then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity What shall we say then to this matter both these Propositions must be allowed to be undoubtedly true We are justified by Faith we are saved by Grace without the Works of the Law and we shall be judged according to our works and shall receive what we have done in this body whether good or evil That is we are justified by faith justified freely by God's grace through the redemption which is in Christ Iesus and through faith in his blood and yet shall be condemned at the last Judgment if we live wickedly This is a matter of very great consequence to be plainly stated because a great many Christians encourage themselves in sin with vain hopes and eternally perish by a presumptuous Faith and Reliance on Christ. I. Now in the first place that whatever mistakes or misapprehensions Men may have about the nature of Faith and Justification may not endanger their Souls by encouraging them in sin I observe that we must reconcile the Doctrine of Justification by Faith without Works to our being judged by our Works not expound away the Doctrine of our being judged according to our Works to reconcile it to our Notions of Justification by Faith And there are manifest Reasons for this 1. Because it is as expresly taught in Scripture that we shall be judged by our Works as it is that we are justified by Faith and therefore we must not oppose our Justification by Faith to our being judged by our Works for that is not to expound Scripture but to confute one Scripture Doctrine by another to prove that we shall not be judged by our Works though the Scripture says we shall because the Scripture also teaches that we are justified by Faith without Works Now if it be allowable to reject any Scripture Doctrine or to confute one Doctrine by â—â—other we may with as good reason 〈◊〉 them both by each other and belâ—â—â—â— neither for if they can't be reconciled but we must deny one our being judged by our Works does as plainly prove that we are not justified by Faith without Works as Justification by Faith proves that we shall not be judged by our Works We must distinguish between expounding and reconciling Scripture and confuting it and therefore whatever we believe about Justification by Faith we must still confess we shall be judged by our Works For 2. There is great reason to expound Justification by Faith by our being judged by Works because when we are told in Scripture That God will render to us according to our deeds that every man must receive the things done in his body according to what he hath done whether it be good or bad These are plain proper expressions without any Figure or Metaphor in them and therefore are capable of no other sence than what the words at first view signifie We shall receive what we have done if we have done good we shall be rewarded if we have done evil we shall be punished good Men shall be received into Heaven and all wicked Men even wicked Believers as well as wicked Infidels shall 〈◊〉 cast into Hell this every Child understands to be the meaning of these Words and no other sence can be made of them and therefore since this is so plainly and so frequently taught in Scripture whatever we believe else we must believe this if we believe the Scripture But now when we read of being justified by Faith without Works every word is capable of very different sences and we know is expounded very differently by learned Men according to the different Hypothesis they intend to serve by it and then we must confess it is not so certain what is meant by Justification by Faith without Works as what is meant by being judged according to our Works at least so much must be allowed that we must prefer that sence of Justification by Faith which agrees with our being judged by our Works before any other interpretation which contradicts or overthrows this plain sence of a Future Judgment As for instance Some by justifying understand making just and righteous that to justifie the ungodly is to make a wicked Man good by the power and efficacy of Faith but then to justifie the ungodly without the Works of the Law or to make a wicked Man good without good Works does not found very well and therefore others more reasonably and more agreeably to Scripture understand justifying in a forensick sence for absolving acquitting declaring and accounting Men just and righteous and treating them as such that is imputing righteousness to them though in a strict and proper sence they are not inherently righteous And then this forensick Justification may either signifie our being justified at Baptism when by the profession of our Faith we are incorporated by Baptism into Christ's Church and are made the Members of his Mystical Body and have all our sins washed away in his Blood and come pure and innocent out of the laver of Regeneration and thus the most ungodly Sinners are justified by Faith in Baptism without Works or any antecedent righteousness of their own or else this Justification may be extended to the Future Judgment that at the last Day of Account we shall be justified acquitted absolved rewarded by Faith without Works but this does not agree very well with our being judged and receiving according to our Works the Scripture expresly teaches that we are justified by Faith without Works and that we shall be judged by our Works but never saith we shall be judged by our Faith which seems to make a great difference between being justified and being judged for if we are justified without Works and judged by our Works justified by Faith without Works but not judged not acquitted and rewarded by Faith without Works to be justified and to be judged cannot signifie the same
the Laws and Rules of Action ought not to be called to an account for his actions whether a wise Father or a wise Prince would not do this and whether it be not a great neglect and fault in the Superior if it be not done I 'm sure all Mankind would think so and then we must grant that the state and condition of Humane Nature proves that God not only may but will judge the World unless we can suppose that he will be guilty of such a neglect as would be thought a great fault among Men. There are some things indeed which we cannot know that God will do without a Revelation such free and arbitrary acts of Goodness as he had no way obliged himself too nor had given any natural notice of such as is the whole Oeconomy of Man's Salvation by Jesus Christ but what either his own nature or the nature of Things which he has made exacts from him that we may be sure a wise and just and good Being will do For though God is under no force and constraint yet he must because he will act agreeably to his own Nature and the nature of Things and we may as well say that we are not sure that God will do what is good and just and wise because he is under no force to do it as that he will not judge Mankind for to judge the World is as essential to the Soveraignty of God as to do what is wise and good is to his Wisdom and Goodness And it is as absurd to say that God is the Soveraign Lord of the World but need not exercise his Soveraign Authority in governing or judging Mankind as to say that God is infinite Wisdom and Goodness but need never do what is wise or good such dormant and unactive Perfections are a contradiction to the very Notion of a God whose Nature is a pure and simple Act all Life and Energy if he be good he will do good and if he be the Soveraign Lord and Judge of the World he will govern and judge Mankind This is the first natural Evidence of a Future Judgment taken from the Frame and Condition of Humane Nature which I have insisted on much longer than I intended for the more I think of it the more plain and convincing it seems to be for what imaginable reason is there to question whether God will judge Mankind when he has made Man just such a Creature as he must have made him if he had intended to judge him endowed him with Reason and Understanding and liberty of Choice given him Laws and Rules of Action and made him in subjection to Himself obnoxious to his own Power and Justice which are plain natural Indications that God does intend to call him to an account SECT II. The essential Differences between Good and Evil and the Natural Notions we have of GOD prove a Future Iudgment II. THe essential Differences between Good and Evil prove that Mankind ought to be judged and this is somewhat more then that God has made Man such a Creature as is by nature accountable and may be judged just as much more as the difference is between may be and must be for though as I observed before this may be does very strongly infer a will be that is that God having made Man an accountable Creature is a reasonable Presumption that he will judge him and call him to an account yet this is not so direct and immediate a Proof that God will judge Mankind as it is to shew that the essential difference of Good and Evil makes it necessary that Man should be judged that he should be rewarded and punished according to his works I premise this to shew you what a new advance this makes towards the proof of a Future Judgment and now come to explain the force of this Argument That there is an essential difference between Good and Evil as unwilling as some Men are to own it is demonstrable to every Man's sence and experience which is a more undeniable Proof then some Nice and Metaphysical Speculations and that what is good ought to be rewarded and what is evil ought to be punished is acknowledged by the universal consent and practise of Mankind and I think the necessary and unavoidable consequence of this is that good Men shall be rewarded and the wicked punished that is that Mankind shall be judged according to their Works This is in short the Argument and if I can make good each part of it I have no more to do but to leave it to your serious consideration I. That there is an essential difference between Good and Evil that is that there are some things in their own natures very good for Men and other things which are very hurtful to them And will any Man deny this This is the Good and Evil which is in the nature of Things and so immutably there that all the Art and Power of the World can never alter them without altering the nature of Things cannot make that good which is hurtful nor that hurtful which is good which is all the Good and Evil which I know of for whereas we distinguish between Moral and Natural Good and Evil the only difference between them is this that Moral Good and Evil is in the Will and Choice Natural Good and Evil is in the Nature of Things that which is good or hurtful to ourselves or others is naturally good or evil to love to choose to do that which is good or hurtful to ourselves or others is morally good or evil or is the good or evil of our Choice and Actions If you will but recollect yourselves you will all find that you have no other Notion of Good or Evil but this When you say such a Man has done a very good or a very evil action what do you mean by it do you not mean that he has done something very good or very hurtful to himself or others When you hear that any Man has done good or evil is not the next question What good or what hurt has he done And do you not by this mean Natural Good or Evil which is a plain evidence that you judge of the Moral Good or Evil of Actions by the Natural Good or Evil which they do and the essential difference between Moral Good and Evil is founded on the essential difference between Natural Good and Evil and therefore is as unalterable as the Nature of Things This is evident from that universal Rule of Justice and Goodness Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do you that also unto them which is an Appeal to our own sense and feeling for the good and evil of our Actions which must therefore signifie the natural good and evil of them We feel what is for our good or hurt and we desire Men should do good to us but that they should not hurt us and therefore we must do good and no injury to them and this
and Forgiveness and loving Enemies leaving Vengeance to God who is the just Judge of the World For vengeance is mine I will repay it saith the Lord which supposes that Vengeance is due to Sin though Christ requires his Disciples to leave it to publick Magistrates or to God who is the Judge of the World As for those Sins which are not so properly the Objects either of publick or private Revenge as doing no direct and immediate injury to any but those who commit them such as Gluttony Drunkenness Prodigality Sloth Idleness a vagrant useless fantastical Life and the like besides some gentle Restraints which publick Laws lay on them they have this punishment that they make Men contemptible and infamous neglected and disregarded as a Reproach to Humane Nature and useless Members of the Common-wealth and such publick Infamy is a very great punishment for it is one of the worst Ingredients in all Publick Punishments This I think shews what the sence of Mankind is about the desert of Sin that Punishment is its just due and they have given very ample testimonies also to the merits of Vertue for though there are no Laws to reward a private Vertue as there are to punish Vice yet publick Honours by the consent of Mankind are thought the just Rewards of an eminent Vertue This has procured the favour of the People and advanced such deserving Men to the highest places of Trust and Dignity in the Commonwealth when such Men are advanced it is with a publick Applause as due to them no Man envies their Greatness or grudges to come behind them whereas publick Honours are thought misplaced on bad Men and set so ill-favouredly on them as exposes them to publick Scorn and Envy Let us then sum up this Argument and consider the just Consequence of it There is an essential difference between Vertue and Vice and according to the sence of all Mankind Vertue deserves to be rewarded and Wickedness punished and can we think then that if God governs the World he will not judge Mankind that he will not reward the Good and punish the Wicked Has he implanted a Natural Principle of Revenge and Justice in Men and taught them to erect publick Courts of Justice for the punishment of Vice and will he not punish it himself Has he given such a natural grace and beauty to Vertue as attracts to itself the love the praise the admiration the rewards of Men and will he himself have no regard for it Has he made Vice infamous and contemptible and will he cast no shame no reproach on it Would not the very Order of Nature complain of this should the God of Nature have no regard to it For we must observe that according to the general sence of Mankind Vertue and Vice deserve to be rewarded and punished not only by Men but by God too this is the foundation of that terrible Objection against Providence that good Men are many times great Sufferers in this World and the wicked very prosperous which supposes that if God govern the World he must punish bad Men and reward the good because the nature of Things require it and he cannot be a just Governour if he do not either Men ought never more to make this Objection against Providence or they must allow that if there be a God he will judge the World And indeed there is much more reason to expect this from God then from Men especially since the Administration of Justice among Men is so corrupt imperfect or defective that neither Vertue nor Vice will ever have their just Rewards unless he take it into his own hands And this brings me to a third branch of this Argument for a Future Judgment III. That the Natural Notions we have of God prove that he will judge the World All Men who believe a God acknowledge him to be the Soveraign Lord of all the World infinitely wise holy good and just now it seems impossible to me though we had no Revelation of his Will what he would do that such a Being as this should not judge the World As to consider this matter particularly but very briefly 1. If he be the Soveraign Lord of the World then he has Power and Authority to judge nay there is no other Being has Power and Authority to judge the World but himself that if he will not judge the World the World can never be judged And yet as I have already proved the essential differences of Good and Evil necessarily require that Man should be judged that good Men should bâ— rewarded and the wicked punished and if there must be a Judgment then God who is the Soveraign Lord and the only Judge of the World must judge Mankind If Judgment be necessary as the nature of Things prove and as the general consent and unbyassed reason of Mankind agree it is if we cannot hence conclude that God will judge the World I am sure we can never know any thing certainly of God by Reason for there is nothing which Reason concludes more expresly and positively than this 2. As for the other Attributes and Perfections of the Divine Nature such as Wisdom Holiness Goodness Justice if God be the Soveraign Lord of the World we must consider them as the Attributes of a Soveraign it is the Wisdom the Holiness the Goodness the Justice of a Soveraign Lord and therefore the proper exercise of these Attributes in God consists in the exercise of a Soveraign Authority and Power that is in governing and judging Mankind wisely holily with Goodness and Justice and this certainly proves that God as Soveraign Lord does govern and judge the World for he cannot exercise his Wisdom or Holiness or Goodness or Justice as Soveraign if he exercise no Acts of Soveraignty He cannot judge wisely holily or righteously if he do not judge at all and therefore though he be wise and holy and jâ—st and good yet he is not a wise and holy and just and good Soveraign for as Soveraign he exercises none of these Attributes if he does not judge the World if he do not reward good Men nor punish the wicked which the Wisdom the Holiness the Goodness of a Soveraign requires And therefore if the Natural Notion all Mankind have of God joyns his Soveraignty with his other Attributes as it must do unless we can divide God from himself that he is not only a wise and holy and just and good Being but that he is a wise and holy and just and good Soveraign Lord of the World we must confess that God does govern the World and display all these Attributes and Perfections in the Government of it I might add a great deal more upon this Argument but this is so very plain and demonstrative that there is no need of it SECT III. The External Appearances of Providence prove a Future Iudgment III. AS the Natural Notions we have of GOD proves that he will judge the World so the External
proper place for it and requires some different Acts of Judgment peculiar to that State If God reward good Men and punish wicked Men in this World why should we think that he has reserved no Rewards or Punishments for them in the next especially if we consider these two things I. That it is very evident that the Judgment of God in this World is not Final that is that the Blessings God bestows upon good Men in this World are not the onely Rewards he intends for them nor the present Evils and Calamities he brings upon bad Men their onely Punishments this is very plain and expresâ— in Scripture but I must not Appeal to Scripture now while I am arguing from Reason and therefore must consider what Natural Indications we have of this As 1. That good and bad Men live together intermixt in this World in the same Country the same Neighbourhood nay the same Family and therefore God does not intend finally to reward good Men or punish the wicked here for that requires a Separation of them the same place will not admit of perfect Happiness and perfect Misery which must be the effect of a Final Judgment for their very Neighbourhood will necessarily allay each other Unless God should make good Men other Creatures than they now are it would be impossible for them to see the perpetual Executions and the amazing Miseries of Sinners without disturbing their own Ease and Rest and then they could not be perfectly happy in this World As things now are the many Miseries and Calamities of Humane Life exercise the pitty and compassion of good Men and afflict them with a tender and painful sence of other Mens Sufferings and what would it then do were all wicked Men punished in this World according to their Deserts which would make this World the very Image and Picture of Hell a very unfit place for good Men to be happy in and if good Men were all perfectly rewarded in this World bad Men who live and converse among them could not be perfectly miserable for to live in a happy Place and among happy People is some allay of Misery at least it is not like being condemned to Eternal Night and Darkness to the Company of Devils and damned Spirits Besides this without a miraculous Providence good Men cannot live among the wicked but they must suffer from them nor bad Men live among the good but they must receive good from them and therefore neither of them can be perfectly happy or perfectly miserable while they live together Were there no more in it but this the very Wickedness of Men their Leudness Injustice Oppression Prophaneness Comtempt of God and Religion would be a perpetual Trouble and Vexation to the Good as the Soul of righteous Lot was grieved with the filthy Conversation of the Wicked and this makes a great a batement in their Happiness and yet it would not be a less Miracle to preserve all good Men from the Injuries of the wicked who live among them especially when they are the prevailing Numbers and have great Power to do Mischief then it was to preserve Daniel in the Lions Den from being devoured by those hungry and ravenous Beasts Nay it is impossible that God should punish all wicked Men in this World without involving some good Men in their Calamities and Sufferings when God punishes a wicked Nation with Plague or Famine or Sword when he fires a City and reduces all the Buildings of it to a Heap of Rubbish how is it possible but that good and bad Men who live together must suffer in such a Common Calamity there is reason enough why God should now sometimes permit â—â—is because even good Men may deserve such Corrections and he can easily recompense them other ways but this would be no reason if good Men were to receive their Final Rewards in this World for then they ought to be exempted from the Punishments of the wicked Thus how impossible is it for God to punish all bad Men here without punishing good Men in them Have not many good Men very wicked Relations for whom they have a very tender affection Parents or Brethren or Children or those who are nearer to them than all these and can they be contented to be Witnesses of their Sufferings This cannot be unless good Men in such cases could divest themselves of natural Affections which we see is not and cannot be done and if it could would be a greater Mischief to the World than the Sufferings of bad Men would do good to it And for the same reason bad Men cannot be perfectly miserable in this World while good Men live among them for unless God should forbid the exercise of some of the most excellent Vertues of the Christian Life and which are in themselves most beneficial to the World good Men will exercise great Charity and Goodness Forgiveness and Patience towards the wicked will relieve their Wants and pitty their Sufferings and be their Patrons and Advocates both with God and Men that is will do good to them and procure Blessings for them The Intercessions of good Men very often divert Judgments and obtain great Blessings for a very wicked Nation Sodom itself had escaped upon the Intercession of Abraham had there been Ten righteous Persons found in it And God very often spares a wicked Nation for the sake of good Men who live among them and must suffer by such Publick Judgements that is he spares bad Men to save the Righteous Thus God bestows many Temporal Blessings upon the Friends Relations and Posterity of good Men though they are wicked and this is part of the Reward of Piety and Vertue in this World and therefore all good Men cannot be rewarded and all wicked Men punished in this World because many good Men must be punished in the Punishments of the wicked and many wicked Men must escape nay must prosper in the World as a Reward of the good which is not considered by those who make the Impunity and Prosperity of some bad Men an argument against Providence when the very Prosperity of these bad Men is many times the Reward of Vertue and a design'd Favor and â—ndulgence to the good But what I have now said plainly proves that God's Judgment in this World is not Final because good and bad Men live together and it is absolutely necessary that they should be parted when God comes to render to every Man according to his Works as our Saviour declares that they shall be at the Final Judgment when the Sheep shall be placed on his right Hand and the Goats on the left 2. That God's Judgment in this World is not Final appears from this that all good Men are not rewarded nor all wicked Men punished in this World as they ought to be if God did not intend to Judge Men in the next World for what they have done in this That this is so I need not prove because we every day see
it and this is made a great Objection against Providence That many bad Men are prosperous and many good Men afflicted And a foolish Objection it is against Providence but a very good Argument for a Future Judgment When we have so many Arguments to prove that God does govern the World that he does even in this Life reward good Men and punish the wicked as much as is necessary for the good Government of the World it is very absurd to confute all this only by saying that he does not govern the World as we think he ought to govern it that is that he does not punish every bad Man nor reward every good Man in this Life Whoever would make good this Argument must prove that there is no other World after this wherein God can reward those good Men and punish those wicked Men whom he has not sufficiently rewarded or punished in this Life or he must prove that it is absolutely necessary to the ends of Government to reward every good Man and to punish every wicked Man in this World and not to defer their final Rewards and Punishments to the next for if it be granted that there is another World after this and that God if he sees fit may defer the final Rewards and Punishments of good and bad Men to the next World then this is no Objection at all against Providence But then instead of being an Objection against Providence it becomes a very strong Argument for a Future Judgment For if God does Govern and Judge the World and yet Justice is not equally and impartially administred to all Men but some good Men are greatly afflicted and some wicked Men are greatly prosperous it is little less than a Demonstration that there is some other Judgment to come besides what God exercises in this World for it is certain if God judge the World at all he will judge it righteously and will render to every Man according to his Works for Justice and Righteousness is essential to the Notion of a God and therefore since we see this is not always done in this World we must conclude that God's Judgment of Mankind does not end with this World but extends to a Future State that is that there is a Judgment to come after this Life when we shall be rewarded according to our Works 3. That the Judgment of God in this World is not Final appears from this that the Rewards and Punishments of this Life cannot be the final and proper Rewards and Punishments of good and bad Men External Prosperity and external Miseries and Sufferings are the only Rewards and Punishments we are capable of in this Life and therefore when God would visibly express his Kindness and Favour to good Men he makes them prosperous and when he would express his Anger and Displeasure against the wicked he punishes them with some Temporal Evils and this is all that can be done in this World except the peace and satisfaction or the guilty remorse of our own Consciences which God can heighten as he sees fit But now it is certain that external Prosperity is not the proper and peculiar Reward of Vertue nor external Sufferings the peculiar Punishment of Sin for if they were a just and righteous Judge could never permit bad Men to be prosperous nor good Men to be afflicted if Prosperity were due only to Vertue and Afflictions and Sufferings to Vice The promiscuous Distribution of the good and evil Things of this World both to good and to bad Men proves that Prosperity is not always good nor Adversity always evil that Prosperity is rather a present Encouragement then the proper Reward of Vertue and external Calamities rather a Curb and Restraint than the proper Punishment of Vice and therefore when God can serve the ends of his Providence by it he may make bad Men prosperous and afflict the good for this is not to transfer the necessary and peculiar Rewards of Vertue upon bad Men nor to inflict the peculiar Punishments of Sin upon good Men which cannot be done by a just and righteous Judge Now if the Happiness and Miseries of this Life be not the proper and peculiar and inseparable Rewards and Punishments of Vertue and Vice then there are some other Rewards and Punishments reserved for good and bad Men in the next World such Rewards as no bad Man shall share in and such Punishments as shall not be inflicted on any good Man that is besides the Providence and Judgement of God in this World God will Judge good and bad Men in the next and render to every Man according to his Works II. The Nature of the Divine Providence and Government and the Manner and Circumstances of its Administration in this World are a plain Indication of a Future Judgment The visible design of Providence is not to reward all good Men and to punish the wicked in this World for this is not done but to curb and restrain Wickedness and to encourage Piety and Vertue and therefore God gives us such Examples of his Justice as are sufficient to over-awe Mankind and make them fear his Power and Vengeance and such Examples of his Favour Kindness and Regard to good Men as may encourage them to be good and vertuous with the expectation of great Rewards But what does all this signifie unless it proves that God will punish bad Men and reward the good and if it proves this it must prove that God will do it in the next World for it is plain that he does not do it here And therefore if we will allow that God governs the World wisely we must confess that the Examples of God's Goodness and Justice in this World prove a Future Judgement for they are not so universal as to answer the ends of Justice in rewarding good Men and punishing the wicked in this World and unless they prove a Future Judgment they are not sufficient either to over-awe and restrain bad Men or to encourage the good for though the frequent Examples of God's Justice and Severity against Sin destroys Mens security in sinning for no bad Man can be sure that God will not punish him as he does a great many other bad Men yet we daily see they would venture this did not the present execution of Justice threaten them with the more terrible Judgement of the next World Thus if we consider the Providence of God as a Method of Discipline whereby he conquers Mens love to Sin and breaks the Habits of Vice or exercises and improves their Vertues this is a very unaccountable thing without a Future Judgement Why should God exercise so much Patience towards wicked Men and bare so long with them to conquer them by Methods of Kindness were it not in great Goodness to give them time for Repentance that they may escape Eternal Miseries Why should God exercise Men with such long and repeated Severities to conquer their Love to this World to teach them to govern
to all those other Arguments which I have already urged for the proof of a Future Judgement As to shew this in a few words 1. This proves a natural Sence in all Men that they are accountable Creatures and shall be called to an Account for their Actions For unless Men were sensible of this why should their Consciences acquit or condemn them Why should they judge themselves but in relation to some higher Tribunal which will certainly judge them especially when the Consciences of bad Men do not only condemn but threaten them and the Consciences of good Men do not only acquit and absolve but promise a Reward for they can neither punish nor reward themselves 2. This proves the natural Sence we have of the essential difference between good and evil and that what is good deserves a Reward and what is evil deserves Punishment because good Men expect a Reward for the good they do and bad Men fear Punishment when they have done evil which shews a natural Sence of the just merits and deserts both of Good and Evil and that they shall receive their just Rewards 3. This proves also that natural Sence Mankind have that God is the Supream and Soveraign Lord and Judge of the World and will judge Mankind for there is no other Tribunal which all Mankind can be accountable too the common Sence of Humane Nature must respect the Universal Lord and Judge of the World who has a Natural Right to Govern and to Judge Mankind he who made us imprinted this sence upon our Minds for what is natural is owing only to the Author of Nature and therefore these natural Hopes and Fears can only relate to the Government and Judgment of our Maker and Natural Lord and then they must prove that God will judge us that he will reward or punish us according to our Works Nay 4ly This proves that Natural Sence Men have of a just Providence which governs this World at present for tho' these natural Hopes and Fears do not give Men any assurance that they shall be rewarded or punished in this World as they deserve yet a good Conscience especially some great and eminent Vertues give good Men great hopes in God and a secure trust and dependance on his Providence even in this Life and a great sence of Guilt makes Men afraid of present Vengeance though God may think fit to delay the Punishment of bad Men till the next World yet a guilty Conscience never thinks itself safe here So that if there be any force in these Arguments the Accountableness of Humane Nature the essential Differences of Good and Evil the Natural Notions of God's Dominion and Soveraignty and that just Providence which governs the World at present to prove a Future Judgmenâ— they all receive strength and confirmation from the natural Hopes and Fears of good and bad Men which are a natural Presage of Judgment And this is a fifth Argument of a Future State The natural Presages of Conscience 6ly To add no more the removing Mankind out of this World into the next proves the necessity of a Future Judgement If Mankind after death subsist in another State they must be judged and therefore Judgment is as certain as a Life after death which I must take for granted in this Argument the reason I believe of this is not obvious at the first proposal but it will be plain if you consider but some few things 1. That when we go into the next World we must remove into a State of Happiness or Misery I do not mean that when we go into the next World good Men shall be certainly happy and the wicked miserable for that is to beg the thing in question and to take that for granted which is to be proved but 〈◊〉 we live in the next World it is certain we must be happy or miserable there for every thing that lives is so in proportion to the capacities of its Nature 2. That our State and Condition in the next World must have relation to our Behaviour and Deserts in this When God first makes Man he puts him into such a State as is fitted to his Nature for when he has done neither Good nor Evil it is not what he deserves but what God sees him fit for that must allot him his Rank and Station but when Man is removed out of one State of Life into another his Behaviour in the first State must be taken into consideration when God allots him a second for though his State of Life is changed the Person is the same and his Deserts are the same and if he deserved ill in this World he cannot deserve well in the next and if he deserved well in this World he ought to be well used in the next Some Philosophers who believed that the Souls of Men did pre-exist in a former State before they came into these Bodies thought this a very good account of the different Fortunes of Mens Birth Education Condition and Circumstances of Life that they were proportioned to their Merits and Deserts in that former State and were this true that the Soâ—â—s of Men did live in a former State before they came into these Bodies this might be a very fair and reasonable account of it for when Men have deserved well or ill whether they are continued in the same State or translated into some other the Justice of the Divine Providence in allotting their State and Condition of Life must have respect to their former Deserts before Creatures have deserved well or ill their Condition must be allotted by thâ— Divine Wisdom and Goodness with respect to the capacities of their Natures when they have deserved well or ill their Condition must be allotted by Justice with respect to their Deserts this is so plain that it will admit of no Dispute III. And then it necessarily follows that God must Judge Mankind in the 〈◊〉 World must reward or punish Men according to their Works that is musâ— put them into such a State of Happinesâ— or Misery as they have deserved anâ— have made themselves fit for those wâ—â— have obeyed God and purified and refined their Natures by the Habits of Graâ—â— and Vertue are fit Objects of his Goodness and have made themselves capablâ— of a Divine Happiness of seeing God and dwelling in his Presence but those who have debased their Natures with the love of this World and have defiled their Souls with impure Lusts deserve to be banished from God's Presence as Rebels and apostate Creatures and having made themselves uncapable of Divine Joys must suffer the Miseries of damned Spirits So that if we will but allow that God allots Men their Condition in the next World as he does in this and that in allotting their Condition in the next World he has any regard to their Behaviour and Deserts in this as Wisdom and Justice requires he should and this proves a Future Judgment or that God will reward and punish Men according
to their Works And this may suffice for the first thing proposed What Natural Evidence we have of a Judgment to come SECT V. The Scripture Proof of a Future Iudgement II. HAving shewn what Evidence we have from the Light of Nature for a Future Judgment let us now consider the Scripture Proofs of it And this might be dispatched in a very few wordâ— by turning you to some plain Texts of Scripture which expresly assert it but â— shall do something more than this which if it be not necessary for the proof of 〈◊〉 Future Judgment yet will be of use for the better understanding the Christian Religion and to rivet this Belief faster 〈◊〉 our Minds that is I shall represent to you those Parabolical Reasonings whereby our Saviour insinuates this Belief into ouâ— Minds and shew you that the whole Christian Religion is founded on and adapted to the belief of a Future Judgement and is a very unintelligible Institution without it 1. Let us consider those plain and express Proofs the Gospel of our Saviour contains of a Future Judgment and some few Texts will be sufficient for this purpose This is expresly affirmed by St. Paul 17 Acts 31. That God hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness The Apostle to the Hebrews tells us It is appointed for men once to die and after that the judgement 9 Heb. 27. Our Saviour tells us that we shall be judged 7 Matth. 1 2. Iudge not that ye be not judged For with what judgment ye judge ye shall be judged and with what measure ye meet it shall be measured unto you again And v. 22 23. he tells us That in that day that is the Day of Judgment many will say unto me Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out devils and in thy Name done many wonderful works And then will I profess unto them I never knew you Depart from me ye that work iniquity Thus he tells us 16 Matth. 27. The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels and then he shall reward every man according to his works And 25 Matth. 31 c. he gives us a lively Description of the Future Judgment When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory And before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats And he shall set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on the left And then hâ— Judges them and pronounces their Fiâ—â—â— Doom and Sentence according to theâ—â— Works as it follows in that place 〈◊〉 were easie to turn you to many Texts 〈◊〉 this purpose as every one knows who 〈◊〉 acquainted with the Scripture but theâ—â— is no need of it these few are so expreâ—â— that if we believe the Gospel we must believe that we shall be judged 2. Our Saviour does not only expresly declare this that there shall be a Judgement but insinuates the Belief and Reasonableness of this by some proper Allâ—â—â—ons and Comparisons which is the 〈◊〉 scope and design of many of his Parables As to instance in some of them 1â— Luke 12 c. he tells us of a certain â—ble man who went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return where he describes his own leaving thâ— World and ascending into Heaven to take possession of his Kingdom from whenâ—â— he shall return again at the last Day tâ— Judge the World This noble man called his servants and delivered them ten pounds and said unto them Occupy till I come Bâ—â— his citizens hated him and sent a message after him saying We will not have this man to reign over us This describes our State in this World which is a State of Labour and Industry where we must improve our Master's Money all the advantages and opportunities of doing good to his Service and Glory Now as it is reasonable to expect when such a King returns that he will call his Servants to an Account reward the Diligent and punish the Slothful and destroy his Enemies the same Usage we must expect from our Lord when he returns again he will judge us will reward or punish us according to our Works To the same purpose is that Parable 25 Matth. 14 c. of a Man travelling into a far Country who called his Servants and delivered to them his Goods and at his return rewarded them proportionably to the Increase and Improvement they had made and punished that wicked Servant who hid his Talent in a Napkin The Parable of the unjust Steward who had wasted his Master's Goods and was turned out of his Stewardship for it is founded on the same reason that we are but Stewards of God's Gifts in this World and that God will as certainly call us to an Account for our Stewardship as an earthly Master will 16 Luke 1. The Parable of the Housholder who hired Labourers into his Vineyard and gave them every Man his Peny at night 20 Matth. signifies to us that in this Life we must work in God's Vineyard and finish the Work he has given us to do and that at Evening when this Life ends God will reward us in the next and this we may as certainly and reasonably expect from God as an hired Labourer expects his Wages when he has done his Work The Parable of the King 22 Matth. who made a Marriage for his Son and sent forth his Servants to call them who were bidden to the Wedding but they refused to come and evil entreated his Servants and slew them upon which the King was wroth and sent forth his Armies and destroyed those Murderers and burnt up their City and sent and invited others to the Marriage though it primarily refer to the Destruction of the Iewish Nation for their rejecting their Messias and calling the Gentiles into the Church yet is founded on the same reason that God will punish our Abuse of his Grace and all the Invitations of the Gospel as a gracious but affronted Prince would punish his Subjects in such a case But the Parable of the Wheat and Tares 13 Matth. 24 c. is very observable because it gives an account why God does not destroy all bad Men in this World and yet that he will punish the Wicked and reward the Good in the next World A man sowed good seed in the field and while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares but when the blade sprung up and brought forth fruit then appeared the tares also This our Saviour expounds v. 37 c. He that sowed good seed is the Son of man the field is the world the good seed are the children of the kingdom that is good Christians but the tares are the children of the wicked one that is bad Men. The
are so busie and careful in keeping your Books and casting up your Accounts and ballancing your Gain and your Loss and observing how your Stock increases or decays can you forbear thinking that you have a greater and more concerning Account than this the Account of your Life and Actions which if you do not keep God does he has his Records of them and will produce his Books at the Day of Judgment and judge you out of them When you call your Servants or Stewards to an Account how they have improved or embezled your Goods whether they have hid their Talent in a Napkin or traded with it and gained five or ten Talents you should remember that you also are but God's Stewards and must give an Account of your Stewardship and either shall be Stewards no longer but be turned out of your Master's Service and punished for your Negligence or shall receive a Reward proportionable to your Diligence and Gain When we correct our Children or Servants for their Idleness Disobedience or any other Miscarriage or reward their Diligence and Vertue can we forget that we have a Father and a Master in Heaven who curiously observes all our Actions and will judge will reward and punish us according to our Works When we see at Harvest the Wheat gathered into the Barn and the Weeds neglected or burnt should it not mind us what a difference God will make between good and bad Men at the Day of Judgment that though they live intermixed in this World they shall be parted then good Men received into Heaven where God dwells and bad Men banished into outward Darkness where there is Weeping and Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth for evermore The awful Solemnities of Humane Judicatures the Judge sitting on the Bench the Malefactor arraigned at the Bar the Jury the Witnesses the Tryal Condemnation Sentence Execution are lively Emblems of a Future Judgment and methinks should mind Judge and Juries and Witnesses and Spectators of it I have mentioned these few Instances because they are common and familiar and Scripture-Representations of a Future Judgment and so often occur that if we would but as often think seriously of a Future Judgment we should soon attain an habitual Sence of it And possibly my applying them to this purpose now as little an Observation as it may seem may make you think of your great Account when you are casting up your Books or reckoning with your Workmen or taking an Account of your Stewards and Servants and if it should I shall have my end and you will find the benefit of it But there is one thing which is naturally apt to mind us of a Future Judgement and I am sure always ought to do so and is of very near and present concernment to us at this time and that is When the judgments of GOD are in the earth for then as the Prophet Isaiah tells us the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness 26 Isaiah 9. I have already observed to you that the Examples of a just and righteous Providence which governs this World are a good Proof of a Future Judgment for it is an argument that God does take notice of the Actions of Men and concerns himself in the Government of the World and then we have no reason to question whether he will judge the World And when God is actually executing Judgments on the World when he is a judging Kingdoms and Nations when he has unsheathed the Sword and made it drunk with Blood when the Desolations of flourishing Countries the Burning of Towns and Cities the lamentable Slaughter of infinite numbers of People do so loudly proclaim the Wrath and Displeasure of God those who han't a great and awful and terrible Sence of Judgment will never be awakened but by the sounding of the last Trumpet It is this that makes the Judgments of God so effectual to Reform the World not meerly the Fears of present Sufferings of those Temporal Evils and Calamities wherewith God punishes Sinners but that by these visible Tokens of God's Anger by the present sensible Effects of his Justice and Power Men are rouzed and alarm'd into a Consideration of future Vengeance We extreamly weaken the Argument from present and sensible Judgments when we urge it no further then to perswade Men to reform their Lives to remove those Judgments which are upon them this is an additional Argument to reform our Sins to save our Country from Ruin but those who will not reform their Sins to save their Souls will never part with them to save a Nation and therefore the true force of the Argument resolves itself into a Future Judgment God has begun to punish us already in this World for our Sins and unless we repent we must not hope to escape so these Temporal Sufferings are but a Summons to Judgment and it may be are intended to remove us presently into the other World to receive our Reward The Axe is now visibly laid to the root of the Tree and every Tree which bringeth not forth good Fruit is hewen down and cast into the Fire And the visible Execution of GOD's Judgments upon the World will certainly mind us of a Future Judgment and give us a feeling sence of it as it gives us a present and sensible View of God's Justice and Power and a nearer Prospect of it 1. It gives us a present and sensible View of God's Justice and Power And that though he be very good and merciful he is very righteous too and very severe in his Judgments that though he be gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness yet he will not always spare but will awake to visit the heathen and will not be merciful to any wicked transgressors 59 Psal. 5. When we see what Desolations God makes in the Earth how his Judgments like a sudden and mighty Torrent overflow a secure and happy Country sweep away the Inhabitants of it or transplant them into foreign Nations to beg their Bread among Strangers when we see how he sounds an Alarum to War and sets Kingdom against Kingdom and every Man's Sword against his Brother when we observe with what an impartial Hand he strikes that there is no Country no People no Religion escapes that he makes Ambition and Covetuousness correct Superstition and Superstition chastise the Coldness and Formality the loose and licentious Lives of more Orthodox Christians I say when we see such things as these in the World shall we not fear and tremble before that just and righteous Judge Can we forget that GOD will judge the World in Righteousness when we see already such terrible Executions which are onely Preludiums to a Final Judgment 2. These present and visible Judgmenâ— give us a nearer Prospect of a Futurâ— Judgment and Judgment will more seâ—sibly affect us the nearer we see it Not that such Judgments as these prove that the Final Judgment is near at hand foâ— the Records and Histories of
the hands of wicked Spirits for the Devil is the Prince of the Power of the Air the great Tempter of Men while they live and their Tormenter when they die whoever is so far rejected by God as to be delivered up to the power of wicked Spirits without any restraint on their Malice and Cruelty as wicked Men are when they die need no other Punishment till the Day of Judgement when they together with the Devil and his Angels shall be cast into utter Darkness where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth for ever more We know what cruel Tyranny the Devil exercised upon the Pagan World who so devoutly worshipped him and what then must the Case be of those wretched Souls who are delivered to him by God as their Jaylor and Tormentor till the Day of Judgment I will not say this is the Case though it seems no improbable Account oâ— it but if it be and thus it may be before Christ comes to judge the World you must all confess that to have the Devil for our Tormentor is the very next degree to being tormented with the Devil and his Angels But yet this is not a final Judgment the last Sentence is not pronounced against them and though I doubt not but most bad Men as certainly know what their Doom will be as the Devils themselves do yet there is reason to think that some bad Men as bad Men we see are very apt to flatter themselves with vain Hopes in this World and may do so in the next for ought we know are still in hopes of finding Mercy at the Day of Judgment when Christ comes to judge the World for if they knew themselves under a final and irreversible Sentence there can be no account given why at the last Day they should put in any Plea for themselves or sue for Mercy and yet thus our Saviour represents it In that day many will say unto me Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out devils and in thy â—ame done many wonderful works And then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Matth. 22 23. And thus in the Description of the last Judgment when he shall say to them on the left hand Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels For I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink I was a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye clothed me not sick and in prison and ye visited me not Then shall they answer him Lord when saw we thee an hungred or a thirst or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister unto thee 25 Matth. 41 42 43 44. Now it is not imaginable that these Men at the last Day of Judgment should make any of these Plea's had they been judged and condemned and the final Sentence passed on them before The sum is this That Mankind shall not be finally judged till Christ comes to judge the World but yet good Men are in a State of Happiness and bad Men in a State of Punishment and Misery that very good Men as they are happy at present so they have the joyful Expectations of the Day of Judgment when they shall be finally rewarded and received into the immediate Presence of God in Heaven and that very bad Men besides the Miseries which they at present suffer have the terrible Prospect of a Future Judgment when they know they shall be condemned to endless Miseries 3. There is this farther to be added That according to that account the Scripture gives us of this matter though bad Men shall be miserable and good Men happy as soon as they go out of these Bodies yet bad Men shall not be condemned to Hell nor good Men received into Heaven till the Day of Judgment There is no great difficulty in proving this since the Rewards of good Men and the Punishments of the wicked that is their final Rewards and Punishments or Heaven or Hell are throughout the New Testament referred to the Day of Judgment This our Saviour expresly tells us 13 Matth. 41 42 43. The Son of man shall send forth his angels that is at the end of the World v. 39. and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and them which work iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of fire there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Then shall the righteous shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father But there is no need of any other Proof of this but that at the Day of Judgment good Men shall be received into Heaven and bad Men condemned to Hell 25 Matth. And if good Men were in Heaven before it is very strange that they should be brought out of Heaven to be judged and to be received into Heaven again with greater Authority and Solemnity and if bad Men were in Hell before it seems as strange that they should be fetched out of Hell to be more solemnly condemned thither again this would be thought a very odd kind of Proceeding among Men and we have no reason to suspect this of GOD's Judgment As for bad Men they are to be cast into the Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels and therefore it is not likely they should be cast into this Fire before the Devil himself is and yet the Scripture assures us that at present he is the Prince of the Power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience 2 Eph. 2. And St. Peter tells us That God spared not these angels that sinned but cast them down into hell and delivered them into the chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment 2 Pet. 2.4 which is very ill translated for if they were cast down into Hell how are they reserved for the Day of Judgment for what worse Judgment can they undergo than to be cast into Hell But the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 casting them down into Chains of Darkness for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies only to cast down that is those Angels who formerly inhabitated the AEthereal Regions where there was perpetual Light were for their Sin cast down into this darksome Region of Air where the clearest Light is Smoke and Darkness in comparison with those brighter Regions from whence they fell for the Devil is the Prince of the Power of the Air and they are called Chains of Darkness because by the Decree of God they can go no farther cannot ascend higher to those Regions of Light again and here they are reserved till the Judgement of the last Day While our Saviour was on Earth it is plain that these evil Spirits were not confined to Hell for they possessed the Bodies of Men and very much complained that Christ came to torment them before their time 8 Matth.
not to destroy the World till the wickedness of Mankind is grown incurable and past Remedy and till this is the state of the World how much wickedness soever there be in it it is too soon for a wise and good God to destroy the World he made But there seems 2. to be something more than this to justifie the final destruction of the World not only that the present race of Mankind is so universally corrupt that they deserve to be universally destroyed which was the case of the old World wherein there was but one Righteous Family but that Mankind is thus incurably wicked after all the wise Methods of God's Grace and Providence to reform the World for then it is time to put a final end to the state of this World and to the farther propagation of Mankind on it and to Summon all Men to Judgment to receive according to their Works This seems to be the reason why Noah's Flood did not put a final end to the World and why God did not at that time call all Mankind to Judgment because tho' the wickedness of that Generation of Men was so universal and so incurable that it justified their universal destruction yet God had new Methods of Grace and hidden Treasures of Wisdom in reserve for the reforming the World and therefore though he purged the Earth from its wicked Inhabitants he did not think fit to put an end to the race of Men but preserved Noah and his Sons in the Ark which was the only Righteous Family then living to propagate a new Generation of Men whom he would try with new Methods of Grace the last and most admirable and most effectual Method of Grace was reserved for the last Times the Mysterious Incarnation of the Son of God and the Power of Gospel-Grace And when this also shall have lost its effect when Atheism and Infidelity and all manner of Wickedness shall prevail when the Church it self shall be over-run with Heresies Schisms and a meer external form of Religion without the power of it when Men shall walk after their own Lusts when Faith shall fail Iniquity abound and the Loâ—â— of many wax cold then the end is at hand God has then tryed what Mankind will prove long enough and it is time to put a period to this World and to the race of Mankind and call them all to Judgment If what some learned Men teach be true that the Letters St. Iohn was commanded to write to the seven Churches of Asia were Prophetick of the seven different states of the Christian Church from the time of Christ till the end of the World we find that the very last state of the Church when Christ will spew her out of his mouth that is when he will put a final end to the Church on Earth is represented by the Church of Laodicea 3 Revel 14 c. And to the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans write these things saith the Amen the faithful and true witness the beginning of the Creation of God I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot so then because thou art Lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth When a true Zeal and Concernment for the Faith and Practice of Christianity fails in the Church and Atheism and Infidelity and all manner of Wickedness prevails in the World these are â—resages of the near approach of a final Judgment Now if this be a fair and reasonable account of the destruction of the World and a Future Judgment we need not wonder that God has appointed so late a day for it seven or eight thousand Years is no long time for the duration of the World especially when we have had such a terrible Example of God's Justice and Vengeance in the destruction of the old World already We have reason to believe that this World should never have been destroyed but for the incurable wickedness of Mankind for nothing else can justifie the Wisdom and Goodness of God in destroying what he had made God could have judged and rewarded or punished particular Men without destroying the World but when Mankind is grown universally and incurably wicked it does not become God to suffer this Earth to be an eternal Nursery of Atheists and Rebels against the Majesty of Heaven and this makes it necessary for God to destroy it but then the Wisdom and Goodness of God requires that this should be done with great patience and long-suffering and after the disappointment of all the wise Methods of his Grace in reforming the World and then no Man can say that God has hitherto too long delayed the final Judgment some thousand years is no long tryal to save the World and Mankind whom he hath made from final destruction 1. And therefore let no Man laugh at a future Judgment and final destruction of this World as if it would never be because it is not yet God is in no hast to destroy the World but when he sees it ripe for Destruction that is the day he has appointed for Judgment Such Scoffers as these are certain fore-runners of that day and unless there be still a new Resurrection of true Faith and Piety which we hope for it cannot be far off how long soever such Men may think God delays yet their Iudgment lingreth not and their Damnation slumbereth not 2 Peter 2.3 Let us all remember what our Saviour tells us If that evil servant shall say in his heart my Lord delayeth his coming and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants and to eat and drink with the drunken the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an hour that he is not ware of and shall cut him asunder and shall appoint him his portion with the Hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth 24 Matth. 48. It is no Argument that Judgment is a great way off because Men are secure and can laugh at the thoughts of it for the more secure the World is the nearer it is to Judgment the very day that Judgment shall overtake them they shall least of all think of it as it must needs be when the World shall be so over-run with Atheism and Infidelity and therefore the day of Judgment is said to come like a thief in the night that is suddenly and by surprize when we are asleep and secure and least suspect it 1 Thess. 5.2 4. 2 Peter 3.10 As Christ threatens the Church of Sardis 3 Revel 3. If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a thief and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee Thus 24 Matth. 37 c. Christ tells us that the day of Judgment or the coming of the Son of man is like the days of Noah For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage
upon all Ages of the World especially since that express revelation which the Gospel has made of it This Instruction our Saviour himself gives us that since we know not the Day of Judgment we should always watch and be ready prepared for it Watch therefore for ye know not 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 ye think not the Son of man cometh 24 Matth. 42 43 44. And if this was good Advice in our Saviour's days it more nearly concerns us on whom the end of the World is come 4. There is one thing more I shall observe from this Discourse not to be offended though you see Atheism and Infidelity prevail in the World and the true Christian Faith begin to fail and the love of many wax cold thus it must be towards the end of the World and if we now see the beginnings of it it is no great wonder This is indeed a great Temptation to Men who are governed by Examples to hear the first Principles of Religion called in Question and the great Fundamental Articles of our Faith made Matter of Dispute and Controversie nay the plainest Rules of Life ridiculed and exploded but if these things should not be the World would never come to an end God cannot destroy a believing and righteous Nation much less a righteous World a World of Believers and Saints And if it be our Portion to fall into the dregs of Time into these last days when there shall be Scoffers walking after their own ungodly Lusts let us consider that this is no more than was foretold thus it must be towards the end of the World and therefore this ought not to weaken the Credit of Religion no more than the fulfilling of Prophesies does let us remember how Sacred this Faith has been for 1600 Years how many Martyrs and Confessors it has had how God has preserved it against all the Powers and Opposition of the World how it has triumphed over Pagan Idolatries and which is more than that triumphed over the Lusts and Vices of the World in the Exemplary Self-denial Mortification and Divine and Heavenly Conversations of its Professors and this I think is such an Argument of its Divinity as may defend us against the Wit and Rallery and Impudence of professed Atheists and Debauchees who till of late have themselves been the scorn and derision of Mankind SECT III. The Day God has appointed is a General Day of Iudgment II. THIS Day God has appointed is a General Day of Judgment or a Day to Judge the whole World all Mankind shall be summoned before the Tribunal of Christ and be tried and condemned or acquitted in the general Assembly of Men and Angels What an amazing sight will this be to see all Mankind start out of their Graves and appear before their Judge to have one view of the whole Race of Men of all successive Generations from Adam to the end of the World Such an Assembly as never was before never will be till that day and never will be after it Could we look on as unconcerned Spectators at that day what an Entertainment would here be only to see all Mankind together all the Men of Name and Renown whose Fame is recorded in Story who have signalliz'd themselves in their several Ages by their Piety and Vertue and Wisdom and Valour or it may be by their Vices but this will be no time to gratifie our Curiosity when we all meet to receive our final Doom It more concerns us at present to draw another Scene of things and to imagine how differently Men will appear at the Day of Judgment from what they do in this World We shall see all Mankind together rise with their own Bodies just the same Men that they were but yet quantum mutatus ab illo they won't look altogether as they did there will be some change in their Countenance which will betray very different Passioâ—s and give a very different Air and Aspect to them We may easily imagine that Atheisâ—s and Infidels who have disputed very Subtilly and Philosophically against a God and Religion and broke many a 〈◊〉 Jest upon Heaven and Hell will be not a little amazed when they shall see all their Philosophy confuted and their Jests quite spoiled by the appearance of their Judge What surprize and astonishment will then be seen in the looks of secure Sinners who never thought of Judgment but reckoned themselves very safe by banishing the thoughts of it as if God would not Judge them unless they thoughâ— of being judged The brave and the bold Sinners who mocked at Fear especially at the Fear of God as a base and unmanly Passion will not be able to conceal their Fears then but even those mighty Hectors the great Disturbers of Mankind who carried Fear and Terrour in their Looks and made the World tremble before them will then stand trembling before their Judge and call to the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. On the other hand with what triumph will good Men lift up their Heads the poor the despised the persecuted the reproached the vilified Worshippers of the Crucified Jesus and the Disciples of the Cross their Sorrows will then flie away like the Shades of Night at the approach of the Sun their Tears will be dried up and we shall see nothing but secure Joy give Lustre and Brightness to their Looks We are extreamly imposed on by the present appearances of Things Vice looks gay and bold and fearless in this World and Vertue many times as mean and contemptible as Injustice and Oppression can make it that it would be of great use to us sometimes to remove the Scene from this World to the Day of Judgment when all Mankind shall appear together the greatest Appearance that ever was and therefore it is much more considerable how we shall appear then than how we appear in this World But the Enquiry here is why GOD judges all the World at once and summons all Mankind together to receive their final Sentence Now that God will do so is very plain why he does it he has not told us but whoever wisely considers this matter will discover great and excellent ends which may be served by such a publick Judgment and that may satisfie us that there is great reason why God should do it and these may be referred to two general Heads 1. With respect to God himself 2. With respect to Men both good and bad Men. I. With respect to God And this universal Judgment greatly tends to advance the Divine Name and Glory 1. As I hinted to you before this will justifie the Divine Providence and display all the various Wisdom and expound
with all the Festival Expressions of Joy will not immediately turn him out of his Family to seek his Fortune No Christ has shed his Blood for us all and the more he saves the greater Reward he has of his Sufferings the more numerous his Train and Retinue of redeemed Souls is and Numbers add to the Glory of the Triumph this may convince all Mankind how merciful our Judge will be and if we must be judged at all could God do more for us then to appoint the Man Christ Jesus who is our Saviour to be our Judge But then consider on the other hand what a terrible thing will it be to be condemned by the Man Christ Jesus the Saviour of the World What Tumults and Convulsions of Thoughts must such Sinners labour under they must be Self-condemned they must feel all the Agonies of Guilt and Despair for if they could reasonably excuse themselves or the most merciful Man in the World could excuse them their Judge would excuse them too I know not how to bear the thoughts of this the very imagination of it amazes and confounds me to be damned is a tolerable Punishment in comparison of being damned by the Saviour of the World And might I have been saved will such a Sinner say did my Saviour who is now my Judge a terrible Judge shed his his Blood for me did he purchase Heaven for me and does he now condemn me to Hell and deservedly too against his own inclinations though he lose the Purchase of his Blood by it O Wretch that I am might I have been saved and must I be damned and damned by the Saviour of the World What Fury and Passion will accompany these thoughts is not to be expressed by words and I pray GOD none of us may ever feel it 3. Another thing which made it so fitting and congruous that the Son of Man should Judge the World is that he will be a visible Judge It is very fitting the World should be visibly judged for without this all the Pomp and Triumph of Judgment nay some of the principal Ends of Judgment are lost God judges the World in so publick a manner to convince the World of his Power and Justice and Goodness in the final Destruction of all bad Men and the final Rewards of Vertue and therefore this must be a visible Judgment and then there must be a visible Judgment-seat and a visible Judge a visible Glory and Power bad Men must know for what they are judged and see the Hand that executes Vengeance on them or for ought I know they might go Atheists and Infidels to Hell and see no more of God in a fired World then they do in Plague or Sword or Famine or such other Judgments as God sends upon the Earth they might curse their hard Fate but neither accuse themselves nor own the Divine Power and Justice and could they sink into Hell without owning the Being and Justice of God or acknowledging their own Guilt and Deserts and accusing themselves as the Authors of their own Misery and Destruction God would lose the Glory of his Justice and Power and Hell itself would be a very tolerable place to Sinners there would be Fire there to burn them but no Worm to gnaw their Consciences no inward Furies to torment them the Justice of the last Judgment which will stop the Mouths of Sinners and make them confess their own Guilt and Deserts will make the Flames of Hell so furiously rage and devour So that it is necessary that the last Judgment should be executed by a visible Judge that it may not be thought the Effect of Chance and Accident or Fate but the Result of the Divine Wisdom and Counsel that the World may see and know that God is come to Judge them and to take Vengeance on all the Workers of Iniquity and this also makes the Son of Man a very proper Judge of Mankind because he is a visible God and can appear in a visible Glory and as visibly Judge the World as any Earthly Prince or Judge when he ascends the Judgment-seat This will be the Glory of that Day to see the visible Appearance of the Son of Man in the Clouds of Heaven attended with Myriads of Angels to his Throne of Glory where he sits incircled with the Heavenly Host and all Mankind standing before his Tribunal expecting their final Doom from his Mouth Good Lord how will such a Sight as this affect us could we but paint a lively Image and Representation of Judgment upon our Fancies how would it warm our Hearts how would it disparage all the pompous Pageantry of this World how would it revive the Spirits of good Men inspire them with Courage and Resolution with Zeal and Activity in serving Christ looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ What terror would the thoughts of it strike into Sinners how would it cool the heat of Lust how would it make their Countenance change and loosen the Joynts of their Loyns and make their Knees knock one against another like the Hand writing upon the Wall while they are carousing in their full Bowls and drinking away the Thoughts of God and Judgment Who can possibly conceive the Joy and Exultation of that Day when good Men shall see their Lord coming in the Clouds of Heaven clothed with a Humane Body but bright and glorious as the Sun a Body which still retains the Marks of his Sufferings and the Tokens of his Love How will it transport us to see him whom our Soul loveth to see him whom we have so passionately longed and desired to see to see him whom we love though we have not seen him To see him I say not as the Shepherds did a poor helpless Infant wrapped in Swadling-clouts and lying in a Manger to see him not arraigned for a Malefactor nor hanging in a shameful manner upon the Cross but to see him in all his Majesty and Glory to see him a Triumphant Conqueror and Judge to see him with Crowns and Laurels in his hands and in him to see the Certainty of our Faith the Completion of our Hopes the Rewards of our Patience and Sufferings and our final Conquest over Death and Hell O joyful Day when this Royal Bridegroom shall come in the Glory of his Father to meet his Spouse the Church to conduct her to his Father's House there to see and there to partake in his Glory and never to part more Methinks I see holy and devout Souls in the highest Raptures and Extasies of Joy embracing and comforting one another at the appearance of their Lord Here comes the Blessed Jesus it is he himself the true Image of God the very Brightness of his Father's Glory This is that blessed Day we have so long expected and hoped for let us go forth and meet him let us hasten into the Embraces of our Saviour He is come to Judgment but let those
of this World and was worshipped with Divine Honours and St. Iohn tells us For this end the Son of God was manifest to destroy the works of the devil 1 Joh. 3.8 And Christ tells us That the Holy Ghost whom he would send upon his Apostles after his Resurrection from the Dead should convince the world of judgment because the prince of this world is judged 16 John 11. Where by Judgment I understand the final Judgment which the Spirit should convince the World of by that visible Judgment he would execute upon the Prince of this World For by the preaching of the Gospel he turned Men from Darkness unto Light and from the Power of Satan unto God converted great part of the Heathen World silenced their Oracles and exposed their Gods and their Worship their Temples and their Altars to contempt This was a visible Judgment of the Prince of this World and have not bad Men reason to look about them when they see their Prince and Captain so miserably defeated If Christ have already begun to execute Judgment on the Prince of this World is not this a plain Fore-runner of the final Judgment when the Devil and his Angels and all bad Men shall be condemned to Eternal Fire This assurance we have that the Son of Man shall Judge the World that God hath raised him from the Dead and thereby confirmed that Testimony which he gave of himself advanced him to the right Hand of Power and has already given some sensible Proofs of his Power and Justice in the Overthrow of the Iewish Nation and the Devil's Kingdom I shall only farther observe that this sensible Proof we have that Christ shall Judge the World is a sensible Proof of a Future Judgment as certain as we are that Christ is risen from the Dead so certain we are of a Future Judgment which is an abundant Confirmation of all those other Arguments from Reason and Scripture that God will Judge the World CHAP. IV. The Manner and Circumstances of CHRIST's Appearance and the Awful Solemnities of Iudgement IV. LET us now consider the Manner and Circumstances of Christ's Appearance and the Awful Solemnities of Judgment I have upon several Occasions hinted at most of these things already but the Order of my Discourse requires that I should say something particularly though briefly to them Now our Saviour tells us 16 Matth. 27. That the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels 9 Luke 26. That the Son of man shall come in his own glory and in his Fathers's and of the holy angels That the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them â—hat know not God and obey not the gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ 2 Thess. 1.7 8. That the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God which shall awaken the dead and raise them out of their graves but the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive that is whoever shall then be alive at Christ's coming to Judgment shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord 1 Thess. 4.16 17. That when the Son of man cometh in his glory and all his holy angels with him then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory And before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats 25 Matth. 31 32. Or as it is described in St. Iohn's Visions 20 Revel 11 12 13. And I saw a white throne and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and heavens fled away and there was no place found for them And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works This gives us a general Prospect of the Order and Solemnity of the last Judgment which is very Pompous and Glorious and very Terrible there never was any thing like it all the Roman Triumphs in comparison with this were but like the Sports and Apish Imitations of Children let us then particularly but briefly consider the several parts of it Christ shall come in his own glory and in his Father's and of the holy angels In his own glory that must signifie the Glory of his Person that is the Glory of an Incarnate God His Body will be bright and glorious as the Sun so it was when he was transfigured before them on the Mount His face did shine like the sâ—â— and his raiment was white as the light 17 Matth. 2. And if there be any new degrees of Glory and Majesty we may be sure he will appear in it all when he comes to Judgment The Scripture assures us that Christ is now clothed with a glorious Body and that at the Resurrection he shall change our vile bodies that they may be like to his own most glorioâ—s body and he himself tells us At that day the righteous shall shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father And if he bestows such Glory on his meanest Members how glorious will the Head be for St. Paul assures us that there are very different degrees of Glory There is one glory of the sun and another glory of the moon and another glory of the stars for one star differeth from another star in glory So also is the resurrection of the dead 1 Cor. 15.41 42. With what Glory then will our Lord appear when he comes to Judgment If the Righteous shall shine forth like the Sun how bright will the Sun of Righteousness himself be If meer Creatures shall appear so glorious what will the Glory of an Incarnate God be for he will not then appear as a glorious Creature but as a visible God as I observed before his Godhead will shine through his glorified Humanity as visibly as our Souls do through our Bodies and how glorious must that Body be in which the Deity appears a Glory which distinguishes a God from the most glorious Creatures But he must appear in the Glory of his Father also that is as I understand it with the Authority of an Universal Judge this is a great Glory for Authority and Power carries Reverence and Majesty with it whatever Mens personal Qualifications are though upon all other accounts they are much inferior to their Neighbours yet the Character of a Judge makes them Venerable especially to those who must be judged by them Authority is an invisible Character but yet gives a visible Majesty it is apt to impose upon our Judgments of Persons that we hardly think them the same Men when they are in Authority and out of it and
and this Punishment bad Men have by being suffered to stand by and see the glorious Rewards of the Righteous But there is a further reason also for this that good Men when they are acquitted and absolved shall together with their Lord sit in Judgment on the wicked World 1 Cor. 6.2 3. Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world Know ye not that we shall judge angels How far this extends we know not but it seems such a thing there is as was universally believed in the Apostle's Days as appears from his Appeal to their own knowledge of it but if they must Judge the World it is reasonable to think that their own Judgment must be over first I shall name but one thing more which I have had several occasions to take notice of already and that is That at the last Judgment this Earth shall be destroyed with Fire as S. Peter expresly tells us The day of the Lord shall come like a thief in the night in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up 2 Pet. 3.10 This has been an old Tradition that the World shall be destroyed by Fire and some Men are very curious and inquisitive by what Natural Causes this may be done for they are not willing to allow that God either made or destroys the World by an immediate Power for the less they leave for God to do the less they are concerned about him but though it is hard to perswade some Men now that there was any need of a God to make the World which they think could make itself without him yet the last Judgment shall convince them that it is God that destroys it when they shall see the World fired by a flame streaming from his Throne as is not improbable by the Description of the Prophet Daniel A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him 7 Dan. 10. The only Question is Whether the World shall be fired at Christ's first appearance to Judgment or after the final Sentence pronounced against bad Men The first does not seem probable because Christ himself shall place his Throne in the Air and all Mankind shall be gathered before him to Judgment and a fired World is not a proper Scene for such an Appearance and the burning of the World seems to be an Act of Judgment and Vengeance as St. Paul tells us He shall descend from heaven in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God 2 Thess. 1.8 So that the Devil and bad Men shall first be condemned to Everlasting Fire and then their Punishment shall begin in a Fired World Thus I have given you a brief View of the Circumstances and Manner of Christ's Appearance and the Awful Solemnities of Judgment every part of which is for the Glory of our Lord for the Comfort of good Men and a Terrour to the wicked God grant we may so think of this Day before hand that we may not feel the Terrour and Astonishment of it when it comes CHAP. V. Who are to be Iudged viz. The World or all Mankind V. LET us consider who are to be judged and they are the World or all Mankind for I shall take no notice of the Judgment of the Devil and the Apostate Angels which we know no more of but only that they shall be judged that the angels which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day Jude v. 6. Why their Judgment is deferred so long we cannot tell for it is plain that the Angels fell from their first Estate before Man and how long we know not for it was the Serpent that beguiled Eve but this we know that whatever their first Apostasie was they have a great deal more to answer for now and must expect a more terrible Condemnation All the Sin that is in the World is originally owing to the Temptation of the Devil who seduced our first Parents in Paradise and has ever since been the great Tempter to Wickedness and Apostasie from God and therefore he is in some degree entitled to all the Wickedness of Mankind And this is a good reason why the Devil and his Angels and all bad Men should be judged and condemned together those who tempt and those who are overcome by Temptations the Prince of Darkness and all his Subjects whether Angels or Men. Hell is the Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels not for Men but when he has drawn Mankind into the Apostasie it is fit they should share in his Punishments too and when our Lord comes to Judge Men who have been seduced and corrupted by Evil Spirits there is no reason to think that wicked Spirits should escape who have seduced and tyrannized over Mankind But that which we are at present concerned in is the Judgment of Mankind That God hath appointed a Day wherein he will Judge the World or the whole Race of Men as St. Iohn represents it I saw the dead small and great stand before God 20 Revel 12. No Man who believes a Future Judgement makes any doubt of this but that all shall be judged For if any why not all We are all alike God's Creatures we are all equally accountable to him and though we have very different Talents yet we have all some Talent or other to improve for our Master's use And therefore I shall not go about to convince any Man that he is to be judged as well as the rest of Mankind but there are some Persons who are apt to forget this who have yet as much occasion to think of a Future Judgment as any other Men and therefore ought to be minded of it and they are those who are very Rich and Great or very Poor or in the Vigour and Gaiety of Youth 1 st Rich and Great Men Princes and Potentates Men of Honour and Fortune who are exalted above the common Level of Mankind These must all be judged as well as the meanest Men though they are not very apt to think of it great Power and great Riches make them reverenced and adored like so many little Deities in this World all Men court and flatter them and make a great distinction between them and those of a meaner Rank and Fortune and this is apt to swell their Minds they look down upon the rest of the World as very much below them and think they merit much when ever they look up to God for such great Men as they are to worship God and lift up their Eyes sometimes to Heaven they imagine is so great an Honour to God and Credit to Religion that a very little matter will be accepted from them they see Humane Judicatures very often have great respect for Mens persons in Judgment and they hope God will consider their
not taught at all or only taught the Art of Living in the World by Labour and Industry that God might as well judge Men for being Rich or Poor when their Fortune is not at their own disposal but owing to their Birth or to prosperous or adverse Events of Providence as to judge Men by the different Degrees and Improvements of Knowledge Thus as for Faith some never heard of Christ at all or if they did it was only under the Character of an Imposter or of a Fable but never had the true Reasons of Faith explained to them others have been very ill instructed in the Faith of Christ and never had opportunity to rectifie their mistakes and yet as no Man is bound to know what Nature does not teach unless it be revealed to him so no Man is bound to believe what he has not so much as heard of nor to believe every thing he does hear without sufficient Evidence nor to receive the true Faith of Christ which he was never taught So that should God divide the World at the Last Day only into Believers and Infidels this would be a very unequal distribution because great part of the World never had the Faith of CHRIST preached to them and though Infidelity will condemn those Men who have been instructed in the Faith of CHRIST and would not believe yet it cannot in Reason and Justice be imputed to those Men who never heard of Christ. But now the Being and Providence of God and the Differences of Good and Evil are known to all Mankind Nature teaches this and therefore all Mankind are bound to know it and all Mankind may be judged by this Rule whether they know God and worship him as God and take care to do that which is good and to avoid the evil This account St. Paul gives us of it For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened 1 Rom. 18 19 20 21. And the same Apostle tells us That the Gentiles which have not the Law no Divine written Law do by nature the things contained in the law these having not the law are a law unto themselves which shew the work of the law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another 2 Rom. 14 15 16. So that all Mankind even Heathens themselves have a natural knowledge of GOD and of Good and Evil and therefore may be judged for what they know and condemned by God for transgressing those Laws of Righteousness for which their own Consciences condemn them for this leaves them without excuse And if God will judge the Heathens by their Works and condemn them for those sins they commit against the Light of Nature an equal Justice requires that Christians shall be judged by their Works also For is it equal to damn a Heathen for those Sins which a Christian may commit and be saved Will equal and impartial Justice allow that when a Heathen and a Christian are equally wicked the Christian shall be saved and the Heathen damned Is not this to accept the Persons of Men in Judgment to make a difference between the Men when there is no difference in their Actions And yet the same Apostle tells us There is no respect of persons with God for as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law 2 Rom. 11 12. And that this is the Rule of Judgment in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ according to the gospel v. 16. There is no other common and general Rule whereby all Mankind can be judged but only this to render to every Man according to his Works for there is nothing else for which Men must be judged that is common to all Men but the natural knowledge of God and the differences of Good and Evil Christians indeed know more than the Light of Nature taught Heathens and therefore have more to account for than Heathens have but if Heathens shall be condemned for their sins against the Light of Nature if they shall be judged according to their Works Christians have more reason to expect this for if God be a righteous and impartial Judge he cannot condemn one Sinner for his Sins and save another as wicked as he The nature of Vertue and Vice is the same in all Mankind whether Heathens Jews or Christians and deserves in itsself the same Rewards and Punishments if it be righteous in God to punish the Sins of Heathens it is righteous in God to punish the same Sins of Christians to render to all Men whoever they be according to their Works for this is to deal equally with all Men. 3 dly I add farther that nothing else is the proper Object of Judgment but the Good or Evil of our Actions and therefore if we be judged at all we must be judged for the Good or Evil we have done For does Judging signifie any thing else but Examining what Good or Evil such a Man hath done and rewarding or punishing him according to the Good or Evil he has done And therefore a righteous Judge cannot judge Men cannot reward or punish them for that which is neither Good nor Evil. Now is there any thing Good or Evil but Vertue or Vice What is Knowledge good for which does not direct and govern our Lives What is Faith good for which does not renew and sanctifie us Are there not very knowing and believing Devils Does not Faith and Knowledge make every sin we commit against Faith and against Knowledge the more inexcusable Does not our Saviour tell us That he who knows his master's will and does it not shall be beaten with many stripes What Merit or Vertue is there in a presumptuous reliance on Christ for Salvation to call him Lord Lord and not to do the things which he has commanded And can we think then that God will reward us for our Knowledge or our Faith and overlook all the Evils and Impurities of our Lives Will he reward us for that which deserves no Reward and not punish us for that which deserves punishment Is this to judge the World in Righteousness This is abundantly enough to prove that we must be judged according to our Works that we must receive the things done in the Body whether Good or Evil since the Righteousness of the
prove that he shall be judged i. e. that he shall be rewarded or punished for all the good or evil that he does in the World for a wise Being will take care to govern the Creatures which he makes and to govern them in such a way as is agreeable to the natures he has given them and since Man who is a free Agent can be governed only by Hopes and Fears God would never have made Man had he not intended to judge him that is he would never have made such a Creature as can be governed only by the hope of rewards and by the fear of punishments had he not resolved to lay these restraints upon him to reward and punish him according to his works how necessary rewards and punishments are to the Government of Mankind we see in Humane Societies which cannot subsist without them notwithstanding the severest Laws and the severest Executions every Age and every Country produces great Prodigies of Wickedness which no doubt would be much greater and more numerous were there no Laws and Government to restrain them and when the universal experience of Mankind convinces the World of the necessity of Laws and Government why should we think that the wise Maker of Man should not over-awe him also with a sence of his own Power and Justice which is a more effectual restraint than the Rods and Axes of Princes 4. Thus if Man by the condition of his nature be an inferior depending Creature he iâ— by nature accountable to God who is his Soveraign Lord and this is a good argument that he must give an account of himself to God for there is no reason to think that God will not call Man to an account when he has made him by nature accountable to himself for the nature of things is the most certain Rule to know how God will govern them at least the nature of things is a strong presumption unless there be plain and positive evidence to the contrary He who acknowledges that Man is by nature an inferior Creature who is acâ—ountable to God for all his actions must reasonably take it for granted without any further proof that God will judge him and call him to an account for God has declared his intentions to judge him by making him such a Creature as is to be judged and there is no pretence and shew of reason to say that God will not take an account of Man whom he has by nature made an accountable Creature unless we can produce a plain and express Revelation of God's Will that he will not judge Mankind No Man can prove by Reason that God will not judge Mankind for no reason can be good against the nature of things and the nature of things do most reasonably prove a Judgment and therefore we ought to take it for granted that God will judge the World till we see a plain Revelation that he will not This is worth observing because it puts the proof upon those who deny a Judgement where in reason it ought to lie for those who have the reason and nature of things on their side have as good natural evidence as they can have and need seek no farther but those who will believe contrary to the nature of things ought to prove their exemption from the Laws and Condition of their Nature I desire you seriously to consider this and to lay it to heart for it is a very sensible Argument and if well managed will convince you how foolish and unreasonable all your hopes are of escaping the Judgment of God unless you have some secret Revelation of this which the rest of Mankind know nothing of To represent this as plainly and familliarly as I can give me leave to ask you some few questions or rather seriously ask your selves such questions as these Why do I hope that God will not judge me am I not obnoxious to the Judgment of God am I not his Creature and is he not my Soveraign Lord and is he not then my Judge and why should I expect that my Natural Lord and Judge will not judge me Do not Parents judge their Children and Masters their Servants and Princes their Subjects and all Superiors their Inferiors and can I think that God alone who is the Soveraign Lord of all and from whom all inferior Power and Authority is derived should not himself judge his Creatures has God renounced his Authority or is the exercise of it too troublesome to him has he made us accountable Creatures but to give no account has he made us in subjection to himself to exercise no authority over us We had better say that God has made us all soveraign independent unaccountable Creatures which is less absurd then to say that God is our Soveraign Lord but will not judge us that is will not exercise his Soveraign Authority All this seems to be self-evident and to carry its own proof and conviction with it and there is but one Evasion that I know of by the help of which Men flatter themselves still into the Opinion that God will not judge them or at least that it is not evident from the Light of Nature that he will and that is that all this proves indeed that God may judge us if he please but not that he will we are his Creatures and obnoxious to his Power and Justice and this proves that he may judge us if he please but he is under no force and therefore if he please also he may not judge us and while this is possible Men who love their sins are apt to flatter themselves that God will not judge them Now this is no Objection to us Christians who have a plain and express Revelation of God's Will in this point that he will judge the World though it is an additional satisfaction to see that the nature and reason of Things do so well agree with Revelation but however at present I shall set aside Revelation and consider whether what I have now discoursed do not as well prove that God will as that he may judge the World Now to prove this I will only suppose one Principle which I will thank no Man to grant me That what the reason and nature of Things proves ought to be done that God will do for though God is under no force and necessity yet his own Nature is a Rule and Law to him what ought to be done every wise and good and just Being will do and therefore God will certainly do it who is infinite Wisdom and what the nature of Things require to be done that is the prescription of his own Wisdom for he made all things and therefore by giving such natures to his Creatures he has made a Law for himself and sufficiently declared what he intends to do Now let any Man consider what I have already discoursed and tell me whether a reasonable Creature who is a free Agent and under the power and authority of a Superior who prescribes him
self-evident Consequence that if God govern the World he will judge it that is reward every Man according to his Works for the principal Act of Government is to Judge and it is impossible he should be a wise and just Governour who does not judge The difference between the Providence of God or his present Government of the World and a Final Judgment is no more but this That they have different Ends and therefore must have different Rules and Measures but they are both God's judging the World and therefore if God begins his Judgment of Mankind in this World there is no reason to doubt buâ— he will finish and perfect his Judgment in the next if he judges Mankind now aâ— far as is proper to the state of this World it is a sufficient reason to believe that iâ— the next World he will exercise such act of Judgment as are proper for that State The great Ends of Providence in thiâ— World are the Preservation of Human Societies the Incouragement of Piety anâ— Vertue and the Discouragement of Vicâ— to keep Men under Discipline to lay Râ—â—straints upon their Lusts and Passions 〈◊〉 wean them from the love of this Worlâ— to exercise their Graces their Faith and Patience and Charity and by the different methods of Kindness and Severity as his own Wisdom judges best and fittest to reclaim the wicked and the wandering Prodigals and to advance good Men to greater degrees and perfections of Goodness the end of God's judging Mankind in the next World is to allot Men such Rewards and Punishments as are proportioned to their Works and Deserts to bestow Eternal Life on good Men and to execute the threatning of Eternal Death upon bad Men which is the Final Conclusion and Consummation of Judgment and if God judges all Men in this World as far as is necessary for this World it is reasonable to think that he will perfect his Judgment in the World to come Now it is plain he does the first as will appear from particulars He corrects the Miscarriages of Publick Government Publick Injustice and Oppression a Publick Contempt of God and of Religion and of all things sacred a General Corruption of Manners and an Inundation of Wickedness such Nations seldom escape long without a severe Scourge unless God makes use of them to scourge other Nations as wicked as themselves but a Righteous and Religious Nation which preserves Justice among Men and the Knowledge and Reverence and Worship of God is the Darling and Favourite of Providence and is blessed with all prosperous Successes both at Home and Abroad So the wise Man tells us That righteousness exalteth a nation but sin is the reproach of any people Thus it is apt to do of itself but the Divine Justice and Providence takes care that it shall do so for though every particular good Man is not rewarded nor every particular bad Man punished in this World yet God governs Kingdoms and Nations by a more equal and steady Justice for indeed publick Societies are the principal Objects of his Rewards and Punishments in this World because the good Government of Mankind depends so much upon it the Vertues or Vices of private Men have but a narrow influence and can do but little good or hurt but publick Government is a publick Good or Mischief and the Disorders of it are like an Eclipse of the Sun which brings Darkness upon the World and therefore such a very wicked Nation is seldom long unpunished or a righteous Nation oppressed And this is a visible Exercise of God's Judgment in this World in rewarding or punishing Kingdoms and Nations which are the great Wheels of Providence whereon the regular Motion and good Government of the World depends as I observed to you before that God governs the World by erecting Humane Governments and therefore is more especially concerned to govern them Thus in order to discourage Wickedness and to encourage true Piety and Vertue which is another End of Providence it is not necessary that God should reward every good Man or punish every bad Man in this World some few great Examples of such Rewards and Punishments are sufficient to this purpose especially if they are so many and so frequent that no bad Man can promise himself Impunity even in this Life nor any good Man have reason to despond or distrust Providence and as many Complaints as there are of the Prosperity of bad Men and the Sufferings of the good yet every Age and every Country nay almost every Village will furnish us with so many Examples of miserable Sinners and of the visible Rewards of Vertue as are abundantly enough to make all considering Men reverence the Divine Justice and Providence and therefore God exercises as great as frequent as visible Acts of Judgment as the State of this World requires Especially when we consider that this World is a State of Discipline a School of Vertue where we must learn to govern our Passions and Appetites to conquer vicious Habits and to live above the Body and the Pleasures of it to forgive Injuries to love Enemies to Suffer patiently to be contented with a Little to trust Providence to live by Faith and Hope of unseen Things now such a State as this will not admit of an exact Distribution of Rewards and Punishments Bad Men must not always be punished for their Sins because sometimes External Prosperity and a Sence of the Divine Goodness may work more kindly on them or if they be punished their Punishments must be rather Corrections than Acts of Justice that is they must not always bear proportion to their Deserts but to their Cure as a Father corrects his Child not so much to punish his Fault as to reform it And for the same reason good Men must not always be prosperous for they may need Adversity to exercise encrease and brighten their Vertues and to make them greater Examples to the World or if God sees fit to reward them it must be in such instances and such proportions as they can bear not always what they may deserve but what will be for their good Thus God governs the World with great Justice and Judgment as far as the State of this World requires and admits and what reason then is there to question whether God will judge Mankind in the World to come His Exercise of Justice and Judgment in this World proves that he is the Jâ—dge of the World not an idle and unconcerned Spectator of Humane Actions that he interests himself in the Affair of Mankind is solicitous to make all his Creatures happy is an Enemy to Wickedness and to wicked Men but the Friend Protector and Father of good Men and if God be the Judge of the World why should we think that he will not judge it nay if he actually execute Justice and Judgment in this World why should we think that he has reserved no Acts of Judgment for the next World which is a more
their Appetites and Passions and to make them good Men if there be no Reward for Vertue and Piety in the next World Why should he afflict good Men all their Lives whose Vertue deserves a more prosperous Fortune only to exercise their Faith and Patience and to advance them still to more Divine Perfections unless he intended to reward their present Sufferings and their eminent Vertue with a brighter and more glorious Crown There are many Passages of Providence which there can be no other account given of but that they are Methods of Discipline to conquer Mens love to Sin or to improve their Graces and Vertues And I am sure there can be no account given of this why God should with so much Patience and Forbearance expect the Repentance of some Sinners and exercise good Men with so much Severity to make them better unless the Providence of God in this World have a principal regard to the Rewards and Punishments of the next that is unless there be a Judgment to come to reward good Men and to punish the wicked This I hope is sufficient to make good this Consequence That if God govern the World at present he will judge it-hereafter SECT IV. The Natural Presages of Conscience prove a Future Iudgment and if there be a Future State there must be a Future Iudgment V. THe Natural Presages of Conscience are another good Argument or a Future Judgment that is all Men naturally expect to be judged to be rewarded or punished for the Good or Evil they do and this is a strong Natural Presumption that God will Judge the World This is an Argument of great moment and therefore deserves to be particularly explained to which purpose I shall I. shew you That it is so 2. That this is not an artificial Impression but the natural Sence of our own Minds And 3. That this does prove that God will Judge the World and render to every Man according to his Works I. That it is so that all Men have a natural Presage of Judgment there is indeed a very â—ormidable Objection against this That very few Men live as if they did expect to be judged But this is as good an Argument against Mens belief of the Gospel of Christ and the express Revelation of a Future Judgment as it is against the Natural Sence and Presages of Conscience for there are too many who profess to believe the Gospel but do not live as if they did believe a Judgment But I need not trouble myself about this because it is an Objection only to Atheists and Infidels if indeed it be an Objection to them Other bad Men who live as if they did not believe a Judgment yet feel in themselves that they do believe it and when they think of it they believe and tremble too as the Devils do though at other times they are over-powered by the World and the Flesh to act contrary to the Convictions of Conscience and the Fears of Judgment The Heathens themselves who had only the Light of Nature to direct them were very sensible of the private Judgement of their own Consciences which did either accuse them when they did ill and fill them with remorse and fear of Vengeance or excuse commend and applaud them when they did well and give them great and chearful Hopes of a Reward as St. Paul tells us 2 Rom. 14.15 and is frequently observed by the Heathen Philosophers Poets Orators and Historians as a thing universally acknowledged and indeed I know no Man at this day who denies it and therefore I need not prove it All Men feel this in themselves even Atheists and Infidels whenever they are serious and thoughtful when the Judgements of God overtake them or they see the near Approaches of Death and another World The greatest Power cannot defend Men from these Fears Princes and Politicians are equally exposed to them with meaner Subjects those whom no Humane Power can touch are over-awed by an invisible Justice II. Since this is universally acknowledged the onely question is To what Cause to attribute these Fears and Rebukes of Conscience The Atheist will by no means allow these Fears to be Natural but only the Effect of a Superstitious Education as they say the Belief of a God and the differences of Good and Evil are Men have been taught from their very Infancy that there is an invisible Power that governs the World which will reward good Men and punish the wicked and have been frighted with the Fairy Stories of Infernal Judges and Styx and Acheron or Hell-fire and this made such an Impression upon their tender Fancies as can never be wore out at least not without great Industry and Resolution of Mind and this they say makes weak Men conclude that they are Natural But this is a very absurd and ridiculous Account of the Matter as will appear if you consider by what Rules we are to judge what is Natural and what not for if these Presages of Conscience have all the marks and signs of being natural that we can have that any thing is natural we must either say that nothing is natural or that we cannot tell what is natural and what not or we must confess it great Perversness of Mind to deny that to be natural which has all the signs and Marks of being natural that any thing can have Now I. That is Natural which is universal or common to the whole Kind for we have no other way of knowing what the Natures of Things are but by observing what is common to all Creatures of the same Kind and Species for nothing is common to all Individuals but a common Nature and if what is universal and common to all Mankind is Natural these Censures and Rebukes of Conscience are Natural for they are common to all Men for though we should grant that some few Atheists had wholly conquered these Fears and never feel the Lashes and Rebukes of their own Consciences such few and rare Examples ought to be lookt on as the Corruption of Humane Nature not as the Measure and Standard of it for it is no news to say that Humane Nature may be corrupted that the very essential Principles of it may be depraved and in such cases we always judge and that with very good reason that what is most common and universal is Natural not what is as rare and as ominous as a monstrous Birth 2dly Especially when we consider that that is most Natural which is born and bred with us and is the Original State of Humane Nature for Nature is before Art and before the voluntary Corruptions and Degeneracy of Nature This Atheists see and confess and therefore attribute the Belief of a God and the Checks of Conscience and the Fears of Judgment to Education that these Principles were instilled into us from the beginning and grow up with us into confirmed and setled Prejudices and I readily grant that Education has a great stroke in forming our
they deserve and all that they proposed to themselves their Religion is a Courtship to Men not the Worship of God and this Principle will reach but a little way only to some external and popular Acts and is calculated only for the prosperous Times of Religion when it is in Fashion and Reputation and will give Men Credit and raise their Fortunes in the World but those who are Religious and do good for God's sake to approve themselves to him have a steddy and universal Principle of Righteousness which is as certain and immutable as God is and if God will certainly judge us if we must receive our final Doom and Sentence from his Mouth I know not whom we are concerned to please but him I am sure none in opposition to him As for Instance The Censures of the World are a great Temptation to most Men when instead of Praise and Honour an unfashionable Vertue meets with Infamy and Reproach and Pulick Scorn but St. Paul's answer will fit all such cases It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful but with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of man's judgment he that judgeth me is the Lord 1 Cor. 4.2 3 4. While we can approve ourselves to God that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have our conversation in this world The different Judgments of Men ought to be despised whatever Sentence they pronounce can have no effect for they are not our Judges but must be judged themselves and if we can appeal to God who is our Judge all the rest is but Pageantry and Childrens Sport a Ludicrous Imitation of Judgment which sometimes ends Comically enough when their Parents or Masters happen to see them the Judge and Jury are whipt and the condemned Innocent escapes But what will it avail us when we come before God's Tribunal that we have been not only absolved but praised admired applauded by Men who are incompetent ignorant or partial Judges So that if God be our Judge we have nothing else to do but to approve our selves to him we have but one Masteâ— to please and he more easily pleased too then Men commonly are who are never all of a mind and therefore can never all be pleased and seldom continue long of the same mind and therefore cannot always be pleased our Saviour himself experienced this Inconstancy when the loudest Hosannahs in three or four days time were changed into Crucifie him So little regard is there to be had to the good or bad Opinion of Men no wise Man will be contented to stand or fall by it and whoever makes this the Principle of his Actions can never be a good Man long but he who approves himself to GOD will like Religion never the worse for being reproached will be contented with the private Applauses of his own Conscience to shelter him against the most outragious Obloquies will take as great care of the frame and disposition of his Mind as of his outward Actions because tho' Men cannot see his heart God does will be as devout in his Closet as at Church will fast without any external show and appearance of Fasting and give Alms without the sound of a Trumpet with such secrecy as if it were possible to conceal it from himself that his left hand shall not know what his right hand does for he is not concerned that Men should know any thing of this and nothing is so secret but God knows it and his Father which seeth in secret shall reward him openly 6 Matth. 1 c. 2. As we must approve ourselves to God who is our Judge so we must fetch the Reasons and Motives of Obedience from a Future Judgment from those Rewards God has promised to bestow at that day on good Men and those Punishments he will inflict upon the wicked these as far as concerns Rewards and Punishments are the only Gospel-Motives of Obedience I say as far as concerns Rewards and Punishments because there are other Gospel-Motives of Obedience besides Rewards and Punishments such as the great Love of God in giving his Son for us the great Love of Christ in giving himself a Sacrifice for us which is a powerful Obligation on us to live to him who died for us and the powerful Assistances of the Holy Spirit to work in us both to will and to do which renders our Obedience possible and easie but the Motives of Obedience from the Rewards of Vertue and Punishment of Wickedness muâ—â— be fetched from a Future Judgment for these unseen and absent Rewards and Punishments are the only Object of Faith which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen 11 Heb. 1. And Faith is the only true Principle of Gospel-Obedience present Rewards and Punishments were the Motives of the Mosaical Covenant and this is a legal Spirit to serve God in expectation of a present Reward or for fear of some Temporal Punishment but future Rewards and Punishments are the Motives of the Gospel the Exercise of Faith and the true Spirit of Sons the not observing which was the occasion of that foolish Mistake that to serve God for a Reward is a legal and servile Spirit which is true if we speak of Present and Temporal Rewards but not of those which are Spiritual and Eternal And if we will be true and sincere Christians here we must fix our eye and with Moses have respect to â— future Recompence of Reward for no other Motives will fit all Times nor conquer all Temptations nor extend to all Acts of Religion Those who serve God for a present Reward to make their Fortunes in this World must quit his Service when Religion exposes them to Sufferings and Persecutions and to the loss of all things for Christ's sake those who abstain from Sin for fear of some Temporal Punishments must commit such Sins when they shall suffer more by not committing them when Men serve God for Temporal Hopes or Fears whenever the World promises greater Prosperity or threatens more terrible things they must necessarily change their Master for they must take that side on which the present Advantage lies Good Men sometimes meet with a Reward in this World Vertue may in some Junctures make Men Rich and Honourable but whoever courts Vertue for Riches and Honours will never court a poor and despised Vertue that is he does not indeed court Vertue but Riches and Honours and will rather take as much Vertue with them as is necessary to that purpose than go without them but Riches and Honours with or without Vertue are always welcome Whoever makes the Advantages of this Life his Reasons and Motives to Vertue will do no more good than will advance his present Interest and will be good no longer and this is a very sorry Vertue it had need have some Reward in this World for it will haâ—â— none in the next Those Temporal Promises which are contained in
the Gospel were never intended by our Saviour as the Rewards or Motives of our Obedience but only to eâ—courage and support us in our Pilgrimagâ— in this World that if we seek first tâ—â— kingdom of God and his righteousness 〈◊〉 we give up ourselves to the Obediencâ— of the Gospel and live upon the Hopes oâ— unseen Things and lay up Treasures iâ— Heaven all other things shall be added 〈◊〉 us God will provide what is needful for our passage through this World whateveâ— Difficulties and Discouragements we may meet with from Men. The design of the Gospel is to take ouâ— Hearts from this World to teach us noâ— to lay up for ourselves Treasures on Earth but in Heaven not to love this World nor the things that are in the World anâ— therefore it is impossible that Temporâ—â— Blessings should be a Gospel-Motive nothing in this World can be a Motive unless we love the World and therefore thiâ— can be no Motive of the Christian Religion which teaches us not to love the World unless the love of the World caâ— be a proper Motive and Argument to make us despise it and live above it And therefore I confess I have sometimes wished that there had been less stress laid upon the Temporal Rewards and Advantages of Vertue to perswade Men to Religion and upon the Temporal Evils and Miseries of Sin to discourage Men from it for this is not always true and if it were it is an Argument which will perswade no Men and if it did it cannot advance them to the heights and perfections of a Christian Vertue and therefore is no Gospel-Motive As for Instance Some Vertues are very healthful prolong our Lives and prevent a great many painful and mortal Diseases which the contrary Vices expose Men to such as Temperance and Chastity other Vertues are very proper Methods of Thriving in the World such as Diligence Prudence Justice others give us Reputation and Honour advance us to Rule and Empire and Publick Trusts Now this is sometimes true and sometimes not as the State of the World now is as I shewed you before that whatever natural Efficacy Vertue may have to make Men happy or Vice to make them miserable this may be in a great measure defeated by the external Circumstances of our Condition in this World and therefore this can never be a Motive that is it cannot be a reason why we should choose Vertue because it is not always a reason nay is as often a reason for Vice as for Vertue and if it be a good reason for one I cannot see why it should not be a good reason for the other for if it be a reason at all it is a reason for that side on which at present it is whether that be Vertue or Vice Indeed these Temporal Advantages of Vertue are not so much Reasons for Vertue as against Vice and that too only against such Vices or such Degrees and Instances of Vice as are destructive to Mens Health or Fortunes or Reputation however this Reason be it what it will will reach no farther than to such a degree of Vertue as will contribute to a happy and prosperous Life in this World and therefore will not raise us above this World will not teach us to despise Riches and Honours and Bodily Pleasures nay is not consistent with a mean Value and great Indifferency to present Things and therefore it cannot make us Christians and is a very improper Argument to perswade Men to be Christians it never made a Christian yet and never will do And therefore let us not think to conquer the Deceits and Flatteries of the World and the Flesh with such Arguments as these which have no strength â—n them which are more apt to make Men fond of this World then to conquer â—t But this is our victory which overâ—omes the world even our faith the hope â—nd fear of unseen Things or a Future â—udgment when God will eternally reward good Men and punish the wicked This is an Argument in all Times and in â—ll Conditions it will make us despise the World when it Smiles and Flatters and â—corn its Frowns Here are Hopes too big â—or this World and Fears too great and â—owerful for its Fears such Hopes as can â—upport us under the greatest Sufferings â—uch Fears as can imbitter all the sweets of Sin and therefore let us keep the Future â—udgment always in our eye let us fetch our Supports and Comforts from thence â—et us oppose these Hopes and Fears against all Temptations for here is our strength â—ll other Arguments are easily baffled but nothing can answer the Argument of Eternal Life and Death SECT VII Third Inference To refer all Iudgmenâ— to GOD. III. IF GOD will certainly Judge the World let us refer all Judgmeâ—â— to God or as St. Paul speaks Therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will maâ—â— manifest the counsels of the hearts aâ—â— then shall every man have praise of God 1 Cor. 4.5 Nothing is more indecenâ— nor more dangerous than for Men whâ— must be judged themselves to take Godâ—â— Work out of his hands and to assume 〈◊〉 Praetorian Power to Judge Acquit anâ— Condemn whom they please without expecting the Judgment of God to Judge is God's Prerogative and he will Judge the World And what hast thou to do 〈◊〉 judge another man's servant to his owâ— master he shall stand or fall Why 〈◊〉 much hast to prevent the Judgment oâ— God by our rash ignorant uncharitable Judgments Judgment will come time enough for us all and therefore judge nothing before the time This is so common a Fault and does so much Mischief in the World and yet is so very unreasonable considering a Future Judgment that it will be of great use to Discourse it more particularly and if it be possible to Correct this Miscarriage which is one of the greatest Plagues of Humane Society It is very obvious to ask here What is the Fault of this Is there any living in the World without judging of Men and Things Must we not say that he is a very bad Man whom we see do very bad things Must we not distinguish between Vertue and Vice and between good and bad Men Must we not make good Men our Friends commend and imitate their Vertues and reject the Conversation of the wicked and beware of Knaves and Men of ill Principles and Designs And is it not necessary then to distinguish between good and bad Men that is to judge who are so Must we wholly refer the Punishment of Wickedness and the Rewards of Vertue to the Day of Judgement and because God will Judge the World must not Princes and Magistrates execute Justice and separate between the Pure and the Vile This is so very unreasonable so inconsistent with the wise Conduct and Government of our Lives and a prudent Care of ourselves so destructive to
Failings this makes Men believe that they may be good and yet live wickedly if they do but take care of their Hearts and they can easily perswade themselves that their Hearts are very good It were easie to reckon up a great many Mischiefs of this judging Mens Hearts especially when Censures fall upon the Ministers of Religion whick weakens their Authority and Counsels and Examples and Reproofs which was the Case of St. Paul himself who it seems was censured on all hands but Appeals from Man's Judgment to the Judgment of God With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of man's judgement yea I judge not myself For I know nothing by myself yet am I not hereby justified but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of the heart and then shall every man have praise of God 1 Cor. 4.3 4 5. Let us then judge of Mens Actions according to those Rules of Good and Evil which the Gospel has given us but leave their Hearts to God who alone knows the Secrets of Hearts and who alone can judge them this is God's Prerogative and it is Presumption in us to intermeddle with it and worse then that it is very dangerous too with respect to our own Account at the last Judgment as our Saviour tells us 7 Matth. 1.2 Iudge not that ye be not judged For with what judgment ye judge ye shall be judge and with what measure ye meet it shall be measured unto you again So that if we will judge we ought to be favourable and charitable in our Judgment if we defire to be judged favourably by God and I believe there is none of us but will confess that we stand in need of a very favourable Judgment that God should make great Allowances for the Weakness Ignorance Folly Mistakes Inadvertencies Surprizes Temptations of Humane Nature and if we are so far from making any favourable Allowances for the Miscarriages of our Brethren that we search into their very Hearts and Thoughts to find something to quarrel with either to aggravate visible Faults or to turn appearing and visible Vertues into Faults what may we expect from the Just and Righteous Judge of the World It is a known Rule of Righteousness To do as we would be done to and all Mankind think it very just to suffer what we do to receive the same measure we mete to others and therefore we may make a Law to our selves and by a severe rigorous uncharitable Judgment of Men make God not an Unjust but yet a Severe and Rigorous Judge of us And if he be severe to marâ— what we have done amiss who can stand before him 2 dly As we must not judge Mens Hearts and Thoughts much less must we judge their final State to condemn them to eternal Miseries or to advance them to eternal Glories as we please for this is to pre-judge the Judgment of God and to prescribe to him whom he shall save and whom he shall damn by our own byaft and partial Affections It becomes us to take care of our own Accounts and to leave other Men to the merciful Judgement of God it is an argument of a very ill temper of Mind when Men are hasty and froward in pronouncing the Sentence of Damnation against others it looks as if they had a mind such Men should be damned as if they would direct God what to do least he should be too merciful It is enough for us to consider what the Terms of Salvation are which the Gospel has proposed to us and to take care to perform these Terms our selves whether other Men have performed them or not is none of our business to judge that God will do when he comes to judge the World But all pious and charitable Christians who consider what it is to be Damned are very unwilling to pronounce this Sentence upon any Man Our Church has been extreamly blamed by some Men for that Charity she has expressed in her Office of Burial towards all that die in her Communion when she teaches us to pray We meekly beseech Thee O Father to raise us from the death of Sin unto the life of Righteousness that when we shall depart this Life we may rest in Him as our hope is this our Brother doth And yet it may be the Person then buried is known to have lived a very wicked and profligate Life And how can we express our hope of the Salvation of such a Man Now the truth is our Church never intended this Office of Burial for Men of profligate Lives no more than she intended that such Men should live and die in her Communion for this Office is only for those who die in the Communion of the Church and were Church-Discipline duely exercised all such notorious Sinners must have been flung out of Church-Communion And those who raise the Clamour about this have been one great Hindrance of exercising Discipline having weakened the Power and Authority of the Church by their Schisms and Factions but taking things as they are I confess I can see no Impiety in it nor any such mighty Fault as is pretended The Church does not pretend to judge any Man's final State how wicked soever his Life was that is God's Work and she leaves them to him and what great Fault is it to hope well when we cant pretend to know enough of the worst os Men especially of the end and conclusion of their Lives to pass a final Sentence on them There are a great many degrees of Hope and one degree but the next remove from Despair that is but the next remove from pronouncing Damnation against them and if we must not do that we may say we hope still Suppose our Hope be no more than a charitable Wish how can that offend God that we wish well even to very bad Men an excess of Charity an Unwillingness that any Man should be eternally miserable is no Fault I am sure it is a greater to pronounce the final Sentence of Damnation against any Man But it is said that this encourages his wicked Companions who attend his Funeral to hope they may be saved too though they persist in their Wickedness to the last as he did now indeed what little matters may encourage such Men in sin I cannot say but there is no reason that a faint and charitable Wish should do this If they know the Gospel of Christ they know that He has threatened eternal Damnation against all impenitent Sinners if they know the Doctrine of the Church they know she teaches the very same thing if they saw their wicked Companion die they saw his dying Horrors and Agonies too which few of them die without if they have any time to consider their State and when they know and see all this is there any reason
they think Patience and Forbearance a greater Fault in them then it is in God who beareth with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction Why are they so unmerciful as to hurry away these poor Wretches immediately to Hell when God is contented to let them live on to let the Tares and the Wheat grow up together till the Harvest Why do they envy them the short and perishing Contentments of this Life when they are to suffer an Eternity of Misery Methinks it should satisfie the most implacable Hatred to know that they must be miserable for ever though their Miseries should be adjourned for some few Years but if this be the Effect of damning Men you may guess that the Cause is not very good though an uncharitable Judgment will hurt no Body but themselves yet it is of dangerous consequence when such rash Judges will be as hasty Executioners too 2. Though the effects of saving Men and voting them to Heaven be not so Tragical as those of damning them yet this has its Mischiefs too when any Party of Men have voted themselves the only true Church wherein Salvation is to be had or the only Saints and Elect People of God then all who will be saved must herd with them and most Men think it enough to secure their Salvation to get into their Number Thus the Church of Rome frightens Men into her Communion by threatning Damnation against all who are out of that Church and this reconciles Men to all their Superstitions and Idolatries for fear of Damnation and encourages them in all manner of Looseness and Debauchery when they arâ— got into a Church which can save them and it has much the same effect when Men list themselves with any Party where they hope to be saved for Company while all the rest of Mankind even those who profess the Faith of Christ are no better then the World and the Ungodly and Reprobates who tho' they may have more Moral Vertues then some others yet have no Grace And the mischief of this encreases when Men are Sainted after death Had it not been for this Trick the Church of Rome had had very few Saints to Worship none but the Virgin Mary and the Apostles whom they might certainly conclude to be in Heaven but as for their other Saints who were the great Founders and Examples of their Superstition they are Saints of their own making just as the Heathens made their Gods and it is the Stories and Legends of these Saints which support the Superstition of the Church of Rome for who dares question the Examples of those who are canonized Saints in Heaven Hac arte Pollux vagus Hercules innixus arces attigit igneas And there are another sort of Men who are not behind-hand with them in this who have a great many more Saints than the Church of Rome though they don't pray to them who send great shoals to Heaven especially if they have been zealous for promoting a Party which hides all other Faults and sanctifies very doubtful Actions and how powerful must the Example of such Saints be to excite others to an imitation of their Vertues In a word when we pretend to send Men to Heaven we make them our Rules and Examples we hope to go to Heaven with all the Faults they had and those who knew them possibly knew a great many what they were eminent for we conclude were great Vertues and fit for our imitation tho' otherwise of a doubtful and suspicious Nature There is not a more dangerous thing than to make any Man our Rule and Example and yet that we necessarily do when we send him to Heaven for who would not think himself safe in imitating those whom he believes to be in Heaven And if we consider at what rate both the Church of Rome and others make Saints we must needs be sensible how infinitely dangerous this is to Mens Souls To conclude this Head Let us judge charitably of all Men and hope well according to the different reasons we have to hope but let us leave their final State to God neither peremptorily damn nor save them it is to be feared that Humane Judgment has sent many Men to Heaven who will never get thither and to be hoped that many Men shall meet with a more favourable Sentence in the next World than they do in this God is the Judge of the World and he will certainly judge us and there is no Inconvenience in staying till the Day of Judgement to see what Mens final Sentence shall be but very great Mischief in pronouncing a rash and hasty Judgment our selves SECT VIII Fourth Inference To refer all Difficulties to the Day of Iudgment IV. IF God will Judge the World let us refer all Difficulties to the Day of Judgment It must be confessed that there are very great Difficulties in Providence such as the wisest Men cannot understand and I can by no means say it is a Fault for Men to search into Providence and to be very inquisitive into the reasons of it for what can more become a reasonable Creature then to study the Works of God and what Works more worth our study then the Divine Providence and the wonderful Mysteries of God's governing the World But the Difficulty is to set Bounds to the Curiosity of Mankind to teach them to study Providence with the Modesty of Creatures and with the just Reverence which we owe to God whose Wisdom is infinite and unsearchable to be contented to discover what we can to admire and adore the Wisdom and Goodness and Justice of Providence in what is plain and there is enough plain to exercise our devout Meditations to be matter of our Praise and Thanksgivings anda sure foundation of our Trust in God And this wise and good Men are contented with but most Men take least notice of what is plain as if that were of no use and not worth notice but puzle their thoughts and lose themselves in those vast Depths and Abysses which no Humane Understanding can fathom To Correct this Miscarriage would do great service to Religion would give great peace and satisfaction to Mens minds and prevent a great many scandalous Disputes about the Divine Providence and therefore if I discourse this a little more at large then my present Argument requires I hope it will be no great Fault Now to set Bounds to our Curiosity and to make us Modest in our Inquiries into Providence I shall shew you I. How dangerous it is to search too narrowly into the Secrets of Providence II. How unreasonable it is to disturb our Minds with such Difficulties as we cannot answer III. That what cannot be known in this World it is time enough for us to know in the World to come IV. That we have all the reason in the World to believe that what we cannot know in this World will be made very plain and easie at the Day of Judgment I. As
Providence against all the Reproaches and evil Surmizes of Men for he will appear just when he judgeth and overcome when 〈◊〉 contendeth Let us not disturb our Heâ—â—â— with such Difficulties as we cannot understand now we know enough to believe that God is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works enough to makâ— us devout Worshippers of God and tâ— enquire farther is a dangerous Curiosity like looking into the Ark of God SECT IX â—ifth Inference To affect our Souls with a strong and vigorous and constant Sence of Iudgment V. SInce it is certain that GOD will Judge the World let us endeavour by all means possible to affect our Souls with a strong and vigorous and constant Sence of Judgment The Belief of a Future Judgment is worth little when it ends in Speculation the use of it is to govern our Lives and to prepare us to give a good Account of ourselves to God since we know that he will demand an Account of us but a meer Belief that we shall be judged will not do this unless we affect our Souls with a Sence of Judgment The Experience of the World and our own Experience of ourselves does sufficiently prove this we all profess to believe a Future Judgment and most of us do heartily believe it and yet there are too many among us who give little reason to the World to think they believe it who commit those Sins every day for which they know God will damn them when they come to Judgment which one would think those who believe they shall be judged could never do so 〈◊〉 a meer Belief of a Future Judgment 〈◊〉 not govern Mens Lives but then 〈◊〉 very Men when they are awakened 〈◊〉 a Dread and Fear of Judgment feel 〈◊〉 Vertue and Power of it on their Hearâ— it makes them hate their Sins and 〈◊〉 themselves for them it makes them 〈◊〉 devout and importunate in their Pâ—â—â—ers very sincere and passionate in their Repentance very resolved to forsake all thâ—â—â— Sins and to live a new Life and thâ—â—â—fore if we would have the Belief of a Future Judgment make us good Men 〈◊〉 must not only believe it but affect oâ—â— Souls with a great Sence of it which iâ— true of all the other Arguments and Motives of Religion as well as of a Futurâ— Judgment The proper Enquiry then here is How we shall awaken and preserve such a poâ—erful Sence of Judgment in our Minds Now the only general Direction thâ—â— can be given is Frequently to Thinâ— and Meditate on a Future Judgment foâ— nothing can affect our Minds but ouâ— Thoughts which make the Object present and give us a near View of it 〈◊〉 it is in the Objects of Sence the Eye affects the Heart and excites and moveâ— the Affections more than all the Arguments in the World if we look stedfastly upon a terrible and frightful Object it will strike Terrour into us if upon a pleasant and beautiful Object it will excite Love and Delight if upon a miserable Object it will affect us with a tender Compassion to see Men in great Want and Misery will melt and open that Heart which was hardened and shut against all the Arguments and Motives to Charity and long and frequent Consideration will have much the same effect on us that Sight has Judgment is a terrible thing to bad Men and if they would but seriously think of it it would terrifie them if they would but imagine sometimes that they heard that last-Trumpet sound which will awaken all-Mankind and raise them out of their Graves and summon them to Iudgement that they saw the Son of Man descend from Heaven attended with his mighty Angels to execute Vengeance on all them who know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ that they saw the Earth all in flames about them and Hell opening her Mouth wide to receive them that they saw the Books opened and those Sins recorded which they had forgot and the Secrets of their Hearts disclosed and that they heard that terrible Sentence Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels do yâ—â— think that any Man who believes all this and would suffer himself seriously to think of it could bear up against the Terrour of it or that with these Thoughts about him he could court a Strumpet or spend his Time in Revels and Excess or Blâ—spheme God and Ridicule Religion or Cheat his Neighbour or Oppress the Poor and Fatherless or Forswear himself Noâ— we see this cannot be as often as we see â— miserable Sinner whose awakened Conscience distracts him with all these Scenes and Images of Terrour So that serious Consideration would make a Future Judgment very effectual to govern our Lives but the great Difficulty of all is to bring Men to consider and yet one would think it impossible that a reasonable Creature should not consider that he must be judged But so it is and there is no disputing against Experience and yet it is so dangerous and fatal a Neglect that it concerns us to enquire into the Causes and Remedies of it for could we Cure this it would quickly Reform the World give a new Resurrection to Piety and Vertue and secure Men from the Danger and Terrours of a Future Judgement Now there are two apparent Causes of this 1. That the Thoughts of Judgment are very uneasie and troublesome and that makes Men afraid and averse to think of it And 2. that Judgment is out of sight and they have nothing to mind them of it and their Thoughts are so taken up with other matters that they forget it unless they happen to hear a Sermon about it or some accidental mention of it which when they return to their worldly Affairs and Business they quickly forget again 1 st Men are very apt to avoid all Thoughts of Judgment because they are very uneasie and troublesome they startle at the mention of it at least do not love to talk too long nor think too seriously of it for it awakens their Consciences and makes them think what a sad Account they have to give how many things they have done and daily do which they can never answer to God when he comes to Judgment and therefore they choose to live quietly without disturbing themselves with such terrifying Reflections and the amazing Thoughts of what is to come Now methinks it is no hard thing to convince thinking Men of the Danger and Folly of this and to reconcile them to the Thoughts of Judgment For 1. To drive these Thoughts out of our Minds though it may give us present ease yet it will not mend our Accounts nor prevent our being judged God will judge us whether we will think of being judged or not were no Men to be judged but those who think of it there were as much reason to stupifie our Consciences and never to think of Judgment as there is for sick Men to take
former Agâ— give us an account of very terrible Judgâ—ments which God then executed upon the World and yet we see the Final Judgement is deferred and we know not hoâ— long it may be deferred still but though the general Judgment may be a great way off yet our particular Judgment may be very near God may quickly cut us off and put an end to our Account and when the Judgments of God are in the World we have reason to expect it at least so far as to be prepared for it Proxiâ—â—â—ardet Vcalagon when we see the Judgements of God sweep away so many Thousands round about us who not long since lived as secure and unconcerned for Danger as we do when we see the Clouds hover and rowl about the Heavens charged with Thunder and Tempest Who knows where the Storm will break next and who shall feel the Violence of it And therefore the Judgments of GOD which are in the Earth will give all considering Men such a present Sence of a Future Judgment as a threatning Sickness will do Present Judgments may suddenly cut us off and send us into the other World unprepared for a Final Judgement and there is no preparing for it there and then these present Judgments may prove Final to us So that those who live in such an Age as this will be utterly inexcusable if they forget their Account which they have such terrible Admonitions of let us make this use of present Judgments to awaken a more lively and vigorous Sence of a Future Judgment in us and that will make us good Men and secure our Eternal Happiness and is the best way to prevent any Publick Calamities of our Country which we may fear or to preserve ourselves from being involved in them CHAP. II. Concerning the Time of Iudgment SECT I. Concerning a Particular Iudgment at the Time of every Man's Death II. LET us now consider the Time of Judgment God hath appointed â— day wherein he will judge the world iâ— righteousness Now this plainly refers to that General Judgment when all Mankind shall be summoned before the Tribunal of CHRIST to be judged according to their Works But before I speak to this it will be necessary to take notice of what we commonly call a Particular Judgment which is supposed to pass upon all Men as soon as they go out of these Bodies The received Opinion is That when any Man dies he is immediately called to Judgment and receives his Final Sentence which is immediately executed on him that a bad Man is sentenced to Hell and sent immediately thither that a good Man is received into Heaven and enjoys the Beatifick Vision from the time of his going out of this Body But I must confess this has always appeared a great Difficulty to me we live in such an inquisitive Age as will not allow us to affirm what we cannot prove and indeed no honest Man ought to do so for it forfeits any Man's Authority and weakens the Credit of Religion when that which has no proof or at best is very uncertain is taught with as great assurance as that which is most certain and unquestionable in Religion and yet no wise Man will oppose and contradict a received Doctrine though he were satisfied it were a Mistake when there are no evil Consequences attend it For my part I must honestly profess that I neither dare affirm nor deny this Particular Judgment in the sence in which it is commonly understood for there are some Passages in Scripture which seem to look both ways and since I cannot decently avoid saying something of it I shall fairly represent to you what Intimations there are in Scripture about this matter for there is no other way of knowing this and I dare teach no more than what the Scripture teaches 1. Now in the first place thus much is very plain in Scripture that good Men when they die are translated to a place of Ease and Rest and Happiness and bad Men to a place of Misery and Punishment which I suppose is what Men mean by a Particular Judgment for this is a kind of Judgment tho' it be not performed with all the pompous Solemnities of Judgment to allot Men their different states of Life according as they have behaved themselves in this World The Parable of Dives and Lazarus is very express to this purpose 16 Luke 19 c. There was a certain rich man which was cloathed in purple and fine linnen and fared sumptuously every day And there was a certain begger named Lazarus which was laid at his gate full of sores And it came to pass that the begger died and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's bosom the rich man also died and was buried And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torment and seeth Abraham afar off and and Lazarus in his bosom That this relates to the state of good and bad Men immediately after Death is very evident especially from that Request which the rich Man made to Abraham to send Lazarus to his Father's House For saith he I have five brethren that he may testifie to them lest they also come into this place of torment Which shews that Lazarus was in Abraham's Bosom and Dives tormented in Hell or Hades while his Brethren were living and revelling on Earth and therefore this can't relate to a General Judgement but signifies that State they entred into as soon as they died and though what is generally said that we must not argue from Parables is very true as to particular Circumstances of the Story which are the Ornaments and Embellishments of Parables yet it is as true that we must argue from the principal Scope and Design of them and then we may certainly conclude from this Parable that good and bad Men as soon as they die are in a State of Happiness and Misery otherwise there is no Foundation for this Parable for why should one be sent from the Dead to inform the Living what Punishments bad Men suffer in the next World if they suffer nothing till the Day of Judgment which is not yet for in this case such a Messenger could not be an Eye witness of the Punishment of Sinners which is the only thing that is supposed to give such Authority to his Testimony I do not remember any other such express Text for the immediate Punishment of Sinners as soon as they go out of these Bodies and one such Text as this is enough but there are many Texts to prove that good Men when they die go immediately into a State of Happiness not only Lazarus was carried by the Angels into Abraham's Bosom but Christ promised the Thief upon the Cross that that day he should be with him in Paradise and St. Paul tells us That to be at home in the body is to be absent from the Lord but when they are absent from the body they shall be present with the Lord That is when they die when they
such vain and groundless Fears This ought to be plainly and fully stated for we live in the last Days and have many of these Scoffers already among us 1. But if GOD have appointed the Dâ—y of Judgment it is a very foolish Argument to say that he will not judge the World because he has not done it yet unless we could prove that the Day appointed for Judgment is already past God cannot be said to delay to judge the World wheâ— the time he has appointed for Judgment is not yet come for to delay doing any thing is not to do it in its proper season when it is time to do it or when we resolved and determined to do it and therefore no Man can say that God delays to judge the World unless he could tell whaâ— Day God in his own infinite Wisdom appointed for Judgment For 2. That God appoints a long Day for Judgment is no Argument that he will not judge us Thus it was in the Destruction of the Old World a great while before God brought that Universal Deluge on them but it came at last and swept them all away as St. Peter observes For this they willingly were ignorant of that by the word of God the heavens were of old and the earth standing out of the water and in the water whereby the world that then was being overflow'd with water perished This general Destruction of the Old World by Water is reason enough to believe God when he threatens to destroy it again by Fire For the heavens and the earth which are now by the same word are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men 5 6 7. It was a great while before God destroyed the Old World and though this second Destruction by Fire is deferred much longer it will come in its appointed time 3. For what seems a very long time to us is not so to God as the same Apostle tells us One day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day God is not affected with the succession of Time nor its lingring delays and therefore is not in hast to judge the World before the World is ripe for Judgment and when that is he himself knows best For to appoint a Day to judge the World is a Work of great Wisdom and Counsel Before God judges the World it is fit for him to display all the various Scenes of Wisdom and Goodness and Power and Justice in the Government of the World to exercise great Patience towards Sinners and to make the utmost Experiments to reform them as St. Peter tells us The Lord is not slack concerâ—iâ—â— his promise as some men count slackness but is patient to us-ward not willing thâ— any should perish but that all should coâ—â— to repentance v. 9. 4. When God finally judges the Worlâ— he destroys this present Frame of Things as it follows in the next Verse The day 〈◊〉 the Lord will come 〈◊〉 a thief in the night in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat and the earth also and the works that are therein shall 〈◊〉 burnt up Now it does not become â— wise and a good God to be hasty in dâ—stroying a World that he has made And therefore to reconcile God's dâ—stroying the World with his Essential Attributes of Wisdom and Goodness therâ— are two things necessary 1 st The incorrigible Wickedness of Mankind A wise Man will not immediately pull down a House he has builâ— till he discovers some irreparable decayâ— in it thus God justifies his Destructioâ— of the Old World from the Universal Corruption of Manners and the incurable Wickedness of it God saw the wickedneâ—â— of man that it was great upon the earth aâ—â— that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth and it grieved him at his heart And the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth 6 Gen. 5 6 7. And this was the only reason that could be given to justifie so universal a Destruction of Mankind that they were universally wicked excepting one righteous Family which God preserved and it seems very probable that the general State of the World will be very wicked and corrupt before the final Destruction of the World by Fire for we can conceive no other reason why God should finally destroy this World but to put an end to the incurable Wickedness of Men. And this is the Account the Scripture gives us of it we find every-where a deplorable Description of the Wickedness of the last Days In the last days perillous times shall come For men that is the generality of Mankind shall be lovers of their ownselves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traytors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5. Thus St. Iude tells us There shall be mockers iâ— the last times who should walk after their own ungodly lusts v. 18. And St. Peter as you heard that in the last Days there shall be Scoffers saying Where is the promise of his coming And our Saviour himself plainly intimates what an universal Decay there shall be of Piety and Faith when he comes to judge the World Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth 18 Luke 8. Atheism and Infidelity shall greatly prevail in the World before the Day of Judgement and by this as St. Iohn said long since We know that is the last time And this is one of the signs both of the Destruction of Ierusalem and of the Day of Judgment Then shall many be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many And because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold But he that shall endure to the end the same shall be saved 24 Matth. 10 11 12 13. And therefore the Destruction of this World by Fire which is the Preparation to the final Judgment is represented as an immediate Vengeance on the wickedness of that Generation of Men who shall then be living on the Earth though at the same time the Dead shall be raised and all ungodly men involved in the same ruin The Lord Iesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ 2 Thess. 1.8 And 10 Hebr. 27. it is called a fiery indignation which shall devour the Adversaries So that one thing God has regard to in appointing the day of Judgment is
and unriddle all the secret Mysteries of it when God comes to judge the World iâ— is to justifie himself as well as to judge Men for what St. Paul says is most properly applicable to the last Judgment Let God be true and every man a liar as it is written That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged 3 Rom. 4. And St. Iude makes this one great end of the last Judgement The Lord shall come with ten thousands of his saints to execute judgment upon all to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Jude 14 15. How many such hard Speeches do we daily hear against the Divine Providence and how hard are good Men who know but little of the matter put to it to answer the Cavils and Reproaches of Atheists and Infidels we can indeed say enough in general to vindicate the Divine Wisdom and Justice and Goodness but there are a thousand particular Cases which seem very hard which we can say nothing to because we know nothing of them But when all the World shall be summoned before God's Tribunal all the Ages and Generations of Men we shall then have a perfect History of Providence and that will expound the Reasons of Things which are now obscure when we shall hear how every particular Man every Age and Generation of Men every Country and Nation have behaved themselves and how God dealt with them what Talents they were entrusted with and what Account they give then all Mouths will be stopped and the whole World will become guilty before God 3 Rom. 19. Then we shall see an entire Chain of Providences and all the various and intricate Turnings of the Divine Wisdom in its different Forms and Administrations but still within the Sphere and Circle of Justice and Goodness How shall we then admire God when we shall see all these wonderful and curious Scenes unfolded when we shall observe the gradual and regular Advances of Goodness in the several Ages of the World proportioned to the Wants and Capacities of Men till it came to the full Maturity and Perfection of Gospel-Grace what a delightful Prospect will this be to good Men how will it enlarge their Knowledge encrease their Wonder inflame their Devotions How will it confound bad Men especially all the prophane Scoffers at God and his Providence how will this aggravate and encrease their Torments that they will be forced to admire and justifie God in their own Damnation which must turn all their rage and fury upon themselves This is reason enough why God should judge the World all together to justifie himself to all his Creatures and to make a glorious Discovery of all the Wonders and Mysteries of his Grace and Providence good Men see enough at present to admire and praise God but now as St. Paul tells us We know in part and we prophesie in part but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away When I was a child I spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things For now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known 1 Cor. 13.9 10 11 12. The Divine Wisdom will never appear so glorious as at the Day of Judgment because it will never be so perfectly known as then when he shall come to be glorified in his saints and admired in all them that believe 2 Thess. 1.10 What good Man would not long to see that blessed Day which will perfect his Soul with the Knowledge and Love and Admiration of God and give him such clear raised and divine Thoughts and Passions as are fit for Heaven and the immediate Presence of God whither he is a going what wise Man will not reselve to be very good that at that Day he may see the Glory of God with out Terrour and Astonishment with all those Raptures and Extasies with which such new and bright Appearances of the Divine Wisdom will fill the Soul 2. God summons all Mankind together to Judgment that Men and Angels may be Witnesses of his equal and impartial Justice We are all equally God's Creatures the Rich and the Poor the Honourable and the Vile and the Prince and the Subject are alike to him and Justice requires that they should be alike that the just Judge of the World should respect no Man's Person in Judgment Now there is no such way to convince all the World that God is an equal and impartial that is a very just and righteous Judge as to judge all the World together for then they themselves may see whether God be partial or not But there is a great deal more I mean by this for the Providence of God in this World is very liable to the Charge of Partiality that he has not an equal Regard to all his Creatures I do not mean with reference to their Fortune and Station in this World that some are Rich others Poor some Princes and Nobles entrusted with great Powers others Subjects and exposed to the Wills and Lusts of Princes for this is more easily accounted for such different Ranks of Men being necessary to good Order and Government in the World but I mean with respect to their Souls and their eternal State that God has not taken equal care to Instruct all Mankind in their Duty to acquaint them with the Danger of Sin and the Rewards and Punishments of the next Life and the Certainty of a Future Judgment and this is too visible to be denied God suffered Mankind to fall into Idolatry and when they had corrupted their Natural Notions of Good and Evil sent no Prophet among them to Instruct them better and when after some Ages he called Abraham out of Vr of the Chaldees and having tried his Faith and Obedience entred into Covenant with him yet he confined his Covenant to his Posterity whom he chose for his peculiar People and took no visible care of the rest of the World and though this was a great Priviledge of Israel above the rest of Mankind yet the Mosaical Law was but a weak and imperfect Dispensation but a Childish Pedagogie and the Iewish Church but in the State of Servants or of an Heir under Age. And though God did at last send Christ into the World to make a perfect Revelation of his Will yet it was towards the end of the World and what a wonderful difference has this made between those who enjoy the Light of the Gospel and the rest of Mankind as if they had not all the same Maker or were not equally his Creatures and yet how little a part of the World is there still which have the Gospel preached
clothed him with their own Weaknesses and Passions made him either a Tyrant and a Devil or such a tame easie fond Being as Men may make bold with without danger others prophane his Name corrupt his Worship or neglect and despise it some think themselves too big to serve God others too little to be observed by him some ridicule his Laws others take no notice of them and there are very few who are sincere Worshippers of him and acknowledge and submit to his Authority and Power and when God has been so much dishonoured in the World I think it is very fit that when he judges the World he should vindicate his own Glory make it publick and visible and force all his Creatures to own and confess it and the most effectual way to do this is by summoning all Mankind before him and judging them according to their Works Thus we see what reason there is with respect to God why he should not judge Men singly and send them privately and silently to Heaven or Hell but appoint a general Day of Judgment II. There is great reason for this too with respect to Men both to good and to bad Men for this is part of the Reward of Vertue and of the Punishment of Vice Many good Men have been used with the utmost Contempt and Scorn if they cannot comply with their Company and do as their Neighbours do if they boggle at popular and fashionable Vices they are gazed on as so many Comets and Prodigies and would be contented to be gazed on were they as far out of the reach of danger too as those Meteors are some call them Fools others Knaves and Hypocrites and treat them accordingly and is it not fit that God should vindicate these Men who have suffered Infamy and Reproach for his sake that he should publickly own them applaud and reward their Vertue And what a glorious Vindication is this if we can but have patience to expect it what a little contemptible Scene is this World nay this little Corner of the World where we live for whether we be praised or reproached it is likely we are never heard of out of the Parish and Neighbourhood or City oâ— Kingdom where we live and can't we be contented to let a whole Parish or City or Kingdom despise us to be publickly owned by God in the General Assembly of Men and Angels Good Men do a great many good actions privately which few or none are conscious to but God and themselves and therefore they lose the Praise which is due to such secret Vertues in this World but our Saviour has promised that such Men shall have praise of God that if we Pray and Fast and give Alms in secret Our Fâ—ther which seeth in secret shall reward 〈◊〉 openly 6 Matth. And this is a great encouragement to the practice of the moâ—â— secret Vertues that we shall be openly towarded for them Good Men are many times great Sufferers in this World are not only reproached but persecuted lose their Estates their Liberties their Lives foâ— Christ's sake and though God has strictly forbid them to avenge themselves yet he will execute Vengeance on their Enemies and do it publickly and make them the Spectators and Witnesses of it On the other hand Wickedness is many times very glorious and triumphant in this World is so far from suffering Shame which is the just Reward of it that it is applauded and courted and the greatest Prodigies of Wickedness are adored for their prosperous Villanies but yet Shame is the just Reward of Sin and it must have it at one time or other and nothing can more effectually cast Shame and Contempt upon Sinners then a General Judgment when they shall be publickly arraigned and condemned in the great Assembly of Men and Angels This will confound the most glorious Sinner who never blushed before for though while bad Men are supported with Power or are the most numerous Party and can out Vote and out Laugh the rest of the World they can secure themselves against the sence of Shame yet when they appear before such a Judge and have their Villanies exposed to all the World when they are stript of their Riches and Honours and Power and see all their Admirers and Companions past Laughing and Flattery and themselves despised and scorned by God and his holy Saints and Angels and condemned to everlasting Miseries it will then be impossible for them any longer to glory in their Shame Confusion will then cover their Faces and it would be thought very mercifâ—l to be damned privately without seeing their Judge and being exposed to publick Scorn and Censure Thus there are a great many wicked things done privately and concealed from the Eyes of Men and many times gildeâ— over with a form and counterfeit appearance of Religion and such secret Villaiâ— not only escape publick Shame but 〈◊〉 thought very extraordinary Men and great Saints now it is very fitting that such Men also should have their Masquâ— and Disguise taken off and be exposed to the View of the World just as they are and this God will do in that Day wheâ— he will judge the Secrets of Mens Hearts and bring to light the hidden Works oâ— Darkness And then what will it avaâ—â— them to pass for Saints in this World when at the Day of Judgment they shalâ— be known and be doubly scorned botâ— for their Wickedness and for their Hypocrisie What a severe Aggravation will it be of the Condemnation of the Wicked to see good Men whom they despised and persecuted whose Lives they thought Folly and Madness now owned and rewarded by God as our Saviour speaks To see them come from the East and from the West from the North and from the South and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdom of God and themselves sâ—ut out This will be a confounding Sight at that Day and as little as such Men now value Heaven to see the bright and dazling Crowns of those blessed Saints will pierce their Souls and wound them to Eternity This justifies the Wisdom of God in appointing a general Day of Judgment to reward good Men and to condemn the wicked but there is one good natured Objection against this which respects good Men for there are few good Men but may have some very wicked Relations who yet are very dear to them and how can they bear to be Witnesses of their final Condemnation to hear that Sentence pronounced on them Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels We tremble at the thoughts of it now and one would think it should over-cast the Glory of that Day to such blessed Saints to see such a terrible Execution upon those who were so dear to them but this is such a Mistake as the Sadduces Objection against the Resurrection concerning the woman who had had seven husbands whose wife she should be of the seven at the resurrection for they
heavens 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 Account 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 away and there was no more sea And I Iohn saw the holy city new Ierusalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying 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 Ierusalem 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 especially what St. Iohn says about the new Ierusalem'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 Presence 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 Vengeance 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 Resurrection 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 receive 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 begin 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 Judgment 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 Counsel 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 destroy the World which he has made without great necessity for it reflects upon his Wisdom and Goodness in making it The wise Maker of the World can have no inclination 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 Sinners 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 Patience 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 destroy it but this will justifie the Severity 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 Wisdom and Justice could spare them To be slow to execute Judgment is as essential 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 indeed 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 â—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 serious 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 Rivers 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 devouring fire who can dwell with everlasting 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 according to the Fate of some Heathen Idolaters they shall be sacrificed to their own God and tormented in the Embraces 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 purpose 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 Consternation 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 Conflagration 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 present 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 foreseeing 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 being hurt by this World With what Triumph will they behold God erect a new World for them to inhabite 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 Judgment 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 into 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 thoroughly 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 tempted 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 Misery that their Happiness or Misery must last as long as that new State does and their Sentence can never be reversed without a new Day of Judgment and therefore if this be the last and final Judgment good and bad Men must then enter upon an unalterable and eternal State of Happiness or Misery and this is the most comfortable and most terrible Consideration of all How will the Souls of good Men rejoyce 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 Maker is God when they can look forward to Eternity without fearing Death or any Change or Diminution of their Happiness which may encrease to Eternity and be always new and fresh but can never admit of any interruption or allay 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 enough for such a Misery Eternal Torment Blessed JESU have Mercy upon 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 concerned 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 after 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 Judgment 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 indeed 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 concluded that the whole was a Mistake and that there should be no Day of Judgment because it did not come when it was expected 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
tremble at Judgment who are afraid of the Judge we are his he has bought us with his Blood he has renewed and sanctified us by his Spirit and now he is come to own us in the presence of Men and Angels to bestow a Kingdom on us to receive us to himself that where he is we may be also and behold his Glory But then on the other hand consider I beseech you what a terrible Sight this will be to bad Men who have laughed at the Fable of a Crucified Jesus and mocked at Future Judgment And is he come will such a Sinner say and must I be judged at last when I thought myself so secure of Judgment Behold I see him and can be an Infidel no longer Lord what Terrour is there in his Looks how do his Eyes flame with Vengeance who can abide the Day of his Wrath How can I appear before him as my Judge whom I would not have for my Saviour what account can I give of my actions who never expected to be called to an account for them what Plea can I make for my self who would never believe who would never be perswaded how shall I bear his Presence and yet whether can I flie from him when he condemns me to whom can I Appeal from the Judge and the Saviour of the World O Wretch that I am who would never believe never think of this Day and now I must be condemned by the Saviour of the World Let these Thoughts then make a deep impression upon our Minds before that Day comes let us remember that the Son of Man will be our Judge he who laid down his Life for us he who now invites us to Repentance he who now promises Pardon and Forgiveness to true Penitents let this teach us to reverence his Laws to imitate his Example to put our whole Trust and Confidence in his Merits and Intercession That when he cometh again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead we may rise with him unto life immortal as our Church teaches us to pray Secondly Let us now consider what Assurance we have that the Man Christ Jesus shall be the Judge of the World and of this St. Paul tells us That God hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead But you 'll say how does the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead prove that he is made the Judge of the World For that any Man rises from the Dead does not prove that he is Judge of the World we shall all rise again the last Day but not to judge but to be judged This is very true and therefore if we knew no more of Christ but only that he rose again from the Dead this would not prove him to be the Judge of the World But we must consider 1. That the Resurrection of Christ is a great and irresistible Proof of the Doctrine which he preached this our Saviour himself appeals to as the last Proof of his Divine Authority Destroy this temple and in three days will I raise it up And thus his Resurrection from the Dead proves that he is the Judgâ— of the World for this he expresly taught his Disciples That God had committed all judgment into his hands that the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels and then shall he reward every man according to his works So that our Saviour plainly declared that God had made him the Judge of the World and God has confirmed his Testimony by raising him from the Dead 2. We must consider also that the Resurrection of Christ was his visible Advancement into his Kingdom then his Kingdom began when he rose from the Dead then all power was committed to him both in heaven and in earth 28 Mat. And that God has thus advanced him was visible to all Men in the Effusion of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles on the Day of Pentecost and in those wonderful Miracles which they wrought in his Name Thus St. Peter tells the Iews that the miraculous Effusion of the Spirit was a visible Proof that God had advanced Christ into his Kingdom 2 Acts 33. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear And from hence concludes v. 36. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Iesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ. Thus upon occasion of the Miracles the Apostles wrought when they were forbid to preach in his Name St. Peter tells the Sanhedrim The God of our fathers raised up Iesus whom ye slew and hanged on a tree Hiâ— hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance unto Israel and remission of sins And we are his witnesses of these things and so is also the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him 5 Acts 30 31. So that when Christ rose again he took possession of his Kingdom and he must Reign till he hath put down all Enemies under his Feet that is till he hath judged the World finally condemned all bad Men and rewarded his faithful Disciples and then he shall give up the Kingdom again unto his Father that God may be all in all 1 Cor. 15. But besides this there are two visible Effects of the Resurrection of CHRIST which are plain Presages and Preludiums to a Future Judgment the Destruction of the Iewish Nation and Policy and the Destruction of the Kingdom of Darkness 1. The Destruction of the Iews for their great Sin in Crucifying their Messias This Christ foretold he would do this is the meaning of that Parable of the noble man who went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return But his citizens hated him and sent a message after him saying We will not have this man to reign over us And when he returned he said But those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me 19 Luke 12 14 27. And therefore when Christ had foretold the Destruction of the Temple and his Disciples asked him When shall these things be and what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the World Our Saviour intermixes the Prophesie of the Destruction of Ierusalem the Fate of the Iewish Nation and the last Judgment or the end of the World the Destruction of the Iewish Nation being the beginning and the Presage of a Future Judgment 24 Matth. This was a visible Act of his Justice and Power and a fair Warning to the World what all the Enemies of Christ's Kingdom must expect 2. The Overthrow of the Devil's Kingdom in the World is another Presage of a Future Judgment When Christ appeared the Devil had his Kingdom in this World was the God
God 5 John 25 28 29. Verily verily I say unto you The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Which may indeed be understood of a Metaphorical or Spiritual Death and Resurrection that those who were dead in Sin should be raised to a new Spiritual Life by hearing the Voice of the Son of God and believing on him but though our Saviour might intend this sence yet he meant somewhat more by it as appears from what follows Marâ—â— not at this for the hour is coming in the which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation So that the Voice of Christ shall raise the Dead which may well be called the Trump of God when it shall found through all the World and give a new Life to the Dead and summon 'em to Judgment For this is another very material Circumstance of the Future Judgment that all the Dead both good and bad shall be raised to Life again and appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ that as we must give an account of whatever we have done in this Body whether good or bad so we must re-assume our Bodies again when we come to Judgment I shall noâ— now discourse to you of the Nature or Possibility of the Resurrection which belongs to another Argument but the Man Christ Jesus is the Judge of Mankind he appears in Humane Nature himself cloathed with an Humane Body though infinitely bright and glorious and he comes to Judge Men not unbodied Souls and therefore we must be reunited to our Bodies again for a Humane Soul is not a perfect Man without its Body An unbodied Soul is guilty of none of those Sins for which we must be judged for we must be judged for what we did in the Body the Man sinned and the Man must be judged and the Man must be either happy or miserable for ever Lord with what Horrour and Reluctancy will bad Souls enter into their Bodies again not to enjoy their old beloved Sensualities but to be judged for them when the very sight of their Bodies shall call to mind all the Villanies they acted in them when they must appear before their Judge with all the Instruments of Wickedness about them with those very Bodies whose members they had made servants of uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity with Eyes full of Adultery with Hands stained with Blood or full of Bribes or Rapine with a blaspheming a lying a reviling a perjured Tongue to unite a Soul to such a Body again is like tying a Man to his murdered Friend which will both scare and torment his Conscience and poison him with a noisom Stench The Body which was the Tempter and the Instrument in all this Wickedness will now be a Witness against him and an Instrument of his Punishment too But holy Souls will give a better Welcome to their Bodies Bodies in which the Flesh was subdued to the Spirit which were preserved pure and clean from all sensual Lusts which were the ready Instruments of Righteousness and Vertue which were offered up living holy and acceptable Sacrifices to God which suffered loss and want and torment and death for the sake of Christ good Men would desire to be judged in such Bodies as these which are visible Testimonies of their Faith and Patience and Mortification and Self-denial which are the Members of Christ and the Temples of the Holy Ghost Thus all Mankind shall rise out of their Graves and appear before the Judgment seat of Christ and therefore now let us Contemplate our Lord sitting upon his Throne the Throne of Judgment as he himself tells us 25 Matth. 31. When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy angels with him then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory Thus it is described in the Revelations of St. Iohn 20 Revel 13. And I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them What this Throne is or where it shall be placed we are not told but the most probable Conjecture is that this Throne is a bright resplendant Cloud in the form of a Magnificent Throne placed in the Air at some distance from the Earth for he is said to come in the Clouds of Heaven and St. Paul plainly intimates to us that his Throne shall be in the Air when he tells us that those good Men who shall be alive at Christ's coming shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and it is not improbable but this may be near Ierusalem where the Temple of God was where he conversed while he lived on Earth and where he was judged and condemned as a Malefactor and treated with the utmost Scorn and Contempt and nailed in an infamous manner upon the Cross for it seems to add to the Triumph of that Day to appear in all his Glory to Judge the World at that very place when he suffered Shame and Reproach and Death for the Sins of Men and from the hands of Sinners But this is all Conjecture though not without some appearing Probability and therefore I shall build nothing on it The Judge being sat all Mankind appear before him to give an account of their Actions and to receive their finaâ— Sentence Before him shall be gathered 〈◊〉 nations and he shall separate them 〈◊〉 from another as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats 25 Mat. 32. This 〈◊〉 I observed before our Saviour attributes to the Ministry of Angels who separate the Wheat from the Tares and the good Fiâ—â— from the bad for the angels we know 〈◊〉 ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation 1 Heb. 14. and therefore they know how to distinguish between good and bad Men and to separate them from each other This is the last and final Separation good and bad Men shall never meet and intermix with each other after this they live together in this World and conveâ—â— together are united by Relation and Inâ—â—rest are Members of the same Church and Worship God together in the same Holy Communion of Prayers and Sacraments but they must part Company at the Day of Judgment the one to the right Hand and the other to the left Men are very apt to flatter themselves now that they shall fare the better for the Company they keep no Church and no Communion is pure enough for them not that they are so much Holier than their Neighbours but they are of Opinion that God will judge of them by the Church they are of and therefore whatever Church strikes their Fancy most with an appearance of Sanctity and Holiness there they joyn themselves not so much to
against the express Declarations of Scripture that they shall not be judged according to their Works this will make them careless of a Holy Life and then when Christ comes to Judgment how Orthodox Believers soever they are he will say unto them I know you not depart from me ye that work iniquity 2 dly But whatever Notions we have of Grace nothing is more plain from the very Nature of Things than that the righteousness of the Future Judgment consists in judging Men according to their Works and therefore if God judge the World in Righteousness he must judge every Man according to his Works For 1. The Righteousness of the Future Judgment consists in rewarding good Men and punishing the wicked and in rewarding and punishing none else Now there is no other distinction between good and bad Men but what their Works make He is a good Man who does good and he is a wicked Man who does that which is wicked As St. Iohn tells us Little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous he that committeth sin is of the devil 1 Joh. 3.7 8. The nature of Righteousness is certain and unchangeable and cannot alter with Mens Opinions of it It is our likeness and conformity to God to be righteous as He is righteous and therefore is as immutable as the Divine Nature God may change our Natures and make a wicked Man holy by the Power of his Grace bâ—t he cannot change the Nature of Vertue and Vice no more than he can change his own Nature he can't make a wicked Man to be a Saint while he lives wickedly nor a Saint to be a wicked Man while he lives in the Practice of Holiness and Vertue the Nature of Good and Evil can't be changed and therefore a good Man cannot be wicked nor a wicked Man good without changing their Natures and God cannot account a wicked Man righteous nor a righteous Man wicked without judging contrary to the Nature of Things It would be impossible for wicked Men did they duly consider this to flatter themselves that God will so impute the Righteousness of Christ to them as to account them perfectly righteous without any inherent Righteousness of their own or without doing righteously For when they know themselves to be so far from being righteous that they are very wicked why should they think that God will judge of them otherwise than they are That he will call good evil and evil good light darkness and darkness light sâ—eet bitter and bitter sweet when he himself has pronounced a Woe against those who do it 5 Isai. 20. I am sure a Righteous Judgment is to judge of things â—s they are to judge Good to be Good and Evil to be Evil to judge the Tree by the Fruit that a good Tree is that which bringeth forth good Fruit and an evil Tree which bringeth forth corrupt Fruit. This is Truth and Righteousness in judging of the Natures of Things and Righteousness in judging as that signifies rewarding and punishing is to reward and punish Men according to their Natures Qualities and Deserts to reward those and those only who do such things as deserve a Reward or at least as make them capable of being rewarded and to punish those who do such things as deserve punishment for to give every Man his Deserts is to judge righteously All this is very plain and it is as plain that Righteousness and Vertue deserve a Reward and Wickedness deserves to be punished and therefore a just and righteous Judge must reward good Men and punish the wicked This all Mankind agree in they have no other Notion of judging righteously but this to reward the good and to punish the wicked but to bless and prosper and reward the wicked and to punish the good is without dispute confessed to be unjust Some Men dispute the essential difference between Good and Evil but all confess that what we call Good deserves Praise and Reward and what we call Evil deserves Punishment and this Distinction between Good and Evil the Laws of all Nations make and if this be accounted a righteous Judgment among Men if God will judge the World and judge in Righteousness he also must judge Men according to their Works unless he means something else by judging righteously than what Mankind understand by it And thus he has every-where declar'd he will do as I need not prove to those who have read the Scripture All the Threatnings both of the Law and the Gospel are against the Workers of Iniquity all the Promises are made to Holiness and Obedience and if this be the Rule of Righteousness and Justice it must be the Rule also of a righteous Judgment for to judge righteously is to judge by the Rule of Righteousness Now if this be a righteous Judgment to reward or punish Men according to the Good or Evil they have done how can God judge the World in Righteousness if he does not judge Men according to their Works If he should acquit the Wicked and bestow Heaven on them or condemn any good Man to Hell For will any Man say this is just And therefore let the Grace of the Gospel be what it will if it cannot make a wicked Man righteous without doing Righteousness it can never make it just for God to save a wicked and ungodly Man The Grace of God cannot change the Natures of Things Righteousness and Justice is the same thing under the Gospel that it was under the Law and therefore to judge righteously is the same thing too and that always did and always will signifie to judge Men according to their Works to judge those righteous Men who do Righteousness and those wicked Men who do Wickedness and to reward the Righteous and punish the Wicked 2 dly The Righteousness of the Future Judgment consists in the equality of it to deal equally by all Men now there is no other equal Rule of Judgment but to judge Men by their Works for there is nothing else for which all Mankind can be judged and if some Men must be judged for the Good oâ— Evil of their â—ctions an equal Justice requires that all Men be judged by the same Rule Men must either be judged by their Works 〈◊〉 by their Knowledge or their Faith As for Knowledge and Faith it is evident that Mens natural Capacities and the Circumstances of their Lives and Fortunes and Educations which are not of their own choosing and therefore cannot be imputed to them make a very great difference One Man has naturally a better Understanding a quicker Apprehension a more piercing Judgment than another or if their natural Abilities be equal yet the Circumstances of their Fortunes and Education make a difference One is better instructed trained up in the Art of Thinking and Reasoning and Judging and has leisure and opportunity to improve his Knowledge by Study while another as capable as he is either ill-taught or
a Man who is possessed with this true Divine Charity has all Christian Graces A Man who has not this divine Principle has no good in him and that is enough to damn him without enquiring what evil he has done It concerns us all seriously to consider this for if all uncharitable Men shall certainly be damned Charity is the only certain mark whereby we can judge of our future state whatever other good qualities we seem to have if we be not charitable there is nothing good in us nothing that God will accept or reward we shall be condemned to the Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels with all our other glittering and counterfeit Vertues but if to our other Vertues we add an universal Charity we may then joyfully and securely expect to hear from our Lord when he comes to Judgment Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world I say if to our other Vertues we add Charity for if we live in any wilful sin how liberal and bountiful soever we are to the Poor this is not Charity St. Paul supposes That Men may give their bodies to be burnt and all their goods to feed the Poor without charity 1 Cor. 13.4 And though our Saviour only mentions the external Acts of Charity in feeding the hungry and clothing the naked and visiting the sick and the prisoners because he will not allow of the pretence of Charity without charitable Actions yet he supposes that these charitable Actions flow from a true Principle of Divine Charity from the love of God and Men which it is certain those Men have not who allow themselves in any wickedness And therefore the plain state of the Case is this whatever other Vertues we pretend to without Charity will avail us nothing at the Day of Judgment for the uncharitable Man shall certainly be condemned though he were guilty of no other Crime that how charitable soever we are to the Poor in all the external acts and expressions of Charity this will avail us nothing unless we discharge all the other Duties and Offices of Religion because where there is not an universal regard to the Divine Laws there are charitable Actions without this Divine Principle of Charity but when Men have a respect to all the Laws of God and exercise themselves in all the Acts of Kindness and Charity to Men they unite the Principle and the Practise and have that Divine Charity which our Lord will reward with the Kingdom of Heaven 3 dly This is a manifest proof that the Rewards of good Men at the day of Judgment are wholly owing to the Grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ which confirms what I have already discoursed that we are judged by Grace as well as by our Works Christ has made atonement and expiation for our sins he has reconciled us to God by his Death and that puts us into a capacity of happiness but the reason our Saviour gives why he adjudges good Men to the Kingdom of Heaven proves that the Reward is of Grace not of Debt The only reason he assigns is the kindness they have shewn to himself When I was an hungred ye fed me when I was thirsty ye gave me drink when I was naked ye clothed me when I was sick ye visited me when I was in prison ye came unto me 1. Now in the first place it is great Kindness and Grace to Mankind that he should reckon all Acts of Kindness done to Men done to himself That Glorious Being who needs nothing that we can do for him from whom we receive the very power and ability of doing any kindness and yet Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me 2 dly And therefore he bestows Heaven upon them as a Reward of their kindness to himself now we all know the difference between rewarding Kindnesses and paying Debts or rewarding Men according to their Deserts In rewarding Kindnesses we reward their Love not their Works we don't consider what the actual Service was whether small or great but what the kindness and affection was that did it if the kindness and affection was great which would have done greater things if it could the affection is valued and rewarded though not the work as our Saviour tells us That whoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward 10 Mat. 42. And the Apostle tells us That where there is a willing mind it is accepted according to what a man hath not according to what he hath not But still it is Grace which values and rewards the affection which is not considered at all in making a Bargain which is so much work for so much pay And therefore in rewarding kindnesses we have no regard to proportions as we have in paying Debts or rewarding Services If we pay what we owe that is all that Justice requires if we pay a Labourer according to our Contract with him or according to the common estimation of his Labour this is all that is expected but there is no Rule no Proportion in rewarding Kindnesses where Men do not traffick for Kindnesses which is thought the most sordid Spirit in the World the least external expression of kindness we can shew may have the greatest return and no Man blames prodigality or excess in such returns And thus it is here our Saviour rewards our Kindness not our Work and that makes such a vast disproportion between the Work and the Reward between some few Acts of kindness done to Men and the Eternal Glories of the Kingdom of God No Works we can do can deserve such a Reward but when Christ rewards our Kindness not our Works the Reward must bear proportion to his own Grace not to our Deserts he may reward as liberally as he pleases for when the Reward is of Grace not of Debt no Reward can be too great for infinite Grace to bestow though it may be too great for our Works to deserve But this still convinces us that Heaven cannot be the Merit of our Works but the Reward of our Charity Works have a stinted Merit and the best Actions we can do cannot merit Heaven but Grace may reward Charity as it pleases and nothing but Charity has any Title to the Rewards of Grace which justifies our Saviour's account of the Future Judgment which assigns no other reason of bestowing Heaven upon good Men but only their Charity for Works bear no proportion to such a Reward and Grace can reward nothing but Charity all our Acts of Kindness to Men out of Love to God and our Saviour Christ. All the expressions of our Love to God and our Saviour Christ may be rewarded by Grace as we reward the Kindnesses which are shewn to us without
cannot deceive us for if we judge of our selves by the same Rule by which God will judge us every Man knows himself so well that he cannot mistake and when GOD and Conscience judge by the same Rule their Judgment must be the same but if we will alter our Rule of Judging if Conscience judge by one Rule and God by another then there is no wonder if their Judgments differ if GOD condemn those whose Consciences acquit them and absolve those whose Consciences or rather whose private Opinions and Fancies condemn them This is plain from the instances before us some Men justifie themselves in doing very wicked Actions but the reason is because they mistake the Nature of Things they call Good Evil and Evil Good and then their Consciences applaud and commend them for doing that which is very wicked but which they call good As our Saviour tells his Apostles The time cometh when every one that killeth you will think that he does God good service 16 Joh. 2. Others who know they are guilty of very great wickedness are yet very confident of their Salvation and full of assurance because they do not judge of themselves by the good or evil which they do but rely upon other marks and evidences for their Salvation Raptures Extasies Enthusiasms a presumptuous Faith in Christ an ineffectual sorrow for sin some arbitrary and fanciful signs of Election c. Now indeed these Mens Consciences do condemn them for they accuse them of great wickedness but they will not believe the Judgment of their own Consciences but judge of their final state by their own mistaken Fancies and Opinions and therefore according to the Apostle's Rule God will condemn these Men for their own Consciences condemn them though they will not believe the Judgment of their Consciences but justifie themselves in contradiction to it when Conscience condemns Other Men who are not condemned by their own Consciences that is who cannot charge themselves with any great guilt who are not conscious to themselves that they have lived in any known Sin or in the habitual neglect of any material and essential part of their Duty yet they strongly fancy that GOD will condemn them that they are under the Sentence of Reprobation that they have sinned against the Holy Ghost though what that Sin is they know not They want the testimony of the Spirit to assure them of their Election they have never felt the Spirit of Bondage and therefore they fear they have not the Spirit of Adoption that is they have never felt the Horrours and Agonies of guilty Sinners because by the Grace of GOD and the Blessing of a pious and vertuous Education they have always been preserved from those frightful sins which amaze the Conscience and therefore they fear it is but a false Peace they feel that God is not in this soft and calm Voice of Conscience because they have never heard nor seen the Thundrings and Lightnings from Mount Sinai Or though they maintain a great reverence for God and worship him with all humility of Soul and Body yet they do not feel those flights of Devotion those melting and languishing Passions which some good Men â—eel or if at any time they are transported beyond themselves and feel their Hearts all on fire with Love and Devotion these Fits are but short these Boylings and Fermentations go off and they return to a calm and even Temper and then they think they grow cold and that the Spirit of GOD hath forsaken them Now it is plain also that these Mens Consciences do not condemn them for they charge them with no such guilt as the Gospel of Christ will condemn them for but they are condemned only by false Opinions or by a misguided and disturbed Fancy In both these Cases Men absolve or condemn themselves not by the judgment and testimony of Conscience but by their mistaken Notions and Opinions and God is not concerned to confirm and ratifie such a Judgment The Sum is this When St. Iohn tells us That if our Conscience condemn us God will condemn us but if our Conscience do not condemn us neither will God condemn us he means by Conscience that Judgment which Men make of themselves by comparing their Lives and Actions with the Rule by which GOD will judge us for Conscience judges not by making new and arbitrary Rules of Judgment but by giving Testimony to our Lives and Actions The Judgment of Conscience is no more but this Whether we have obeyed or disobeyed the Laws of the Gospel whether we have done those things which the Gospel threatens to punish or which it promises to reward but when we judge our Actions by false Notions of Good and Evil contrary to the Gospel of our Saviour we judge by a false Rule and then our Judgment must be false and when we judge our selves not by the Nature of our Works as God will judge us and as Conscience judges but by Opinions and Fancies and some Arbitrary and Enthusiastick Marks and Signs this is not the Judgment of Conscience which judges only of our Works but the Judgment of private Opinions Conceits and Fancies and though God will judge us as Conscience judges yet he will not judge us as Opinion Fancy Enthusiasm or Melancholy judge us Thus we see how we may know what our Sentence shall be at the Day of Judgment Two sorts of Men may certainly know what their Sentence shall be and a third sort may know the great danger they are in if they will but listen to the Judgment of their own Consciences Men whose Consciences absolutely condemn them may certainly expect that God will condemn them For when their guilt is so notorious that they are forced to condemn themselves why should they think that a just and righteous Judge will not condemn them Those whose Consciences do not condemn them shall certainly be pardoned and rewarded by the Mercies of God those whose Consciences will neither condemn nor absolve them but do both by turns are in a very doubtful and hazardous state their Salvation as yet is very uncertain and it concerns them to work out their salvation with fear and trembling and to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure And should not this teach us to reverence the Judgment of Conscience as a Divine Sentence not to provoke our Consciences to condemn us to obey their Admonitions and to reform at their Rebukes and Censures What would Sinners think should they hear themselves condemned by God every time they commit a known and wilful sin And yet Conscience is the Tribunal of God judges for God and condemns us in God's Name and by his Authority and God will confirm and execute its Sentence and therefore Conscience is a very venerable Judge And ought we not diligently to hearken to that Judgment which Conscience passes on us This I am sure is of vast concernment both to bad and to good Men whether it
condemn or absolve Bad Men indeed are very much afraid of their own Consciences because they reprove and condemn them and threaten them with Hell-fire and therefore they fly from their Consciences will not hear them and will not suffer them to speak but what do they get by this but to drop securely and quietly into Hell and then Conscience will speak and never be silent more If they will not hear their Consciences now they must hear their Judge at the last Day Though Conscience be never so severe in its reproofs and censures they are the reproofs of a Friend the Judgment of Conscience is only to warn us of the Judgment of God to warn us to fly from the Wrath to come and would Men hearken to their own Consciences it would give check to them and reform their Lives if we would patiently hear Conscience threaten us with Hell-fire it would be the most effectual means to prevent our falling into it But what is the Joy and Triumph of a good Conscience which speaks Peace to us and gives us a secure hope in God which gives us the joyful prospect of Eternal Rewads of a Crown and a Kingdom of those Rivers of Pleasures which are at God's right hand When with St. Paul we can say I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which God the righteous Iudge will give me at that day 2 Tim. 4.7 8. This is a happy state indeed a plerophory and full assurance of hope which makes good Men impatiently long for the Day of Judgment to be put into the possession of so great a happiness and there is no way to have this but from the Testimony of our own Consciences The Holy Spirit indeed does give Testimony to good Men and fill them with joys unspeakable and full of glory but then the spirit beareth witness with our spirits that we are the sons of God 8 Rom. 16. Unless our Consciences give testimony to us the Holy Spirit never does all pretences to the Testimony of the Spirit without this are cheats and delusions and Conscience will never give this testimony to us without a tried and experienced Vertue till the Flesh be subdued to the Spirit till our Minds are refined and purified and our Conversations adorned with all Divine and Heavenly Graces Every new conquest we gain over this World every new degree of strength and vigour in serving God our increase in Charity and all good Works will add new degrees to our hope our Consciences will give the more ample testimony to us and that gives us greater confidence towards God which will make us joyfully expect that blessed hope and glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ. The END BOOKS Published by the Reverend Dr. SHERLOCK Dean of St. Paul's Master of the Temple and Chaplain in Ordinary to Their Majesties AN Answer to a Discourse Entituled Papists Protesting against Protestant Popery Second Edition 4 o An Answer to the Amicable Accommodation of the Differences between the Representer and the Answerer 4 o A Sermon at the Funeral of the Reverend Benjamin Calamy D. D. 4 o A Vindication of some Protestant Principles of Church-Unity and Catholick-Communion from the Charge of Agreement with the Church of Rome 4 o A Preservative against Popery Being some plain Directions to unlearned Protestants how to Dispute with Romish Priests First Part. Fifth Edition 4 o A Second Part of the Preservative against Popery Second Edition 4 o A Vindication of Both Parts of the Preservative against Popery in Answeâ— to the Cavils of Lewis Sabran Jesuit 4 o A Discourse concerning the Nature Unity and Communion of the Catholick Church First Part. 4 o A Sermon Preached before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London on Sunday Novemb. 4. 1688. 4 o A Vindication of the Doctrine of the Holy and Ever-Blessed Trinity and the Incarnation of the Son of God Occasioned by the Brief Notes on the Creed of St. Athanasius and the Brief History of the Unitarians or Soâ—iâ—ians and containing an Answer to both The Second Edition 4 o The Case of the Allegiance due to Soveraign Powers stated and resolved according to Scripture and Reason and the Principles of the Church of England with a more particular Respect to the Oath lately enjoyned of Allegiaâ—ce to their present Majesties King William and Queen Mary Sixth Edition 4 o A Vindication of the Case of Allegiance due to Soveraign Powers In Reply to an Answer to a late Pamphlet Entituled Obedience and Submission to the present Government demonstrated from Bishop Overal ' s Convocation-â—ook with a Postscript in Answer to Dr. Sherlock ' s Case of Allegiance 4 o A Practical Discourse concerning Death The Fifth Edition 8 o A Practical Discourse concerning a Future Judgment 8 o Printed for W. Rogers Books lately Printed for Will. Rogers A Sermon Preached at White-Hall before the Queen on the Monthly-Fast-Day September 16th 1691. 4 o A Persuasive to Frequent Communion in the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper The Eighth Edition 12 o Both by the most Reverend Father in God John Lord Archbishop of Canterbury A Sermon Preached on the 28th of Iune at St. Andrew's Holbourn By the Right Reverend Father in God Iohn Lord Bishop of Norwich 4 o A Sermon Preached on the 28th of Iune at St. Mary it Bow on Sunday the fifth of Iuly 1691 at the Consecration of the Most Reverend Father in God Iohn Lord Archbishop of Yoâ—k and the Right Reverend Fathers in God Iohn Lord Bishop of Norwich Richard Lord Bishop of Peterborough and Edward Lord Bishop of Gloucester By Ioshua Clark Chaplain to the Right Reverend Father In God the Bishop of Norwich 4 o The Necessity of Serious Consideration and Speedy Repentance as the only way to be safe both living and dying By Clement Elis Rector of Kirkby in Nottingham-shire 8 o Reflections upon two Books one Entituled The Case of Allegiance to a King in Possession The other An Answer to Dr. Sherlock ' s Case of Allegiance to Soveraign Powers in Possession on those parts especially wherein the Author endeavours to shew his Opinion to be agreeable to the Laws of this Land In a Letter to a Friend 4 o In the Press The Folly of Atheism demonstrated to the Capacity of the most unlearned Reader By Clement Elis Rector of Kirkby in Notting-hamshire 8 o 9 Heb. 27. 1 Tim. 6.3 Practical Discourse of Death Ch. 2. Sect. 1. 2 Pet. 3.5 6. 22 Matth. 30. 49 Ier. 18. 25 Iob. 6. 80 Psal. 17. 146 Psal. 3. 2 Ezek. 1. 3 Phil. â—2â— 13 Mat. 43. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— Rom. 1. 3 Rom. 20 21 22 24 25. 4 Rom. 5 Rom. 1. 2 Eph. 8 9. 3 Tit. 5. 2 Rom. 6. 2 Cor. 5.10 7 Mat. 21.22 23. 1 Rom. 18. 2 Rom. 8 9. 2 Titus 11 12. 6 Ron 23. 10 Act. 34 35. 2 Cor. 8.12 2 Cor. 5.14 Nimquam vir magnus sine Divino afflatu 119 Psalm 5 10 14 18 19 27 28 34 35 36 37. 51 Psal. 10 12. P. 415. 2 Tit. 13.
Future Judgment makes this necessary 3 dly Let us then consider how this matter may be reconciled that we are saved by Grace and justified by Faith in Christ and yet must be judged by our Works And this is very easily done for we shall be judged by our Works according to the Gracious Terms of the Gospel The Faith of Christ was never intended to give us a liberty in sinning or to excuse us from the necessity of a holy life and as far as the necessity of holiness is reconcilable with the Grace of the Gospel so far our being judged by our Works is reconcilable with our being saved by Grace upon the same Terms that the Gospel promises Pardon and Forgiveness we shall be pardoned at the Day of Judgment whatever the Gospel promises to reward shall be rewarded at the Day of Judgment and thus we are judged by Grace and by Works too This is easily understood by those who know any thing of the Gospel of Christ and therefore I shall at present but just mention it The Gospel of Christ promises Pardon of sin to true Penitents who are heartily sorry for their sins abhor themselves for them make restitution for the Injuries they have done to Men beg God's Pardon in the Name and Mediation of Christ and amend their Lives for Christ has made atonement and expiation for such Sinners and therefore at the Day of Judgment no Man shall be condemned for such sins as he has heartily repented of and reformed and this is to be judged by Grace as well as by our Works for the Law prescribes our Duty but promises no Pardon no not to Penitents this is owing to the Grace of God through the Merits and Mediation of Christ but though the Grace of the Gospel pardons true Penitents yet the same Gospel threatens eternal damnation against impenitent Sinners The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness To them who are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil And therefore impenient Sinners will be judged and condemned for their sins at the last Day by the Mediatour of the Covenant of Grace for the Gospel itself condemns them Thus the Grace of God that bringeth salvation and hath appeared unto all men teacheth us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world And therefore without holiness no man shall see God Heaven is the Reward only of good Men who live in the Exercise of all Christian Graces and Vertues and therefore good Men must be judged must be rewarded according to their Works and yet this is Gospel-Grace too for such a glorious Reward as Heaven is above the Merit of the most perfect Vertue in this World The best Man cannot challenge such a Reward from the Justice of God and therefore it is owing to Gospel-Grace the wages of sin is death but eternal life is the gift of God not the merit and desert of our Works through our Lord Iesus Christ. Especially when we consider that this great and perfect Reward is bestowed upon a very imperfect Vertue the Obedience of the best Men is very defective stained and sullied with Human Weaknesses Indiscretions Follies Ignorances Mistakes indecent Surprizes of Passion or coldness and flatness of Devotion and too often interrupted with wilful and scandalous sins such as nothing but Grace can pardon and therefore much more nothing but Grace can reward and therefore good Men are judged by Grace and rewarded by Grace though according to their Works We are all Sinners we are all obnoxious to the Justice of God would he be extream to mark what is done amiss but since a perfect Vertue is not to be expected from Mankind in this lapsed state God is pleased to accept of sincerity instead of perfection and through the Merits of Christ and Faith in his Blood to account him a righteous Man who sincerely loves and fears him and obeys his Laws though with the Weaknesses and Infirmities incident to Humane Nature So that our being judged by our Works signifies no more but that we are distinguished by the Good or Evil we do into good or bad Men according to the favourable allowances of the Gospel and then bad Men receive the just desert of their sins and good Men receive those Rewards not which they have merited but which the Grace of God and the Merits of Christ have prepared and purchased for them This is a plain account how Christians may be judged by their Works and yet saved by Grace and by Faith in Christ and the righteousness and equity of the last Judgment seems to entitle Heathens themselves thô they have no Covenant Right to it to some degrees of this Grace for I cannot think that God in judging the World will deal more rigorously and severely with Heathens than he will with Christians that he will demand most where he has given least which is contrary to our Saviour's Rule of Judgment and therefore I cannot but hope that Christ in judging of their Works will make the same favourable allowances to them which the Gospel makes to those who do believe in Christ that is to say that he will allow of the Repentance of a Heathen if it were sincere and hearty and did reform his Life as well as of the Repentance of a Christian that he will overlook the same Defects and Imperfections in the good Actions of Heathens who lived vertuous Lives who worshipped the One true God and observed the natural Rules of Sobriety Justice and Righteousness that he will in the Actions of Christians That if any Heathen should be found equally vertuous with the meanest Christian who shall be finally saved that Heathen at least will not be damned and indeed would seem to have reason to complain of unequal usage if he should St. Paul tells us both with respect to Jews and Heathens as well as Christians That God will judge the secrets of men by Christ Iesus according to the Gospel And if the Gospel be the Rule of judging all Mens Actions they must be all equally judged with respect to the Good or Evil of their Actions and be judged as the Gospel judges I grant the Heathens had no promise of Pardon upon their Repentance but yet all Mankind believed so well of the Goodness and Mercy of God that they hoped for Pardon upon their Repentance thus we find the Ninivites did and they had it and indeed it was this perswasion that taught them to pray to God and to offer Sacrifices which had been insignificant things had they not been perswaded that God both could and would pardon sin when Sinners repent Nor have the Heathens any Covenant Title to Salvation and yet they were generally perswaded that good Men shall be rewarded and the