as Affeffors, and approve the Sentence which CHRIST fhall pronounce against the wicked. CHRIST JESUS then, the Son of God, and the Son of Man; He was born of the Virgin Mary, He who fuffered under Pontius Pilate; Who was crucified, dead, and buried, and defcend ed into Hell; He who rofe again from the Dead; afcended into Heaven, and now fitteth at the Right-Hand of God the Father Almighty, He it is that is appointed to come to judge the Quick and Dead.

Some of the Circumstances of his coming to Judgment are in the next Place to be confidered.

First then, His coming fhall be with furprizing Suddennefs. We are often told in the Scripture, that he fhall come as a Thief in the Night; CHRIST himself compareth it, to the fudden Flashes of Lightning; to the Deluge in the Days of Noah, to a Cry made at Midnight when they all flumber'd and flept. When Men fhall be drudging for the Devil, wallowing in their fenfual Pleasures, fquandring away their Time in Rioting and Drunkenness, Cham bering and Wantonness; then fhall their Jollity be dafhed in a Moment, by the fearful Sights, and afrighting Prodigies, which shall usher in the Judge at his ap

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pearing: When they shall fay, Peace and Safety, then fudden Destruction fhall come upon them: Then fhall they fend forth difinal Shrieks from every Quarter; be terrified with the dreadful quaking of the Earth, and the Flames of the whole World burning about their Ears. In fine, when Men fhall be abufing their Profperity and Abundance, by making it fubfervient to their Vices; when they shall be employed in the Works of Darkness, putting the evil Day far from them, or perhaps have quite forgotten it, then ball CHRIST fuddenly defcend from Heaven with a Shout, and unexpectedly come to judge the World. But

Secondly, He fhall come in the Clouds of Heaven with great Glory. He who, while upon Earth, was in a mean, low Condition, and vouchfafed to ride upon an Afs; fhall then be seen making the Clouds his Chariot, and walking upon the Wings of the Wind. He who once came rather to minifier, than to be miniftered unto, and had fcarce any, but a few poor Fishermen for his Servants; hall at his fecond Coming be attended by a valt Number of Angels and Arch-angels; thousand thousands fhall minifter unto kim, and ten thousand times ten thoufand

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fball and before him. He himself tells us, Luke ix. 26. that he fhall come in bis own Glory, and in his Father's, and in that of the Holy Angels. By which 'tis very probably meant, that his Coming hall be glorious in refpect of the Brightnefs with which his own coeleftial Body fhall be array'd, which may be called his own Glory: In refpect of the Authority his Father hath vefted him with of univerfal Judge: Or of his descending in Fire as God did among the Jews: Or of an extraordinary Manifeftation of the eternal Godhead dwelling in him; which may be understood by the Glory of the Father: And Laftly, in refpect of that mighty Host of Angels which fhall accompany him, making loud and frequent Acclamations to the Glory of his Holy Name; which may be meant by the Glory of his Holy Angels. But!

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Thirdly, He fhall come (as with great Glory fo) with great Power too. By this he fhall force all Mankind to appear be fore his Judgment-Seat; as well all the Generations of them that died from the Beginning of the World before his Coming, as that which shall be alive at it; and by this he fhall difpence Life and Death to them all. But 'twill be needless to speak

any more to this Branch of his Powet here; both becaufe it hath in fome measure Been already confider'd under our Second general Head; and being in a manner coincident with our next, will be farther enlarged upon under it; to which we therefore proceed; namely,

Fourthly, to enquire bode CHRIST will execute this Judgment which is to come. Now my Text fays, that he will do it in Righteousness God hath appointed a Day, in the which he will judge the World in Righteousness, by that Man whom he bath ordained. Since therefore God hath appointed a Day, in which he will judge the World in Righteoufnefs; and fince he hath ordained the Man CHRIST JESUS to judge; it follows that he will execute this Judgment in Righteoufnefs. And in Truth, this we might collect from the Confideration of the End of God's pointing this Judgment, and of the Judge himfelf. The End of God's appointing this Judgment, is to make Retributions of Rewards and Punifhments, according as Men fhall have obey'd or difobey'd his Commands; but how can this be done without Righteousness?

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Again, if we confider the Judge himfelf; he never was, could, or can be guilty

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of any the leaft Sin even in his human Nature, and confequently not of Unrighteoufnels. And then 'tis as impoffible for him to be guilty of any, and confequently not to be Righteous as he is God. For all Perfection, and confequently: Righteousness which is fuch, is fo effential to the very Notion and Being of God, that he could not be God without thofe Perfections, and confequently without be ing Righteous.

Nothing therefore can hinder CHRIST JESUS, from rendring to all their due, in the Day when he fhall judge the Secrets of Men. Error, Partiality, and Corruption which oft times obftruct the Courfe of Justice in human Judicatories, fhall find no Admittance at his Tribunal. 'Tis impoffible for any Error to mislead him that is Omniscient: For any Partiality to byals or sway him who is no Refpecter of Perfons: Or for any Proffers to bribe the Fudge of all the Earth to do wrong. But according as Men fhall have behaved themselves in this State of Tryal, so fhall they receive their final Sentence. Thofe who by patient Continuance in well-doing, have fought for Honour, Glory, and Immortality, fhall be bid to inherit (and therebe feated in the Poffeflion of) eterI 3

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