nal Life, in the Kingdom prepared for them from the Foundation of the World: But those who have not obeyed the Truth, but have obeyed Unrighteousness, fhall be commanded to depart (and thereupon immediatey be dragged) into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels. Thus having in the First Place, endea voured to prove the Certainty of a Judgment to come: Having Secondly, thown who is appointed to execute this Judgment: Having Thirdly, confider'd fome of the Circumstances of his coming to execute it: And, Fourthly, enquired how he will execute it: I come now in the Fifth and Laft Place, to make fome Application from the Whole.and

First then, Since the Doctrine of eternal Judgment ftandeth upon fo firm and folid a Foundation; fince we are fo fure, that the Time will come, when we shall be judged for our paft Lives; let us live fo that we may not be condemned. It muft certainly be a ftrange Madness and Folly, for Men who know that eternal Damnation fhall be apportioned to impenitent Sinners, to perfift in fuch a Course as will infallibly lead them to it. If therefore the Hopes of Heaven can't excite us to the Performance of our Duty,

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let the Fears of being plunged into Hell do it. Let thefe Terrors of the Lord fupply the wants of Gratitude, and good Na ture; and frighten us into a Conformity to his Laws. Let not the Smallness of any Sin, or the Privacy with which we may commit it, entice us fo to do; fince the teaft and moft fecret fhall not be overlooked by the All-knowing Judge. Let us be fincere in all our Deportment, because though a Hypocrite may pass Muster here for a good Man, we may be fure that no Counterfeit will abide the Teft in that Day. In a Word, let us faithfully discharge our Duties to God, our Neighbour and our Selves; and then when CHRIST fhall appear we may have Gonfidence, and not be ashamed before him at his Coming.

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Secondly, The Confideration CHRIST'S being appointed to be our Judge, fhould encrease the Comfort, and ftrengthen the Hope of eternal Life, in' all the fincere Profeffors of his Religion. If we think of a Judgment to come, only as difclofing our Secrets, and pronouncing Sentence against us for them, there are not any who can expect to be acquitted or abfolved at that Bar. There is no Man but hath finned, and thereby deserved

Death

Death the Wages of it: And eternal Happiness infinitely exceeds the Deferts of our beft Actions, if we fhould fuppofe they had any: So that an utter De pair of it, and a fearful Expectation of the contrary, as the Wages of our Demerits, is all that, we can have in a Judgment, as fuch. But, now, fince CHRIST is to fit upon the Throne, and our Saviour is to be our Judge: Since we are to be fentenc'd not according to the Rigour of the Law, but the Mildnefs and the Mercies of the Golpel; we may look upon the Promifes as well as the Precepts of God; and confidently make ufe of in Relation to a future Judgment, any Sentence of Scripture, that affordeth any thing of Hope, Comfort, and Affurance; because we fhall be judged by that Gofpel which contains it. If we confider whofe Gospel it is, and who fhall judge us by it; we are the Members of bis Body, of his Flesh, and of his Bones, for which Caufe he is not ashamed to call us Brethren. He is our merciful and faithful High-Prieft, hath made Attonement for our Sins, and is now making Interceffion for us. So that if we receive CHRIST in all his Offices, as our Prophet; as our Prieft; and as our King: If we believe the Commands, as well as the Promiles of the

Gofpel;

Gofpel; or take the Promifes as they are, not as abfolute but conditional. If this Faith is made perfect by a conftant, fincére (though not finlets) Obedience to his Laws: If we expect our Juftification from God's free Mercy in CHRIST, without imputing any Merit to our own Perform ances; then bis perfect, exact, and unfinning Obedience fhall be imputed to us, and we fhall be abfolved and rewarded at the Last Day.

Thirdly, Let the furprizing Suddennefs of CHRIST's coming in the Clouds of Heaven with Power and great Glory, perfuade us immediately to reconcile ourfelves to God, by a fincere and hearty Repentance, left the terrible Day of God's Wrath fhould find us unprepared. How near that is to us, no Body knows; but 'tis plain to every one, that Death which will confign us to it, can't be far off; and if that fhould fnatch us away whilft we are in a State of Enmity and Hoftility against God, 'twill be the fame Thing, as if the Day of Judgment should overtake unprepared: For if we go hence with our finful Stains and Pollutions about us, we fhall be found fo at the Laft Day; there being no fuch Place as a Purgatory to cleanse us after Death. Since there

us

fore

fore every impenitent Sitiner treafureth up to himself Wrath against the Day of Wrath, and fince we know not how foon that Day will come, or we fhall be by Death confign'd and bound over to it; let us prefently let about the great Work of Repentance, that fo we may efcape the Wrath to come. Let us accept of Mercy and Pardon whilft they are tender'd to us, by immediately denying and forfaking all Ungodliness, and worldly Lufts; and by living Soberly, Righteously, and Godly, in this prefent World.

In fhort, if we would with any Comfort behold the glorious Appearing of the great God and Saviour CHRIST JESUS, we muft frequently meditate upon it. For what inexpreffible Confufion, Horror, and Confternation, must those be in at that Time, who had difcarded all the Thoughts of it? Their Hearts lurely muft fail them, for looking after thofe Things, which fhall be then coming upon the Earth, who had all along lived in a Forgetfullness of them. Since therefore we know neither the Day, nor the Ilour, of our Judge bis coming; let us watch and pray, left coming fuddenly he find us fleeping: Lelt he come at a Time when we least expect him, and find us in a Poltare uncapable of Mercy

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