yet this at least is evident from the lives of men, that SER M. they are strangely inconfiderate, and guilty of the CLXXVIII. moft grofs and stupid inadvertancy that can befal rea fonable creatures. For I dare appeal to any man of understanding and ferious confideration, whether a greater folly and madness can be imagined, than for men to profefs in good earneft to believe, that there is a day fhortly coming, wherein they shall appear before the impartial tribunal of the great judge of the world, and all the actions of their lives fhall be ranfacked and laid open, and that there is not any thing that ever they did, that fhall escape a fevere cenfure; yea, and farther to be perfuaded, that as it fhall upon that trial appear, that they have demeaned themselves in this world, they shall be sentenced to an eternal and unchangeable state, of happiness or mifery, in the other world; and yet after all this conviction, to live at fuch a mad and careless rate, as no man in reafon can live, but he that is undoubtedly certain of the contrary of all this, and verily perfuaded in his heart, that not one fyllable of what. the gospel fays concerning these matters, is true; this. is fo incredible a ftupidity and folly, that did not frequent and undeniable experience make us fure of the truth of it, out of mere charity and respect to human nature, it were not to be believed, "Confider this "all ye that forget GOD, and put far from you the " evil day; confider and fhew yourselves men, O ye "tranfgreffors!" who profefs to believe a future judgment, and yet run the hazard of it, as if ye had no fear and fufpicion of any fuch thing. II. Having confidered, not without wonder and astonishment, what manner of perfons the generality of men are, notwithstanding all the affurance we have of a future judgment, let us in the next place confi-. der, SERM. der, "feeing these things fhall be, what manner of CLXXVIII« perfons we ought to be in all holy conversation "and godlinefs, waiting for, and haftening unto the "coming of the day of GoD," as the apostle argues, 2 Pet. iii. 11, 12. How fhould the ferious believe of this great principle of religion work upon us, that we must all appear before the judgment feat of CHRIST, that every one may receive the things "done in the body, according to that he hath done "whether it be good or evil?" St. Paul tells us, that the confideration of it had a mighty awe and influence upon him, to be careful of himself, and to be concerned for others: to be careful of himself, in the verfe before the text, "wherefore we labour that "whether present or abfent, we may be accepted of «him. For we must all appear before the judg"ment feat of CHRIST." And to be concerned for others, that they may prevent the terrors of that day, in the verfe immediately after the text, 66 knowing "therefore the terror of the LORD, we perfuade "men. Knowing the terror of the LORD;" it were no difficult matter to make fuch a dreadful reprefentation of this" great and terrible day of the LORD," as would affright the ftouteft finner, and make every joint of him tremble: but it is much more defirable, that men fhould be wrought upon by reason, and convinced and perfuaded by a calm and fober confideration of things; becaufe that is likely to have a better and more lafting effect, than prefent terror and amazement; and therefore I fhall content myfelf with the naked reprefentation of the thing, in the plain and powerful expreffions of the holy fcriptures. Imagine then thou faweft" the Son of man coming "in great power and great glory, and all his holy angels with him;" that thou heardeft the great' 66 trumpet trumpet found, and a mighty voice piercing the hea- SER M. ftanding before God, the books opened, and the Depart ye curfed into everlafting fire, prepared for "the devil and his angels." Would not this be a dreadful and amazing fight! Why the gospel plainly declares that all this fhall be, and thou profeffeft to believe it. Why then doft thou not live as if thou didft believe these things? Why should not that which will certainly be, have to all reasonable purposes the fame effect upon thee, as if it were already and actually prefent? Why do men fuffer themselves to be diverted from the attentive confideration of fo important a matter, by the impertinent trifles of this world? Why do we not make wife and speedy preparation for " that day," which " will cer tainly come?" but we are uncertain when it will come, for "it will come as a thief in the night, and as a fnare upon all them that dwell on the face of "the whole earth." Why doft thou ftifle thy confcience, and drown the loud cries of it, with the din and noife of worldly bufinefs? Why doft thou at any time check and fupprefs the thoughts of a futurę judgment, and "put far from thee the evil day?" and not rather fuffer the terrors of it to haunt and pursue thee, till they have made thee weary of thy SER M. wicked life, till they have reclaimed thee to thy duty, CLXXVIII. and effectually perfuaded thee, " to break off thy "fins by repentance ;" and to refolve upon fuch a holy and virtuous course of life, that thou mayst be able, not only with peace and comfort, but with joy and triumph, to entertain the thoughts of that day? Reason thus with thyself, if this day be fo dreadful at a distance, that I can hardly now bear the thoughts of it, how infupportable will the thing itself be, when it comes to be prefent; and if it will come neverthelefs, nor the later for my not thinking of it, is it not reasonable, instead of putting away the thoughts of it, to endeavour by all poffible means to prevent the terrors of it? We especially, who profess ourselves Christians, and live in the clear light of the gofpel, ought to confider, that we cannot plead ignorance for our excufe, as the heathen world might. We read and hear the gospel every day, "wherein the wrath of "GOD is clearly revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men:" So that if we continue impenitent, we have no cloak, no excufe for ourfelves; wo unto us above all others?" It shall be "more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon, for Sodom and Gomorrah, in the day of judgment, than for us. "The times of ignorance," faith St. Paul, speaking of the heathen world," the times of this ignorance "GOD winked at; but now he commands all men "every where to repent, because he hath appointed "a day, in which he will judge the world in righ"teousness, by that man whom he hath ordained, "whereof he hath given affurance unto all men, in "that he hath raised him from the dead." Thus much concerning the general propofition, the certainty of a future judgment. SER SERMON CLXXIX. Of the perfon by whom the world shall be judged. 401 2 COR. v. 20. For we must all appear before the judgment-feat of CHRIST, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. IN N these words, befides the general point mainly SERM. intended, concerning the certainty of a future and CLXXIX. general judgment, there are likewise several particular propofitions. Thefecond fermon on First, That the administration of this judgment is this text. committed to the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Secondly, That all men are liable to this judgment. Thirdly, That all the actions which men have done in this life fhall then come to account, and they shall be judged for them. Fourthly, That this fentence shall be past upon men according to the nature and quality of their actions, whether good or evil. I have handled the general point, the certainty of a future judgment: I fhall now proceed to the particular propofitiohs contained in the text, and fhall handle them in the order in which I have propofed them. First, That the administration of this judgment is committed to the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and that he is the person constituted and ordained of GOD, to be the judge of the world. The tribunal before which Cc VOL. IX. we |