27.)

10.

nage them as his minifters and vicegerents in his name SERM. and behalf; so that universal and ultimate judgment he XXXIII. hath (for his own greater glory and our fpecial benefit) committed unto his beloved Son Jefus, our bleffed Mediator and Saviour; the fame who, with most admirable condefcenfion of grace and charity, did once come hither in our nature to rescue us from fin and misery; who underwent fo many croffes and troubles for us; who freely laid down his life to redeem and fave us; he it is, who is ὡρισμένος ὑπὸ τῶ Θεξ κριτής, decreed and determined by God (or under him, as his substitute and deputy) to be our (1 Cor. xv. judge: fo in our text; and fo again St. Paul; God hath As xvii. appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in right- 31. eousness, év ávògì ápicev, by the man, or in the man, whom Rom. xiv. he hath ordained; whence it is called the judgment-feat of 2 Cor. v. 10. Chrift, before which we must appear: and, The Father, 1 Cor. iv. 4. faith our Lord himself, judgeth no man, (that is, imme-27. diately and separately,) but hath given all judgment to the Son: and, The Father, he addeth, hath given to the Son the 2 Tim. iv. 1. authority, and to execute judgment, becaufe he is the Son of man; that is, God hath conferred on him the fovereign regal authority, and hath particularly committed to him that prime branch thereof, judicial power; even as he is the Son of man: so that as in our nature he performed all that was requifite to fave us, as in our nature he was exalted to God's right hand to rule and blefs us; bfo for confummation of all done in our regard, he fhall in our nature appear to judge us; awarding to us the rewards he purchased for us, or punishments for the contempt of his favours.

John v. 22,

13, 14.

And, indeed, that he under this name and notion was defigned to this office, even the ancient Prophets did forefhew: for it was one like the Son of man, whom Daniel Dan. vii. did behold coming with the clouds of heaven, having all royal dominion and power given unto him; and it was, according to Isaiah's predictions, the Son, born and given Ifa. vii. 14. unto us, upon whose shoulder the government should be, and 3. xlii. 1, 3.

b Illa forma videbitur Filii, quam fibi per facramentum incarnationis univit, &c. Profp. Sent. 337.

ix. 6, 7. xi.

SERM. to whom the kingdom fhould be affigned, to order it, and XXXIII. establish it, with judgment and justice for ever.

The point then is manifeft, that our Saviour Jesus, by defignment and deputation from God, is invested with this eminent office and power. And why it should be fo, many reasons, many fair congruities, may be affigned.

1. It was requifite (as we before touched) that the judge should be visible, and audible; fuch whom the parties concerned might (without extreme furprise and amazement) difcern and converse with, in order to their clearer and fuller fatisfaction, or conviction: fuch our Lord, the Son of man, clothed with glorified flesh, will be; his mild and sweet, though bright and stately afpect, all men in fome manner may be capable of feeing; his calm and clear voice all men may hear him the just may with cheerful fatisfaction behold fmiling on them with gracious kindness; and the wicked alfo with fad confufion may view frowning toward them with just disdain: thofe with comfortable joy may hear him acquitting, commending, and bleffing them; these with due regret also may hear him convincing, reproving, and denouncing the fatal curfe on them: fo that hereupon the former, with humble thankfulness, fhall willingly acknowledge and praise his grace; the latter, with fhameful horror, conftrainedly fhall confefs Rev. i. 7. their guilt before him: Behold, faith St. John, with an emphatical regard it seems to this confideration, he cometh

64. XXV. 34,

&c.

in the clouds; and every eye fhall see him, even they who Matt. xxiv. pierced him: and, They, faith our Lord himself, shall fee 30. xxvi. the Son of man coming upon the clouds of heaven, in power and great glory: and our Lord is represented in judgment speaking and arguing the case with all parties concerned, receiving their plea, and expreffing his mind to them: this is a kind of natural capacity qualifying him for this employment; but there are confiderations of a higher nature peculiarly fitting him for it.

2. It was indeed a good part of that regal office, which God, in reward of his obedience, and to declare his acJohn xvii.2. ceptance thereof, did confer upon him; giving him a power over all flesh, all authority in heaven and earth; whence it

Mat. xxviii.

18.

2 Tim.iv. 1.

is by St. Paul called his kingdom; I charge thee, faith he SERM. to Timothy, before God, and the Lord Jefus Chrift, who XXXIII. fhall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom he being then our King, and as fuch the fountain of all justice, muft either himself in perfon, or by fome delegate, adminifter it; but that he fhould immediately do it, divers special reasons do fuggeft themselves.

3. It is an office of too great eminence and dignity to be imparted to any other: he alone who fubfifts in union. with God, who is the Son of God, who hath most highly pleafed God, who hath merited a fovereignty over us, and a fupreme eminency above all creatures, is capable of the honour to determine those points of the highest importance concerning the final doom of God's creatures, and the falvation of those fouls whom he hath purchased; Worthy is Rev. v. 9, he alone to receive the book, (of judgment,) and to open the feals thereof; because he was flain, and hath redeemed us to God by his blood: Worthy is the Lamb (worthy exclufively, and folely) that was flain to receive the power and honour, the glory and bleffing, annexed to this high office.

12.

As there is nothing more apt to beget in us veneration toward him, than confidering that he shall be our judge, upon whose sentence our fate and felicity muft depend; fo it is therefore moft fit, that it incommunicably and folely should belong to him; especially seeing God with especial regard to his honour did affign the judicial office to him: the Father, it is faid, hath committed all judgment to the John v. 22, Son; that all men might honour the Son, as they do the 23. Father.

τητος μόνος.

4. He alone also hath capacities proper for this judica- ▲ià Toure γὰρ καὶ μέσ ture: he only hath that divine faculty of searching men's νος κριτής, hearts; he only is furnished with wisdom to know all matters of fact that ever were, and to difcern the right in Clem. Al every cafe; he above all, being abfolutely good, is en- Pad. 1. 2. dued with perfect equity of mind, and immutable love of right, always difpofing him to judge most justly; he alone can have in him that μerporáda, or exact temperament Heb. v. 2. of affection toward men, which is requifite to the distribution of equal juftice toward them, according to due mea

4.

SERM. fures of mercy and feverity; the highest angel in heaven XXXIII. were incapable fo rightly to diftinguish the strict bounds of these things. Wherefore in regard to these difpofitions peculiar to him, we are even by the ancient Prophets inIfa. xi. 2, 3, formed, that this office is allotted to him; The Spirit of the Lord, faith Isaiah, shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wifdom-and fhall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the fight of his eyes, nor reprove after the hearing of his ears: but with righteousness fhall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and, A bruised reed (faith God in the fame Prophet, intimating his incomparable fagacity, equity, and temper, as it were, for this Ifa. xlii. 3. purpose) fhall he not break, and the Smoking flax fhall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth: and, Pfal. xlv. 7. Thou, faith the Pfalmift concerning him, loveft righteousness, and hateft iniquity: therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

5. By this defignation the glory of God is especially promoted, his most excellent attributes being much illuftrated thereby his wisdom appeareth in conftituting one fo in all refpects most fit to discharge the office, and his goodness most clearly fhines therein: for fince it was requifite that a judgment should pafs upon us, how could the terror thereof be better allayed, than by putting it into the hands of his Son? to whofe cognizance, were the choice permitted to us, should we rather submit our actions, than to his? to whom rather should we freely commit all our life and welfare, than to him, who by nature is so nearly allied to us, and hath not disdained to Matt.xi.29. Call us brethren? who in disposition of spirit is so meek and Heb. ii. 17. lowly, fo merciful and compaffionate? who here was vifibly

iv. 15.

in difpofition and demeanour a lamb, and is reprefented to us continuing fuch; than to him, who by so many fignal experiments hath expressed an excess of kindness towards us, and tenderness of our welfare; who hath confpicuously evidenced himself to be the best friend to mankind; that he ardently defireth the falvation of all men,

even of his worst enemies; for whom he willingly did SERM. spend his blood, for whom he dying earnestly prayed; XXXIII. whom he continually wooeth to reconciliation and repentance, and consequently to the enjoyment of greatest happinefs? How then could God more plainly express his goodness toward us, than in affigning fuch a Judge for

us?

How alfo could he exhibit a more illuftrious inftance of his justice, and love to righteousness, than in advancing him to fo glorious an office, who out of perfect compliance to his will did freely stoop fo low, and gladly undergo fo much? Worthy of God it was, and a congruous retribution, to place the crown on his head, to put the fceptre Rev. v. 12. into his hand, who willingly bore a crofs, who patiently fubmitted to a fcourge; to conftitute him the Judge, who, out of abundant piety to God and charity to God's creature, was contented to be arraigned, to be sentenced, to be executed as a malefactor: he dearly purchased the right to be Lord of dead and living, and just it was that in effect Rom. xiv.9. he fhould obtain it.

6. Juft it likewife was, that to him, immediately and folemnly, fhould be configned a power to acknowledge and reward his faithful friends and fervants; those who had believed his word, had obferved his laws, had out of love and respect done much and suffered much for him.

Juft also it was, that he should be empowered to do himself right upon his proud and fpiteful enemies; that he fhould fee them lying under his feet, and at his disposal, who had fo fcornfully infulted on him, and so cruelly mifused him; that he righteously should judge them, who so maliciously had accused and so injuriously condemned him; should chastise them feverely, who most unmercifully had afflicted and slaughtered him; should worthily reprobate all thofe, who had unworthily rejected him: in fine, that he should render a due recompense to all wicked perfons, who by diftrufting his word, by defpifing his overtures of grace and mercy, by refifting his will and rejecting his authority, by trampling upon his holy doctrine and laws, had wronged, had dishonoured, had disclaimed him.