Vol. II. cleanfe and purify the Soul, to fupprefs and extinguifh our unruly Lufts, than the Thoughts of a Judgment to Come: No Thoughts do more couragoufly and refolvedly baffle the Temptations of the World, and fupport Men under the Frailties of the Flefh, than the Thoughts of a Judgment to Come: Finally, no Thoughts do make us more ftrict in the Examination of our felves, more severe in determining of our Duties, or more fincere in the reforming of our Errors, than the Thoughts of a Judgment to Come. This therefore ought to be always founding in our Ears, Awake and come to Judgment.

SERMON II.

Motives to our Preparation for the Day of Judgment.

[The Second Sermon on this Text.]

21

AMOS iv. 12.

Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Ifrael: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Ifrael.

I

HAVE already from thefe Vol. II, Words treated of the neceffity of our Preparation for the great Day of Accounts, that terrible Day, when GoD fhall come to render to every one, according to that he hath done, whether it be 10 good or bad. I have likewife explain'd wherein the Nature of this Preparation

Č 3

muft

I Cor. v.

ΤΟ

Vol. II. must confift, which I fhow'd you was made up of Self-Examination, Repentance, and Faith towards GOD in our Lord Jefus Chrift, and frequent Refletions on this Day. It remains that I fet before you thofe Motives, which may be of use to stir you up to this Preparation, and these are three, which we have here suggested to us in my Text.

I. The Perfon whom we are to meet, i. e. GOD.

II. The Bufinefs we are to meet about, and that is our final Judg

ment.

III. Our State and Qualification who are to be judg'd, O Ifrael: Ifrael, chofen, belov'd, Redeem'd of GOD; and yet Rebellious, Obftinate, Idolatrous, and Backfliding Ifrael.

I. The confideration of that GOD we are to meet ought to be a strong Motive to our Preparation. 'Tis true our SaviMatt.xviour is to be Judge of Quick and Dead; but 'tis as true that he shall come in the Power and in the Glory of God the Father, and therefore fpeaking properly, God judges Aas xvii. the World by the Man whom he has ordain'd,

27.

eyen

even Jefus Chrift. So that whatever Ser. II there is in God that can make us fear and dread to meet him, that we are to encounter in Chrift: Such indeed are all the Attributes of GOD, for they do all tend to render his Approach terrible to the Wicked.

De Deo So

His infinite Wisdom and Knowledge will bring into the open Light all the Sins and Tranfgreffions of the Ungodly: No Guilty Sinner fhall escape Damnation for want of Proof and Evidence against him. It was the Opinion of the Platonists, that every Soul when it came into the World had a Genius or Angel affign'd it, not only as its Guardian, but Overfeer too, the Judge and Witness of its Behaviour here in the World, as well as its Guide andAffiftant, which Apuleius expreffes thus. Hic quem dico prorfus Cu-cratis p. ftos, fingularis Præfectus, domefticus Specula- 434. toa, proprius Curator, intimus Cognitor, affiduus Obfervator, &c. This Angel (faith he) is the infeparable Companion, the watchfull Obferver, the Domeftick Spy of all its Actions, and the intimate and bofom Survevor of its Intentions and Affections: And not far before this he tells us, At ubi Vita edita remeandum eft; eundem illum qui nobis præfectus fuit, raptare Strahere velut Cuftodiam fuam ad JudiC4

çium,

P.4337

Vol. II.cium, atq; illic in caufa dicenda affiftere, fi qua mentiatur redarguere; fi qua vera dicat affeverare: prorfus illius Teftimonio ferri fententiam. i. e. As foon as Life is finifh'd, this Angel which was the Soul's Keeper here, hurries away his Charge, and prefents it before the Tribunal of GOD, where he ftands during the Tryal, either to confute its Lyes, or to confirm and strengthen the Truth, according to whose Testimony Sentence is past. Now whether GOD will ufe the Evidence of Angels or no, I know not, the Confcience of every Man will perform the whole of this Office; and as it is a wakeful Obferver of us here, fo will its Witnefs be full and fufficient Evidence against us hereafter. But after what manner this Evidence will be brought in imports not much; this we are fure, that GOD himself, an all-feeing GOD will be Evidence against the Sinner, And I will come near to you to Judgment, and I will be a fwift Witness against the Sorcerers, and aMali. 5.gainst the Adulterers, and against falfe Swearers, and against thofe that opprefs the Hireling in his Wages, the Widow, and the Fatherlefs, and that turn afide the Stranger from his Right, and fear not me, faith the Lord of Hofts. So that this we may be fure of, no Sin will be able to escape un

obferv❜d,