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embraceth the way of holiness, muft, and doth lay his account with the lofs of all he has, which the world can take away from him. Luke xiv. 26. " If any man come to me, and hate not his father 'and "mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and fifters, yea, and "his own life alfo, he cannot be my difciple." But it is consistent

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with the juftice and goodness of God, that the affairs of men should always cuntinue in this ftate, which they appear in, from one generation to another; but that every man be rewarded according to his works: and fince that is not done in this life, there must be a judg ment to come : Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recom-. pence tribulation to them that trouble you: and to you who are "troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jefus fhall be revealed from "heaven," 2 "2 Theff. i. 6, 7. There will be a day, in which the tables will be turned; and the wicked fhall be called to an account for all their fins, and fuffer the due punishment of them; and the pious fhall be the profperous; for, as the Apoftle argues for the happy refurrection of the faints, "If in this life only we have hope in Chrift, we are of "all men most miferable," 1 Cor xv. 19. It is true, God fometimes punifheth the wicked, in this life; that men may know, "he is a God "that judgeth in the earth:" but yet much wickednefs remains unpunished, and undiscovered; to be a pledge of the judgment to come. If none of the wicked were punifhed here, they would conclude that God had utterly forfaken the earth; if all of them were punished in this life, men would be apt to think, there is no after-reckoning. Therefore, in the wifdom of God, fome are punished now, and fome not. Sometimes the Lord finites finners, in the very act of fin; to fhew unto the world, that he is witnefs to all their wickedness, and will call him to an account for it. Sometimes he delays long, ere he ftrike; that he may difcover to the world, that he forgets not men's ill deeds, though he does not presently punish them. Befides all this, the fins of many do out-live them; and the impure fountain, by them opened, runs long after they are dead and gone. As in the cafe of Jeroboam the first king of the ten tribes; whofe fin did run on all along unto the end of that unhappy kingdom, 2 Kings xvii. 22. "The "children of Ifrael walked in all the firs of Jeroboam, which he did; "they departed not from them: Ver. 23. Until the Lord removed "Ifrael out of his fight."

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Thirdly, The refurrection of Chrift is a certain proof, that there fhall be a day of judgment. This argument Paul ufeth, to convince the Athenians fays he, " He hath given affurance to all men, in "that he hath railed him from the dead," Acts xvii. 31. The Judge is already named, his patent written and fealed, yea, and read before men, in his rifing again from the dead. Hereby God hath given affurance of it. (or offered faith, Marg.) He hath, by raising Christ from the dead, exhibited his credentials as Judge of the world. When, in the days of his humiliation, he was fifted before a tribunal, arraigned, accufed and condemned of men; he plainly told them of this judgment,

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and that he himself would be the Judge, Matth xxvi. 64. "Hereafter "thall ye fee the Son of man fitting on the right hand of power and "coming in the clouds of heaven." And now that he was railed from the dead, tho' condemned as a blafphemer on this very head; is it not an undeniable proof, from heaven, of the truth of what he afferted? Moreover, this was one of the great ends of Chrift's death and refurrection: "For to this end Chrjft both died and rofe, and"revived, that he might be the Lord (i. e. The Lord Judge, as is "evident from the context) both of the dead and of the living," Rom. xiv. 9.

Laftly, Every man bears about with him a witnefs to this within his own breaft, Rom. ii. 15- "Which thew the work of the law "written in their hearts, their confcience alfo bearing witnefs, and "their thoughts the mean while accufing, or elfe excufing one "another." There is a tribunal erected within every man, where. confcience is accufer, witnefs, and judge, binding over the finner to the judgment of God. This fills the most profligate wretches with horror, and inwardly ftings them, upon the commiffion of fome atroci. ous crime; in effect fummoning them to answer for it, before the the Judge of the quick and dead. And this it doth, even when the crime is fecret, and hid from the eyes of the world. It reacheth those whom the laws of men cannot reach, because of their power or craft. ! When men have fled from the judgment of their fellow-creatures; yet, go where they will, confcience, as the fupreme Jadge's officer, ftill keeps hold of them, referving them in its chains to the judgment of the great day. And whether they efcape punishment from men, or fall by the hand of public juftice, when they perceive death's approach, they hear from within, of this after-reckoning; being conftrained to hearken thereto, in thefe'the most serious minutes of their life. If there be fome, in whom nothing of this doth appear, we have no more ground thence to conclude against it, than we have to conclude, that becaufe fome men do not groan, therefore they have no pain; or that dying is a mere jeft, because there have been, who have feemed to make little elfe of it. A good face may be put upon an ill confcience: and the more hopeless men's cafe is, they reckon it the more their intereft to make no reflections on their ftate and cafe, But every one, who will confult himfelf ferioufly, fhall find in himself the witnefs to the judgment to come. Even the heathens wanted not a notion of it, though mixed with fictions of their own. Hence, though fome of the Athenians, when they heard of the refurrection of the dead, mocked, Acts xvii. 32. yet there is no account of their mocking, when they heard of the general judginent, ver. 31.

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II. For explication, the following particulars may ferve to give fame view of the nature and tranfactions of that great day.

Firft, Ged fhall judge the world by Jefus Chrift. He will judge the world in righteoufuefs, by that Man whom he hath ordained, Acts avii. 31. The Pfalmi tells us, that God is judge himself, PT.1. 1.6.

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The holy bleffed Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, is Judge, in respect of judicial authority, dominion, and power; but the Son incarnate is the Judge, in refpect of difpenfation, and fpecial exereife of that power. The judgment fhall be exercifed or performed by him, as the Royal Mediator; for he has a delegated power of judgment from the Father, as his fervant, his King, whom he hath fet upon his holy bill of Zion, (Pfal. ii. 6.) and to whom he hath com itled all judgment, John v. 22. This is a part of the Mediator's exaltation, given him, in confequence of his voluntary humiliation, Philip. ii. 8, 9, 16. He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God hath alfo highly exalted him, and given him a name, which is above every name, (i.e.) power and authority over all, to wit) That at (or in) the name of Jefus (not, the name of Jefus; that is not the name above every name, being common to others, as to Jufius, Col. iv. 11. and Jofbua, Heb iv. 8) every knee fhall bow. The which is explained by the Apoftle himself, of ftanding before the judgment-feat of Christ, Rem. xiv. 10,11. So he who was judged and condemned of men, fhall be the Judge of men and angels.

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Secondly, Jefus Chrift the Judge, defcending from heaven into the air, Theff. iv. 16, 17) fhall come in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory, Matth. xxiv. 30. This his coming will be a mighty furprize to the world, which will be found in deep fecurity a foolish virgins fceping, and the wife flumbering. There will then be much luxury and debauchery in the world, little fobriety and watchfulness; a great throng of bufinefs, but a great fcarcity of faith and holinefs. "As it was in the days of Noah, fo alfo fhall it "be in days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they "married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that "Noah entered into the ark: and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewife alfo as it was in the days of Lot: they did eat, they drank, they bought, they fold, they planted, they "builded.--Even thus fhall it be in the day, when the Son of man is revealed," Luke xvii. 26, 27, 28, 30. The coming of the Judge will furprise fome at markets, buying and felling; others at table, eating and drinking, and making merry: others bufy with their new plantings; fome building new houfes; nay, fome's wedding-day will be their own, and the world's judgment-day. But the Judge cometh! the markets are marred; the buyer throws away what he has bought; the feller cafts down his money: they are raised from the table, and their mirth is extinguifhed in a moment; tho' the tree be fet in the earth, the gardner may not ftay to caft the earth about it; the workmen throw away their tools, when the house is half built, and the owner regards it no more; the bridegroom, bride, and guests must leave the wedding-feaft, and appear before the tribunal: for, Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall fee him, Rev. i. 7. He fhall come moft glorioully: for he will come

in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels, Mark viii. 38. When he came in the flesh, to die for finners, he laid afide the robes of his glory, and was despised and rejected of men: but when he comes again, to judge the world, fuch fhall be his vifible glory and majesty, that it fhall caft an eternal vail over all earthly glory, and fill his greatest enemies with fear and dread. Never had prince, or potentate in the world, fuch a glorious train, as will accompany this Judge: all the holy angels fhall cone with him, for his honour and fervice. Then he, who was led to the cross with a band of foldiers, will be gloriously attended to the place of judgment, by (not a multitude of the heavenly hoft, but) the whole hoft of angels; all his holy angels, fay the text.

Thirdly, At the coming of the Judge, the fummons are given to the parties, by the found of the laft trumpet; at which the dead are raised, and these found alive changed; of which before, i Theff. iv. 16, 17. O loud trumpet, that shall be heard at once, in'all corners of the earth, and of the fea? O wonderful voice, that will not only disturb thofe who fleep in the duft; but effectually awaken, rouze them out of their fleep, and raise them from'death! Were trumpets founding now, drums beating, furious feldiers crying and killing men, women and children running and fhrieking, the wounded groaning and dying; thofe who are in the graves, would have no more disturbance, than if the world were in molt profound peace. Yea, were ftormy winds cafting down the lofty oaks, the the feas roaring and fwallowing up the fhips, the moft dreadful thunders going along the heavens, lightnings every-where flashing, the earth quaking, trembling, opening, and fwallowing up whole cities, and burying multitudes at once; the dead would ftill enjoy a perfect repofe, and fleep foundly in the duft; though their own duft fhould be thrown out of its place. But at the found of this trumpet they shall all awake. The morning is come, they can fleep no longer; the time of the dead, that they must be judged: they muft get out of their graves, and appear before the Judge.

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Fourthly, The Judge fhall fit down on the tribunal; he shall fit en the throne of his glory. Sometime he ftood before a tribunal on earth, and was condemned as a malefactor: then fhall he fit on his own tribunal, and judge the world. Sometime he hung upon thẹ crofs, covered with fhame: then he shall fit on a throne of glory. What this throne fhall be, whether a bright cloud, or what elfe, I fhall not inquire. Our eyes will give an answer to that question at length. John faw a great white throne, Rev. xx. 11. His throne (fays Daniel) was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire, chap. vii. 9. Whatever it be, doubtless it fhall be a throne glorious beyond expreffion; and, in comparison with which, the most glorious throne on the earth is but a feat on a dunghill; and the fight of it will equally furprise kings, who fit on thrones in this life, and beggars, who fat in dunghills. It will be a throne, for statelinefs

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and glory, fuited to the quality of him who fhall fit on it. had a judge fuch a throne, and never hid a throne fuch a judge on it. Leaving the discovery of the nature of the throne until that day, it concerns us more nearly to confider what a Judge will fit upon it; a point in which we are not left to uncertain conjectures. The Judge on the throne will be (1.) Avifible Fudge, vilible to our bodily eyes, Rev. 1. 7. Every eye fhall fee him When God gave the law on mount Sinai, the people faw no fimil tude, only they heard a voice: but when he calls the world to an account, how they have oblerved his law; the man Chrift being Judge, we fhall fee our Judge with our eyes, either to our eternal comfort or confufion; according to the entertainment we give him now. That very body which was crucified without the gates of Jerufalem, betwixt two thieves, fhall then be feen on the throne, thining in glory. We now fee him fymbolically in the facrament of his fupper: the faints fee him by the eye of faith: then, all fhall fee him with thefe eyes now in their heads. (2) A Judge having full authority and power, to render unto every one according to his works. Chrift, as God, hath authority of himself; and as Mediator, he hath a judicial power and authority, which his Father has invefted him with, according to the covenant betwixt the Father and the Son, for the redemption of finners. And his divine glory will be a light, by which all men fhall fee clearly to read his commiffion for this great and honourable employment. All power is given unto him in heaven and in earth, Matth. xxviii. 18. He hath the keys of hell and of death, Rev. i. 18. There can be no appeal from his tribunal: fentence once paft there, must stand for ever; there is no reverfing of it. All appeals are from an inferior court to a fuperior one; but when God gives fentence against a man, where can he find a higher court to bring his procefs too? This judgment is the Mediator's judgment; and therefore the last judgment. If the Interceffor be against us, who can be for us? If Christ condemn us, who will abfolve us? (3.) A Fudge of infinite wifdom. His eyes will pierce into and clearly dif cern, the molt intricate cafes. His omnifcience qualifies him for judging of the most retired thoughts, as well as of words and works. The woft fubtle finner, fhall not be able to outwit him, nor, by any artful management, to paliate the crime. He is the fearcher of hearts, to whom nothing can be hid or perplexed, but all things are naked and open unto his eyes, Heb. iv. 13, (4.) A most just Judge; a Judge of perfect integrity. He is the righteous Judge, (2 Tim. iv. 8) and his throne, a great white throne (Rev.xx.11) from whence no judgment (hall proceed, but what is moft pure and spotless. The Thebans painted juftice blind, and without bands: for judges ought not to respect perfons, nor take bribes. The Areopagites judged in the dark, that they might not regard who fpoke, bt what was fpoken. With the Judge on this throne, there will be no refpect of perfons; he will neither regard the perfons of the rich, nor of M m

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