to prove it, because there is no Man in the SER M. World that doubts of it. But the Confe

be

XIII.

quences of Death cannot be too strongly and
frequently laid before us: For to appear
fore the Judgment Seat of God, in order
to give an Account of our Behaviour in
this Life, and to be adjudged to everlasting
Happiness or Mifery, are Things of infi-
nitely greater Importance to every Man,
than meerly to die and breathe out his last
Breath. Were this all, a Man of good
Senfe, or good Courage might behold the
Approach of it without Terror, and go as
unconcernedly to his Grave, as he does to
his Bed: But to look into the Regions that
lie on the other Side, and contemplate the
laft Judgment, Heaven and Hell, is fuffi-
cient to make the ftouteft Heart quake,
who has any Doubt of what is to be his final
Portion. This is hinted by St. Paul in that
Expreffion, The Sting of Death is Sin. Cor.15.56.
Intimating that if Death was no more than
the Period of our Existence, it would be a
harmless Thing which no Man need be
afraid of, and which, to many would be
a moft defirable Event, as it would release
them from a Scene of Pains, Diftreffes,
and Misfortunes ; but a Confcience of Guilt,

and

XIII.

SER M. and an Expectation of being called to an account, and sentenced to everlasting Misery by the great Judge of the World, this is the Sting of Death that makes the Apprehenfions of it infupportable to a wicked Man. I propofe to lay before you my Thoughts upon this Subject, under the three following Heads.

ift I fhall endeavour to prove the Certainty of a future Judgment which every Man must undergo after Death.

2dly, To fhew what is the true and only Way of preparing for it.

3dly, To fuggeft some practical Uses of

the fame. As to the

ift, I shall be the shorter in proving this, because every Christian believes it, or else he could not be a Chriftian; but however fome Proofs I will offer in order to strengthen your Faith, and fecure it against the Attacks of Infidels. And the Proofs shall be taken ft, from clear and ftrong Declarations in the Holy Scriptures. 2dly, From the Na

ture of God's Government of the World.

The

XIII.

The Proofs of the firft Sort are many SER M. and undeniable. But I fhall felect three only. The First you will find in the 5th Chapter of the 2d Ep. Cor. 10. For we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Chrift, that every one may receive the Things done in his Body, according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad. He proceeds, Knowing therefore the Terror of the Lord, we perfuade Men; that is, being affured that this Day of Judgment so terrible to all wicked Men, will certainly come, we urge it as a very proper Motive for their Repentance and Reformation.

The 2d Proof is found in the 25th of Matthew, beginning at the 31ft Verfe, where the Solemnity of the Proceedings on that dreadful Day is thus defcribed, When the Son of Man fhall come in his Glory, and all the holy Angels with him, then shall he fit upon the Throne of his Glory. And before him fhall be gathered all Nations, and be shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth the Sheep from the Goats, and he shall fet the Sheep on his right Hand, and the Goats on his left. And the Sentence follows; to the Righteous it is, Come

ye

SERM. ye bleed of my Father, receive the Kingdom XIII. prepared for you from the Foundation of the World. But to the Wicked, Depart ye curfed into everlasting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels. Produce me out of any other Book in the World, a Paffage fo curious, and fo aftonishing as this, which defcribes minutely that wonderful Process that must decide the Fate of all Mankind for ever.

I fhall mention but one Text more to this Point, which is in the 5th of John 28, 29. For the Hour is coming, fays our Saviour, in which all that are in the Graves fhall bear bis Voice, and fhall come forth; they that have done Good, to the Refurrection of Life, and they that have done Evil, unto the Refurrection of Damnation. One would think it impoffible, but that every wicked Man must be ftruck with Confufion, and every good Man with Joy that reads these Paffages.

2dly, The Nature of God's Government of the World clearly evinces the Certainty of a future Judgment. It is highly abfurd to suppose any Government without Laws, and it is no lefs abfurd to fuppofe Laws without Penalties upon Tranfgreffors. The Tranfgreffors

XIII.

Tranfgreffors therefore of God's Laws muft SBR M. meet with a proper Punishment at fome Time or other. But our daily Obfervation makes it evident that many wicked Men do not undergo the Punishment they deferve in this Life, and therefore their Judgment and Punishment must be referved for a future State.

The Profperity of wicked Men in this Life, has created fome Difficulties and Doubts in many concerning the Equity and Goodnefs of God's Administration. Even David was for fome Time ftaggered at it, as he fhews at large in the 73d Pfalm, My Feet were almoft gone; my Steps had well nigh flipt, for I was envious at the Foolish, when I faw the Profperity of the Wicked, v. 2, 3. infomuch that he rafhly faid within himself, Verily I have cleanfed my Heart in vain, and washed my Hands in Innocence, v. 13. Whin I thought to know this, it was too painful for me, that is, I could not at first reconcile this with a divine Providence; Antil I went into the Sanctuary; that is, as fome learned Men understand the Word, to the College of the Prophets to confult with them upon the Point; then understood I their End, Surely thou didst fet them in flippery Places,

thou