hand it be upon.) These who now abhor no society so much as that of the saints, would then be glad to be allowed to get in among them, though it were but to lie among their feet. But then not one tare shall be found with the wheat he will thoroughly purge his floor. Many of the right-hand men of this world, will be left-hand men in that day. Many who must have the door and the right hand of these, who are better than they, (if the righteous be more excellent than his neighbour) shall then be turned to the left hand, as most despicable wretches. O how terrible will this separation be to the ungodly! how dreadful will this gathering them together into one company be! what they will not believe, they will then see, namely, that but few are saved. They think it enough now, to be neighbour-like, and can securely follow the multitude; but the multitude on the left hand will yield them no comfort. How will it sting the ungodly Christian, to see himself set on the same hand with Turks and Pagans! how will it gall men to find themselves standing, profane Protestants, with idolatrous Papists; praying people with their profane neighbours, who mocked at religious exercises; formal professors, strangers to the new birth and the power of godliness, with persecutors! now there are many opposite societies in the world, but then all the ungodly shall be in one society. And how dreadful will the faces of companions in sin be to one another there! what doleful shrieks when the whoremonger and his whore shall meet; when the drunkards, who have had many a jovial day together, shall see one another in the face; when the husband and wife, the parents and children, the master and servants, and neighbours, who have been snares and stumbling-blocks to one another, to the ruin of their own souls, and these of their relatives, shall meet again in that miserable society! Then will there be curses instead of salutations; and tearing of themselves, and raging against one another, instead of the wonted embraces.

Seventhly, The parties shall be tried. The Trial cannot be difficult, in regard the Judge is omniscient, and nothing can be hid from him. But, that his righteous judgment may be evident to all, he will set the hidden things of darkness in clearest light at that trial, 1 Cor. iv. 5.

Men shall be tried, First, Upon their works: for,

3

"God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.” Eccl. xii. 14. The Judge will try every man's conversation, and set his deeds done in the body, with all the circumstances thereof, in a true light. Then will many ac-tions commended and applauded of men, as good and just, be discovered to have been evil and abominable in the sight of God; and many works, now condemned by the world, will be approven and commended by the great Judge, as good and just. Secret things will be brought to light and what was hid from the view of the world, shall be laid open. Wickedness, which hath kept its lurking place in spite of all human search, will then be brought forth to the glory of God, and the confusion of impenitent sinners who hid it. The world appears now very vile. in the eyes of those who are exercised to godliness; but it will then appear a thousand times more vile, when that which is done of men in secret, comes to be discovered, Every good action shall then be remembered; and the hidden religion and good works, most industriously concealed by the saints, from the eyes of men, shall no more lie hid for though the Lord will not allow men to proclaim every man his own goodness, yet he himself will do it in duc time. Secondly, Their words shall be judged, Matth. xi. "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Not a word spoken for God, and his cause in the world, from love to himself shall be forgotten. They are all kept in remembrance, and shall be brought forth as evidences of faith, and of an interest in Christ, Mal. iii. 16, 17. "Then they that feared the Lord, spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it; and a book of remembrance was written before him. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels." And the tongue, which did run at random, shall then confess to God and the speaker shall find it to have been followed, and every word noted that dropped from his unsanctified lips. "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." Matth. xii. 36. And if they shall give account of idle words, that is, words spoken to no good purpose, neithe to God's glory, one's own, or one's neighbour's good; ho

37.

much more shall mens wicked words, their sinful oaths; curses, lies, filthy communications, and bitter words, be called over again that day? The tongues of many shall then fall upon themselves, and ruin them. Thirdly, Mens thoughts shall be brought into judgment; the judge will make manifest the counsel of the hearts, 1 Cor. iv. 5. Thoughts go free from man's judgment, but not from the judgment of the heart-searching God, who knows mens thoughts, without the help of signs to discern them by The secret springs of mens actions, will then be brought to light; and the sins, that never came further than the heart, will then be laid open. O what a figure will man's corrupt nature make, when his inside is turned out, and all his speculative impurities are exposed! the rottenness that is within many a whited sepulchre, the speculative fils thiness and wantonness, murder and malignity, now lurk ing in the hearts of men, as in the chamber of imagery, will then be discovered; and what good was in the hearts of any, shall no more lie concealed. If it was in their hearts to build a house to the Lord, they shall hear, that they did well that it was in their heart.

This trial will be righteous and impartial, accurate and searching, clear and evident. The Judge is the righteous Judge, and he will do right to every one. He has a just balance for good and evil actions, and for honest and false hearts. The fig-leaf cover of hypocrisy will then be blown aside, and the hypocrite's nakedness will appear; as when the Lord came to judge Adam and Eve, in the cool (or, as the word is, in the wind) of the day, Gen. iii. 8. The fire (which tries things most exquisitely,)" shall try every man's work, of what sort it is," 1 Cor. iii. 13. Man's judgment is oft-times perplexed and confused; but here the whole process shall be clear and evident, as written with a sun-beam. It shall be clear to the Judge, to whom no case can be intricate; to the parties, who shall be convinced, Jude 15. And the multitudes on both sides, shall see the Judge is clear when he judgeth; for then the heavens shall declare his righteousness, in the audience of the world; and so it shall be universally known, Psal. 1. 6.

On these accounts it is, that this trial is held out in the Scripture, under the notion of opening of books; and men

are said to be judged out of those things written in the books. Rev. xx. 12. The Judge of the world, who infallibly knoweth all things, hath no need of books to be laid before him, to prevent mistake in any point of law or fact; but the expression points at his proceeding, as most nice, accurate, just, and well-grounded, in every step of it. Now, there are four books that shall be opened in that day.

First, The book of God's remembrance or omniscience, Mal. iii. 19. This is an exact record of every man's state, thoughts, words, and deeds, good or evil: it is, as it were, a day-book, in which the Lord puts down all that passeth in mens hearts, lips, and lives: and it is a-filling up every day that one lives. In it are recorded mens sins and good works, secret and open, with all their circumstances. Here are registered all their privileges, mercies temporal and spiritual, sometime laid to their hand; the checks, admonitions, and rebukes, given by teachers, neighbours, afflictions, and mens own consciences; every thing in its due order. This book will serve only as a libel, in respect of the ungodly; but it will be for another use in respect of the godly, namely, for a memorial of their good. The opening of it, is the Judge's bringing to light what is written in it; the reading as it were, of the libel and memorial, respectively, in their hearing.

Secondly, The book of conscience will be opened, and shall be as a thousand witnesses to prove the fact, Rom. ii. 15. "Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness. Conscience ís a censor going with every man whithersoever he goes, taking an account of his deeds done in the body, and, as it were, noting them in a book; the which being opened, will be found a double of the former, so far as it relates to one's own state and case. Much is written in it, which cannot be read now; the writing of conscience being, in many cases, like to that which is made with the juice of lemons, not to be read, till it be held before the fire But then men shall read it clearly and distinctly: The fire which is to try every man's work, will make the book of conscience legible in every point. Though the book be sealed now (the conscience blind, dumb and deaf) the seals will then be broken, and the book opened There shall be no more a weak or misinformed conscience

among those on the right hand, or these on the left. There shall not be a silent conscience, and far less a seared conscience amongst all the ungodly crew: But their consciences shall be most quick sighted, and most lively, in that day. None shall then call good evil, or evil good. Ignorance of what sin is, and what things are sins, will have no place among them: And the subtle reasonings of men, in favour of their lusts, will then be for ever baffled by their own consciences. None shall have the favour (if I may so speak) of lying under the soft cover of delusion: But they shall all be convicted by their conscience. Nill they, will they, they shall look on this book, read and be confounded, and stand speechless, knowing that nothing is charged upon them by mistake; since this is a book, which was always in their own custody. Thus shall the Judge make every man see himself in the glass of his own conscience which will make quick work.

Thirdly, The Book of the Law shall be opened. This book is the standard and rule, by which is known what is right, and what is wrong as also, what sentence is to be passed accordingly, on these who are under it. As to the opening of this book, in its statutory part, which shews what is sin, and what is duty; it falls in with the opening of the book of conscience. For conscience is set, by the sovereign Law-giver, in every man's breast, to be his private teacher, to shew him the law, and his private pastor, to make application of the same; and at that day, it will be perfectly fit for its office; so that the conscience, which is most stupid now, shall then read to the man, most accurate, but dreadful lectures, on the law. But wwhat seems (mainly at least) pointed at, by the opening of this book, is the opening of that part of it, which deternines the reward of mens works. Now, the law promis ed life, upon perfect obedience; but none can be found on the right hand, or on the left, who will pretend to that, when once the book of conscience is opened, it threatene th death upon disobedience, and will effectually bring it upon all under its dominion. And this part of the book of the law, determining the reward of mens works, is opened only to shew what must be the portion of the ungodly, and that there they may read their sentence before it be pronounced. But it is not opened for the sentence of the saint's; for no sentence absolving a sinner, could ever be