be difficult, in regard the Judge is omniscient, and nothing can be hid from him. But, that his righteous judgment may be made evident to all, he will set the "hidden things of darkness" in the clearest light at that trial, 1 Cor. iv. 5.

Men shall be tried, First, Upon their works; for "God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil," Eccles. 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 actions 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 in the world, will be approved 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: and 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 tho' the Lord will not allow men, to proclaim every man his own goodness; yet he himself will do it in due time. Secondly, Their words shall be judged, Matt. xii. 37. "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. "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,"---Ver. 17. " And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when

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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 the unsanctified lips, "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment," Matt. xii. 36. And if they shall give account of idle words, that is, words spoken to no good purpose, neither for God's glory, one's own, nor one's neighbour's good: how much more shall men's 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, Men's thoughts shall be brought into judgment: the Judge "will make manifest the counsels of the heart," 1 Cor. iv. 5. Thoughts go free from man's judgment, but not from the judgment of the heart-searching God, who knows men's thoughts, without the help of signs to discern them by. The secret springs of men's 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 filthiness and wantonness, murder and malignity, now lurking in the hearts of men, as in the chambers 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 all 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 hooks; 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 mistakes in any point of law or fact: but the expression points at his proceeding, as most nice, accurate, just, and wellgrounded, 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. 16. 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 men's hearts, lips, and lives; and it is a filling up every day that one lives. In it are recorded men's 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 men's 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. i. 15. Which shew the work of the law written in

their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness." Conscience is 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 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 amongst them: and the subtile 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." 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 the 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 Lawgiver 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 what seems (mainly at least) pointed at, by the opening of this book, is the opening of that part of it, which determines the reward of men's works. Now the law promiseth 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 threateneth 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 men's 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 saints; for no sentence absolving a sinner could ever be drawn out of it. The law promiseth life, not as it is a rule of actions, but as a covenant of works: and therefore innocent man could not have demanded life upon his obedience, till the law was reduced into the form of a covenant: as was shewn before. But the saints having been in, this life brought under a new covenant, namely, the covenant of grace, were "dead to the law," as a covenant of works, and it was dead to them. Wherefore, as they shall not now have any fears of death from it; so they can have no hopes of life from it, since "they are not under the law, but under grace," Rom. vi. 14. But for their sentence, another book is opened; of which in the next place.

Thus the book of the law is opened, for the sentence against all those on the left hand: and by it they will clearly see the justice of the judgment against them, and how the judge proceeds therein according to law. Nevertheless, there will be this difference, namely, that these who had only the natural law, and lived not under any special revelation, shall be judged by that law of nature they had in their hearts: which law bears, "That they which commit such things (as they will stand convicted of) are worthy of death," Rom. i. 32. But these who had the written law, to whom the word

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