Vol. II. cleanse and purify the Soul, to fupprefs ~ and extinguish 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 support Men under the Frailties of the Flesh, than the Thoughts of a Judgment to Come: Finally, no Thoughts do make us more strict in the Examination of our selves, more fevere 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.

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The End of the First Sermon.

F

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SERMON II.

Motives to our Preparation for the Day of Judgment.

[The Second Sermon on this Text.]

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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 these Vol. II, Words treated of the neceffity of our Preparation for the great Day of Accounts, that terrible Day, when GOD shall come to render to every one, ac- Cor. v. cording to that he hath done, whether it be to good or bad. I have likewise explain'd

wherein the Nature of this Preparation

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Vol. II. must consist, which I show'd you was ~ made up of Self-Examination, Repentance, and Faith towards GOD in our Lord Jesus Christ, and frequent RefleEtions on this Day. It remains that I fet before you those 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 Person whom we are to meet, i. e. GOD.

II. The Business 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, chosen, belov'd, Redeem'd of GOD; and yet Rebellious, Obstinate, 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.xv1 our 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

27.

Aas xvii. the World by the Man whom he has ordain'd, even

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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 Christ: Such indeed are all the Attributes of God, for they do all tend to render his Approach terrible to the Wicked.

His infinite Wisdom and Knowledge will bring into the open Light all the Sins and Tranfgreffions of the Ungodly: No Guilty Sinner shall 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 assign'd it, not only as its Guardian, but Overseer too, the Judge and Witness of its Behaviour here in the World, as well as its Guide and Assistant, which Apuleius De Deo Sar expresses thus. Hic quem dico prorfus Cu-cratis p. stos, fingularis Prefectus, domesticus Specula- 434. toa, proprius Curator, intimus Cognitor, affiduus Observator, &c. This Angel (faith he) is the infeparable Companion, the watchfull Observer, the Domestick Spy of all its Actions, and the intimate and bosom Surveyor of its Intentions and Affections: And not far before this he tells us, At ubi Vita edita remeandum est; eundem illum qui nobis præfectus fuit, raptare P.4339 Strahere velut Custodiam fuam ad Judicium

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Vol. II.cium, atq; illic in caufa dicenda assistere, fi ~ qua mentiatur redarguere, si qua vera dicat affeverare: prorfus illius Testimonio ferri fententiam. i. e. As foon as Life is finish'd, this Angel which was the Soul's Keeper here, hurries away his Charge, and presents it before the Tribunal of GOD, where he stands during the Tryal, either to confute its Lyes, or to confirm and strengthen the Truth, according to whose Testimony Sentence is paft. Now whether GOD will use 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 Observer of us here, so will its Witness 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 aMal iii. 5. gainst the Adulterers, and against false Swearers, and against those that oppress the Hireling in his Wages, the Widow, and the Fatherless, and that turn afide the Stranger from his Right, and fear not me, faith the Lord of Hosts. So that this we may be

fure of, no Sin will be able to escape un

observ'd,