Vol. II. quently a Judgment to Come, or at ~ least wise an Eternal Duration in Eter

8.

nal Pain, implies an Impossibility; but our Saviour affures us on the contrary, that after this Temporal Death, God is able to destroy both Body and Soul, in Hell, and to extend this Punishment and his Wrath to all Eternity.

Nor is there any Reason why it should 'Acts xxvi. be thought a thing incredible by the Sinner that God should raise the Dead, but only because he wishes it were fo; for a few Ages agoe we were as far from Being, as we shall be a few Ages hence. The very Light of Nature condemns this Incredulity in this Point, for the Heathens themselves did firmly believe as wonderfull things as these, induced to it by the Perfwafion of God's Omnipotence: And hence is that excellent Symbol of Pythagoras, περὶ θεῶν μηδὲν θαυμαςῶν ἀπιζει, μηδὲ περι θείων δογμάτων, i. e. Let not the wonderfulness of any thing, which relates to GOD, betray thee into Incredulity, nor the strangeness of any thing induce thee to believe it impoffible to God; for things seeming to thee Impossible are the proper subjects of Divine Omnipotence. Revelation therefore does affure us of a Judgment to Come, Reason does not contradict but confirm it; will it not therefore become become us to prepare to meet our God, fince Ser. II. he is able if he finds us unprepar'd, to m make us Eternally Miserable? Ought we not to beftir our selves, since our Eternity depends on this Moment? And our Happy or Unhappy State for ever depends upon our Preparation or Neglect? This is the first Confideration I propos'd to make use of, to ftir you up to a Preparation for the coming of the Last Day, taken from the Person we are then to meet, i. e. God.

Hebxii 21

2. A Second Inforcement of this Duty is the Business of our Meeting; we are to meet God in Judgment. If the Delivery of the Law upon Mount Sinai was so dreadful, that Mofes did exceedingly fear and quake, and the People defired that they might not hear God any more speaking out of the Fire, leaft they should die: How dreadful will be the Exod. xx Prefence of God calling the World, the 19. finful World to its laft Account for the Violation of his Laws? When the Shrieks of Guilty Sinners arifing from their Graves, and the Voices of Millions of Angels, the Executioners of his Wrath, as well as Instruments of his Mercy, will fure be an infinitely more dismal Noise, than that of Thunder and Trumpets on

the

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Vol. II. the Mount; and those Revengefull ✓ Flames which will incircle the guilty Crowd, and flash forth from the Tribunal of GOD, will dart a Thousand times more Horrour than the Lightnings of Dant x:9. Mount Sinai. If Holy Daniel fell almost lifeless to the Ground before the Prefence of an Angel, how will gulity Sinners be able to stand before the Prefence of their Judge coming with all the Power of Heaven and numberless Legions of Angels ? But alas, the least part of the Terror of that Day, is the Glory and Majefty of the Divine Prefence; we are to remember what is to be done that Day, we are to give an Account, a strict Account of Three-fcore Years and Ten, abating for our Infancy. We are to make it appear what Honour and Service we have done GOD; what we have contributed to the Peace and Profperity of the Government, the Community we are Members of; what Benefits and Advantages we have brought to the Parish, to the Neighbourhood we have liv'd in: How useful we have been to our Families, our Relations, and our Friends, by our Example, by our Care and Endeavour to instruct 'em in the Knowledge of God and, to possess 'em with Religious and Sound Principles: There we must give an Ac

count what Good Deeds we have done, Ser. II.
what Alms we have bestow'd, what
Comfort we have administer'd to the
Afflicted. I know there will be fome
who form to themselves an easy and
cheap Religion, confifting purely of pre-
tended Knowledge and pretended Zeal
for the Truth, that will be much dif-
pleased with me for stating the Measure
of the last Enquiry or Trial thus. They
expected peradventure that they should

-be examin'd about the Confidence of
their Faith, which is Presumption when
'tis not attended with Good Works;
or about the Depth of their Knowledge,
or Orthodoxy of their Opinions, which
will only procure us more Stripes if it
be not attended with Charity. To such
I must Answer, I took my Measures
from the 25th of St. Matthew, from our
Saviour's Description of the great Day
of Judgment. I know no better Rule,
no better Standard of the Nature of that
last Afsizes: But yet this I must add far-
ther, I believe our Saviour in the De-
scription of that last Trial does instance
the Works of Charity as more particu-
larly to be insisted on, because Charity
is one of the most eminent Proofs of the
Sincerity of our Love of God, and Faith
in Chrift: Not as if there should be no
Enquiry

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Vol. II. Enquiry made concerning our Publick and Private Devotion towards God, or of our Faith and Love towards Chrift; but because Righteousness and Charity being the most Illustrious Effects of these Graces, where the Effects are manifeft, the Cause is suppos'd and taken for granted. In a word, to be a true Disciple of Christ, is to have Christ form'd in us, and we know that the Image of Chrift and the Image of God is the same thing, and who knows not that the Éph. iv. Image of God confifts in Righteousness and 24. true Holiness? And therefore these are the Things that we shall be Examined about at the Last Day. I pray put the Question to your selves, What Good of this kind have you done? Demand of your selves how you have spent those many Years you have already liv'd? What you have contributed to the promoting Peace, Religion and Charity? And if it shall be found that when you have cast up all the Portions of your Time, that you have spent in the Drudgery of the World, in the Cares of Life, in the Pleasures of Sin, in making provision for the Flesh, to fulfil the Lufts thereof, in Sloth and in Pride, in impertinent Visits and idle Tattle, or what is

worse, in Railing and Slandering, in

Spiritual