292 Of the Vanity of Man's f udgment. SERM. fet againft the awful decifions of the divine XI. tribunal at the great day, and the effects they t,1"4. produce are comparatively but (mall, all de- termining with this frail life ? We muff not conclude, that therefore it is to be wholly laid afide. But, the truth is, that point is not at all concerned in the words of St. Paul here, nor does it appear that he had it in his thoughts; he is only fpeaking of private cen- fures, not of publick proceedings in judg- ment. Some of his adverfaries, rather adver- faries to the purity and fimplicity of the chri- ftian inftitution, had endeavoured to hurt his reputation with the Corinthians, and actually made force impreffions upon them to his difadvantage ; but he tells them he was not at all follicitous about that matter, for he ex- peted a folemn review of the moral Rate, the religious difpofitions and works of every man, before the divine tribunal, when the latent dithonefty of every wicked heart would be detected, and the injured characters of the fincere, fully cleared. In the mean time, it is the province of them who are placed in civil authority, not to bear the fword in vain, but to be terrors to evil doers, and for the encouragement of them that do well, But, what in effect is the good
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