Chap. I. ' \ Of Eternal J udgmenr., A C T S xvii. 1 i. 'Becaufe be hat/, appointed a Vay, iiz the _which /,e iiJiO judg t/'e World in PJghteotzfnefi, by tbat Man w.bom he batb ordained : whereof he bath gil!en A/Jurance umo all Men, in that be bath raifed him from the dead, CHAP. I. The Coherence of the Text opened. The determinilg a Time, and the deftgnation of the - Per foil to judg the Wor!d are exfrefl. Go~ i~ l(jng of the World by Creation. 'J7,e two principal parts of l11s Sol!ere!gllty, are gtl!ng Lall!s to rule h" SubjeEls, and to paft final ]t<dgment according to tiJO[e Laws. His ~ffential AttributeS qualify /,i~ for the exercife of Gol!emment. Tbe Son of God umted to the Humane Nature, " wifely appointed to jud$ Mm. T!Jt quality of this Office requires np left fi'erjon, upoll the accotmt of its juperlatil!e Vignity, ~nd _immenfe difficulty.. 'Tis the reward of his Sujferings. The day of Judgment ts fliled the Great 'Day 111 fel!eral refpeEls. To - define the particular time is beyond the k.noittledg of any mere [reature. ' SA I N T Paul had this Title of Honour eminently conferred upon him, the Apoftle of the Gentiles : This Office he performed with perfevering Diligence, dilfufi thf Light of Life to thoft that fote in Darlme[f, a11din the jhadow of _Death. In t~is :J,apter we have recorded the fubftance of his Sermon to the Athemans; wherem his ad- ~~~?~~.~~~ ~~r!~~~~h~m~;~ ;::i~::~~·~a~?n~hT~~~~f ~h~c?~1;1.of ~~ fi~N]~~;~·~~~ the Principles of natural Rehgwn, to prepare them for the more eafy behef of fupernatural revealed Religion. The depravation of the Minds .of Men was in no inftance more prodigious tha~ in their vilifying Conceits ~f the peity : They attributed his Name and Honour to vanous Idols, and afcnbed t~ htm thetrown Ftgure,. and, whtch was infinitely more unworthy and dtlhonourable, thetr own Paffions and Vtces. They adored their own vain Imaginations. The Idols of their Hearts were ereCled on their Altars. Venus ~~~r~r~ndru~i ~~~;~,~fsur:':tv:sr~= iin~~~\~~~a~hei:~;ti:s.ha~h~~~~:o~:t~~ grofsas impious, were umverfal: the Philofophers themfelves were not exempted from the ~:;:~ih~pla~hc~~{pi~!~tt~~~0~f ~!:r~f~h;t t~~dc~~~~~g'%~:n~~r!:~~~~:~~ Idolatry to the Worlh1p of the only true God. He therefore declares that the Divine Ma. ker of all things, the Father of ti:irits, could not be reprejented by corporeal And corrt~ptibte ~i=~~ i~S~i~~·P~~:eru~~~~ bThatnzew~~J~ffn~=~~:~o[" o~:'~~~~ b:~~m;~~ ~~~f~\i\~: guilh'd in their Habitations and Times, that they might feek and ferve the one univerfaJ Creator. And tho the Pagan World for many Ages had lived in an unnatural Oblivion of God, and he feem'd unconcerned for their Violation of his Laws, yet it was not from the defeEl of Juftice, but the direB:ion of his Wifdom, that his Patience was fo long extended ~~!1he~~,!~~e~h:~t'~l~~~~Jb~~~~ ~~":,;e~~; ~~~u{.xf:1!t~;~~~~~~~na0b~;s f,~hicfh~ willjudg the World in Rsghteou{neft, by the Man whom he bath ordmted : whereif he lwh giv en AjJur~tnce to aD Men, tn that he raifed him from the dead. In the Words, the Eternal Counfels of God arc revealed in two great things. Nnn2 t.TjJe
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