Chap. V. Of Eternal Judglhent. n~~\~~~~:rt~~i~~~&,~ro~ea~afn~~J~!~;;~tin~~~t tf,~?ca~~t ~~t;~~~~~~~n:~rn;~~~ interna l fenfeand prefages of future Judgment: but as the motions of Courage came upon Sampfon at times ; fo Confcicnce awakened b~ fharp Affi,aions, by fudden Dangers? and theapproachesof Death, makes a fad dedua1on of paft Sms, and forecaftscrucl thmgs : It cites the Offender before the enlightened Tnbunal of Heaven, fcourges with remorfe1 and makes him feel even here the llrokes of Hell. Tho the Sm llc fecret, and the guilty Perfon powerful, not Within rhecogniz.ance or reach of humane Jufticc, yet Confciencc ~~~~-Rack within, and caufcspain and anxiety, by fearful expeaarions of Judgment ro And Divine Revelation is moll exprefs in declaring this great Truth..The Light of Fai th is more clear and certain from the infallible Word of God, than the L•ght ofReafon. Before the Flood, Enoch in the early Age of the World foretold it; Behold, the Lord com. ~th with ten thouf4nd of his Saints, to execute ju~$ment upon all. Jude 14, 15.. Solomon under the Law repeats this Doarine, that every Jecret thmg /ball bebroug!Jt rnto jmigment; .vlmhergoodor evil. Eccl.12. And God himfelf fpeaks in the fublimell llde ofMaJefiy, and fwears by Himfelf, for our firmer belief, As I live, faith the Lord, every knee jha/1 bow to ~~ :'~ru:J:f.':f,"~;o;{?: :;,~o=~/~j ~}jb;Jgi~e0 ~;o~~'~!n~i:.J~~~for 1~:';;~/ft~~~ 14. xo, 11. In theGofpel we have dillinaly defcribed the Perfonof rheJudg, the glori• ~~: ~;~e&d:~t\~: ~:~ C~~';h:~;~~ ~~~?ru~~s f~s ~~i;r~~i'n?~ ~ifi'~~t ~~~:n:;ff{;.J k the Perfon of Jefus Chrift, and by him, give infallible affurance, that all his Promifes and Threatnings are equa!Jy certain, ~nd !hall be fulfille~l. As .fure as .our Saviom: is come in A~ ver~7Xrri.o ~:~~~:~J:0~~4gt~~d:~r~~~omphfh'd the Prophec1esof h1s Suffenngs, he will come in ~:£~i15 P~~; Secondly, That the belief of eternal Judgment may be powerful in our hearts and lives; folodi<jUdkil it muft be aauatcd ~y frequent and feriou~ thoughts. Fait~ gives life and efficacy to our ~~-. fefc:ilnt notions of eternal th1ngs, and Confideratton makes our Fa.th elfeaual. As the natural Life is preferved by the aaiviry of the viral Principles, the Circulation of the Blood, the drawing of the Breath, the motion of the Pulfe; fo the fpiritual Life is maintained by the exercife of Grace. The carnal alfeaions dare not appear before Reafon and Confci• ence, when awakened by the ferious believing Confiderarion of eternal judgment. The Evaogelifts relate, that when our Saviour was afieep in the Ship, a fudden Tempeft arofe that was hkely to over-fet it in the Sea : but awakened by the cry of his Difciples, Lord, fove us, we perifb ; he p_rejintly rebuked the wmd, and a calm enfoed. Thus wl11lll the habit of Faith isafieep in tlie Soul, there will be great danger from· the concurrent violence of :remptarions and Corrul'tions; bur when 'ris awaken~d by lively and. powerful thoughts, 1t does Mu·acles m fubdmng the firongelt Lulls. 'TIS monllrous and beyond all belie[ d1d not fenfible Experience make it evident, that notwithllanding the minds of Men ar~ convinc'd of d~e ce1:tainry o~the Divine Judgment, ~n~ the ~ecompences that immediately follow, yet thm WIlls remam unconverred, and thetr Affecbons cold and unaaive in their preparations for it : That fuch numbers who have fo much Chriftianiry as to believe that an irrevocable Doom will pafs upon the Wicked, and fo little Chrillianity, that they cannor JUftl y hope to efcape fi·om it, yet are fo carelefs of their Duty, nay joyful in their fin• ~~~~~~~f?'',rls'~i~~~~~~~~ :t~~~r~J=~i~~r:h~~i~~· mtlft~~~;;e!~~efo~;~h~f;~~~!;:t~~~i Chrifl, to receive Mcordmgtothethtngs doneinthebody, IJ'hether goodorevtl. The next Caufe of this llupidity is, that they put the Evil Day at a remote dillance , as the Seorners faid, The Vijion is fo~ """J Dap: They lludy to be fecure, and delay their preparations, prefummg to have time enough before them. Then· Senfes and Faculties are fo imployed abroad in the World, that they have neither leifure nor defire to think feriouOy of it. Their Hearts are fo ravifh'd with Dreams_ of Senfualiry,_ and engaged in rerrene Alfa1rs, rhat they are very averfe from exefCifing their Mmds upon fuch difpleafing ObJeas. Vain Men! how willingly do they deceive themfelves? The Judg himfelf declares Behold, I come quici:IJ: his Throneis like afiery jlame,and his Wheels as burninJ!..ftre; an Emblem ?f his. fwift coming to J ud&rnent. Can they be affur'd of Life one Hou~-!The day ofDeath xs eqmvalent to the day of Judgment: for Immediately after there IS a final deciuon of Mensftatesforever. I have read of an excellent Preacher, that in a Sermondefcribed the !all Judgment in all its Terrors, with fuch ardent Expreffions, and thofe animated with fuch an alfeaing YoKe, fuch an mfiamed Countenance and Aa1on, that hiS Hearers broke fo.-th into paffioPpp 2 nate
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