Of Eternal Judgment. Chap. V. nate Cries, as if the Judg himfelf had been prefent to pafs the final Sentence upon' them .In the heighth of their Commotion, the Preacher bid them ftop their Tears and Pafiion; for he had one thing more to add, the moft affii&ing and aftoni01ing Confideration of ali the reft, That within lefs than a quarter of an hour, the memory and regard of that which fo tranfported them would vanilh, and their Affe&ions return to carnal Obje&s in their ufual manner. The negle& of Confideration makes even the Do&rine of Judgment to come to be with· out efficacy. 'Tis necelfary therefore that the belief of this be fo firmly feated in the Heart as Its Throne, that rt may command the thoughts to be very attentive to it and may have Regal Power over our Wills and Affe&ions, that our Lives may be o;dered according to its Rules. 2 •. The confideration of Eternal Judgment wil! vindicate the Pro~eedings of Divine Pxovrdence, and the honour of God's governrng thrs World, from the rmputation of Unrighteoufnefs. God is provoked every day, yetfpares theWicked, andheapsanabundance of Favours on them. His Patience and Goodnefs they profanely abufe, and become more obdurate and rnflexrble. They are apt to blafpheme the Excellency of his Nature in their Hearts, P[<l.r 4. 1 •. thinking that he is ignorant or carelefs, impotent or unjuft. They tmphcrtly deny Ius Provrdence and Judgment, that he does not obferve their Sins and will not require an account for them : Or elfe they interpret his Permiai.on to be an' approba~ tion of their Sins. Theft things hajl thou done, and I kept jilence; thou thot~ghtejl I was fuch an one"'' tl'} Jelf, Pfal. )O. Thus the Heathens tranfplanted the Vices of Earth to Hea. ven, and reprefented their Gods to be fenfual, Jealous, furious as Men, and accordingly expc& an eafy abfolution for their Sins. Or elfe the di£lance of Judgment to come fa hardens them, that they hear God's Thunder with lefs fear, than Boys do their Squibs and Crackers. Becat1(e fenten~e ~gainjl an e'L•tf,~ork Unot JPeedtfy exemted, therefore the hearts of the fans of men are fully jet tn them to do evtl, Ecclef. 8. 2. But how defperate is the madnefs of Smners? God now Jiems to wmk at therr fins, A&s '7· 30. but ha\11 appointed a day of Accounts.. He fuffers them to hve in profperity, but they are refirvid to the day of jttdgment to be punifb'J, 2 Pet. 2. 4· and pollibly fooner: for fometimes they are cut oil by viGble Vengeance, to convince the World that the fupreme Judg does not bear the Sword in v~in . . But tho 'tis delayed for~ time, yet he dec~ares, that their Sins are laid up in jlore wzth lnm1 and {e~t!ed rtp among hu trea{t1re!. To lum belongs vengeance and recompence, Dcut. 3 2 . 34· He is a mild Judg now, and his Clemency fufpends their Punifhment; but Ju· Ilice will not forget it, Am_os 8. 7· He threatens the fecureSinner, I 1vill reprove t!Jee, and JetthJ finsinorderbeforethmee;es, Pfal. )O. 21. How will the fcornful obftinate Sinner change complexion, and tremble, when an Army of Sins more terrible than fo many Furies !hall be ranged in Battel, and with fiery Darts wound his naked Soul ? How will the £lubborn Athei£1, that pleafes himfelf with vain imaginations of the Eternity of the :~r~iu~~n\~~;-;~\~i~1~1e,~af~~n;~1 ?.t~J~nc~fif~hcl~~a~~~~~ies1 ~:ih~: t~::.~i~~o0f:~~f,: :cum habcat rations. 'Tis not for* want of Power that God fparcs the Wicked, but becaufe they are ~~n~:~~~a- always in h_is Hands, and he can make the~ as miferable as t~1ey are finful when he ,.ul~diu rcncr~ pleafes. 'Tts not through the neglect of Jufhce, but for moft wtfe and holy Reafons, as pa_ucmiam.CJ- fhall appear in the laflDay, when a decilive irreverfible Judgment fhall be pronounc'd, );;~~·n~~ bon. and immed iate ly inAiaed upon them before the World. When an ·i·AaoratAthens t "? x;J"1 fpol<C with admiration of Riches, as the moft valuable Acquifltion, and of the Felicity of Jl''."iJ'.'"''" Rich Men; the People were m an uproar at the Immorality of the Speech, and were &~' "~"' ready to chafe him from the Stage. But the Poet himfelf appear'd,. and deflred them to Cum h> no· £lop their Fury till they faw the Catajlrophe, the wretched end of that fordid Mifer. i~ff~~~~~s Thus we are apt to accufe the way_s of God_when the 'Yi~ked flo~rifh; but ~ve fl1oul~ bri~id~r pro- fiop our tumultuous thoughts, for their End wdl abfolveDtvme Provtdence from all undue nunnau clfcnr, refle8:ions upon the account of their temporal happinefs. ~~ru:jicfc:Ou~~ And the found belief of this will reaify all miftaking apprehenfions, and clear all per· & Afiomm & plexing appearances about the fufferings of the Righteous here. . . . E~~:=.c~~: fro1~t~~1~:~ ~~~~~~ct;~l~~d~ ~:~r~:y t~;~;r thee ~~~~e~{ ~~:~eM~:'~}~~~f{~ ~o$~~ !lcr E.u,p,du vour on this fide Hell to thofe that deferve it. Davii, an excellent Saint, acknowledgcth ;0;;:~:"';.. the Righteoufnefs of God's Judgment with refpe& to hi~felf. But when the Saints fufrensurexpec· fer fora nghteous Caufe ; and as the Pfalmlfl: exprelfes It, Fort~) foke a~ewe ktlled all the ~~~%~~3~~~ ~Yn~;i'et:=e~~~~u;:~~id!n~;'of({~d f:t~:~~v!~~~:~l;et~~er~d:l~tnd :h~b~~c~~r~~~~~ <>imm r,". Rules of Jullice, that thofe wlio do evil fhould fuffer evil, and thofe who do weU lbould £;;~~.8~';;: be happy. As t~e Apo£lle fpea~s to the perfecuted Chnftrans, It IS a nghteous thmg ~:a
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