Of Eternal Judgment. Chap. V. Men, tO tliink, bccaufe they do not fee God, that he does not fee them. As if one fhould fhut his Eyes in the face of the Sun, and do fame foul abominable thing, thinking hm1felf to be unfeen, becaufe he fees no Perfon. How vam IS the Impure di!Jgence of the Adulterer, the crafty diligence of the Deceiver, the follicitous diligence of other Sinners to hide things from the Judg of all? ShaU not God fearch it out, for he knows tht very /icrets of the heart? What a confounding difcovery will be made of fecret Wickednefs at the !aft day ? Here obfcurity is the mask of fhame that conceals it from the World. Or if only Children and Fools that are not capable to judg of the indecency and turpitude of Actions, he Spectators,_ Men are not touch'd with fhame for foul things. llut then their Wickednefs fhall be difplayed before God, the holy Angels and Saints. The aC\ual belief of this would deprive Satan of one of his greatefl: advantages, and be a blelfed Pre. fervativc from many Sins that allure the confent by the temptation of fecrecy. A confi. dering Chrifl:ian will rejeEl: them with indignation, faying with 'Joftph, How can I do thu great wickednefs, and fin againfl God? The Sins undifcovered and unpunilh'd by temporal Tribunals, fhall then receive a JUfl: Recompence. S· The remembrance of that fl:rifr Judgment is the moll: natural and powerful remedy ~~;~!c~~~~~~ JPe~t:at<'~~~~~~: ~'in~;rt./c~~~:}-;J,~dl~N~.gee~~ifs ~JaWi~:, ~:!;uin;~: ~~j:::;:;•;J;f~~~:;~s;h:~~~h~x~~r~,,~~:;, t:~e:~~~e::~lesl=o~~=t ~fc[;ic~e~t~ ~J: Saviour walk'd upon the Waters, thought he had been a Spirit, judging that no realllody could tread on them without linking: thiis Men are apt to think it impofhble to refl:rain their carnal Appetites when allured by pleating ObjeC\s. But the beliefof the Terrors of the ;,~~;~g::~ ~~li;:l:~e;;u;~:r:~h~!:;h;~r~~~i~~~~ffif.~~cli~~:~r~~~1,~e;:i~i~~~.c~~~ gives this Counfel, Rejoyce, 0 youn_$ 111an, in tl.l) youth, and let thy !Jeart chearthee intbed.cp of thy youth, and walk tn the ways of thy heart, and fight of thine ryes: but koow thou for all ~;:{f,~b~f~zo;~~~t;:;fh~h::;: ~;;~:~;;,.~~~~-:;d ml~i~h':~~Ra.~~ici~~:~sr~:~~Ji~~~ Lufl:s the objeC\s of our greatefl: detefl:ation. 6. The confideration that the Son of God, clothed with our Nature, lhall judg the ~fci:~d.at~~~ f:::fo,~;e~~tf:~ot~i~i~e~~fl;~a:h~ ,~h~ ,:~~v~,~~ ~~~:etf,\~'rJe~ :~~ was their Redeemer on the Crofs, fl)all be their Judg on the Throne? He is the fame 'Jefos Chrijl, yeflerd•y, today, and for ever; the fame indulgent Saviour in the exaltation of his Glory, as when under Sullerings, Reproach and Shame. He is defcribed in that glorious Appearance, by theconjunfr Titles of his Majefl:~ and Power1 The Great God, Tit. 2. 12, 1 l· and of his Compaflion and Mercy, Our Savzour, to figmfie hiSabJ!Ity and affeC\10n to ~~,r~~~~~e~~~nr h;;;e~~~~~~~~e:h'~~h~ ~:;.~~; zr~~~:fi~l~~e~u~J~dn~:~t, ~: that paid their Debt, and feal'd their Pardon with his own Blood, will certainly publilh the Acquittance. How is it poflible he fhould condemn thofe for whom he d1ed, and who appear with the impreflions of Ins reconcllwg Blood upon,them? How revlVIng IS Jt tiiat Chrill:, whofe Glory was the end and perfectJOn of their L1ves,_ P!Jtl. I."fhall d1fpofe t11cir ftaces forever? that he, who efl:eems every a£1: of their Chanty and Kwdnefs done to his Servants as done to himfelf, fhall difpenfe the blelfed Reward? Then the /(frlg willfay to themplac'd on his right hand, Come, ye bleJfed of my Father, inherit the kingdom treparedfor you from the joundatton of.rhe World. Mat. •S· 0 the tranfports of Joy to hear thofe words from his Life-breathwg Lips ! The Prophet breaks forth 111 an Extafy, HOJPbe.utijul.re the feet of themejfengers of peace, thofe that brmgglad-ttdmgs of fa!vation! but how much more b,.utijul IS the face of the Author of our peace and falvatton! 0 how full of Serenity and Clemency, and Glory ! The expefrauon of thiS makes them langUJnl with impa;ience for his Coming. Tho the Preparations of that Day are fo dreadful, when the Sunfba/1 be darkned,and the Moon turnedmto blood, Acts 2. and the Stars fall hke leaves in Autumn, yet 'tis ltiled a Day of Refrefbment to the Samts. . vide<is '"'"'- Jlut how dreadful will his Coming in Majefl:y to Judgment be to the wicked! _Thry fha!l mi~:',!~~l~~d ~~"!,~~~"' ~ha~~:!ur.:'~~ ~~~y:i,~~::t~~h~~~;;~idnn~~b;,~~:ra~h;~b~~~h~~5of::r; pupu~1fhs, Our Saviour revealed high Myfteries, but confirm'd them with grea t. M1r.ades. He re~ i:~n~~~ ~ quir'd ftriEt.~olinefs, but otli::r'd pi vine Grace to enable Men to do h1s W11J. He po11nd propccr vos a~ jort/J hiJ Sptrtf upon them, but their Hearts were as hard as the Rocks, and as barren.as the '""'.m cfi, Sands Then he will reproach them for their infolent Contempt of all the PerfeC1:Ions of ~~~ui~;,~~~~z. his Di.vinc Nature, and the bleeding Sufferings of his Humane Nature to reconcJle the~
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=