rJ70 Of Eternal Judgment. Chap. VI. 'Tis an awful C~ution of ?Ur Saviour to his Difciples~ Tal:e.he~d Left at any time yortr he4 rti be overciJ.trged tvtthfarfeiteng and drunkennefi, and cares of thts life, an d fo that day come up- ~'[~~~~;~:~~:~:~c£~;:~u~t~?dfe'~~~j:i~;;:r:f/:e~;~;{C:~:~J;C:h~(~~~~~e ~h:hSout and the indulging the carnal Appetite, tho not in fuch enormous Excelfes as the Prophan~ arc guilty of, alienates the Minds of Men from due confidering their Spiritu al State and lciTens the preventive Fear that makes us fcrious and diligent to be found of God in Peace And others are fo involved in fecular Bufinefs, that they ore not at leifure to r egard the on; thmg nmJJar;: their Mindsarc fo overllJaded with the Cares of the prefent World they cannot take a right afpect of the World rocome. The Flood broke in upontlieold World wlulft they .vere wing a11d drinking, marr]lng andgiving m m41'riage, buying andjelling and deftroyed them all. The !aft Fire will devour this World in the f~me wretched incogi;ancy and llupid neglect to prepare themfelves for Judgment. As it was m the dars of Noah ,fo jbJ it te in the da;s of the Son of mm. 'Tis a divine and folemn Warning, Behold, I come as a thief trt the night : blefJed ts hetbat ovatchetb and keepeth hts garments, lefl he be fou nd naked without the Robe of Holinefs, and be expos'd to confounding fbame in that Day. Whe~ fecure and carelefs Sinners ./ball fay, Pwe and Jitfety, fudden deflruflton will come upon them A! travel upon a woman wtth child, as furprizingly, as irrefillibly ; and they fba/1 not e[iape: ,But the Wife forefee the evil, and elleem it their incomparable Interell to fecure the Favour of the Supreme Judg: 'Tis the Inference the Apollle makes from theCertain ty of ourappe~nng before the R1ghteous Judg, Wherefore we labour, thdt !"hether Jrefent or abfent, in th1s or the next Ltfe, we maJ be accepted if btm. 2 Cor.5.9· Th1s was b1s great Defign, his ~;:~u~;~~d:~::U~tlo:~~eh~sb?.1i~~~ .~~~~d~:,"~la~~~0di.h':r~~~~~~%~~:;c~;,:;: with the Lord. In order to this, I will lay down the Rules of our acceptance in t!Jat Day, and conclude the Argument, T{;;1sru~nf~ig~~t~}t11,\~ ~~~kffi~i!~;uu~~rr;~~~~~Yhi:ce::;litu~"f:i~~flnb;oa~~~~t~. that the guilty and fclf.condemned Sinner intirely confents to the Terms of th e Gofpel, ~ well as to the Privileges of it,•with a reliance upon his Merits, and a rcfol ution to obey his Precepts. He is a Priefl on a Throne, a Prince, and aSavzour, and fomuft beacknow- ~~d~il;~ci~~·~~;~elife, ~h~~s~~~~t:~ ~~:~~f~~~n;~~~i~~~ely~;,puted to us for our 1 • The bell Saints arc guilty, and deeply obnoxious to the Law, and the Judgment of God is invariably according to Truth ; fo that appearing in their Sins, they will be call for ever. God's Tribunal, like that of the fevere Roman Judg, is Rtorum Scopulm, a Rock that dafbes in pieces all the Guilty that come to it. Therefore the Pfalmill fo earnellly deprecates ; Enter not into judgment with th; Servant, 0 Lord ; for in thy fight JbaU no ma11 tivmg be jujlijed. And the Apollle, tho a tranf~ndent S~mt, devells btmfel~ of bts own Riglueoufnefs, that he may be enttrely covered Wtth the R1ghteoufnefs of Cb nft ; and re- ~b~a'i~e~:;~~~ib~s~i~~~! ~f 'hf{ ;;t{,f.a;~~ ~::;::O~u:;e:~n1~o~h~;1e"t;,~foCe~ 0t~'~tsc~~~ mands, nor appeafe the Difpleafure of God: but the expiatory Sacrifice of Chrill propitiates the Divine Jullice. This alone can make us lland m Judgment before the fierl Law, and the fiery Tribunal, and the 1t~dg who u aconfuming Fire, ~o all the Guilty that appear in their Sins before him. The Blood of the Mediator has fpnnkled the Thron e of God in Heaven ; and our Confciences being fprinkled with it by an unfeigned Faith, we may appear before God the Judg of all with a bumble confidence, and enter into the Holy of Holies, the Celellial Sanctuary, with joy. 2. Not only the pardon of our Sins, but the acceptance and rewarding of our S ervices with eternal Glory, is upon the account of our Saviour's compleat Righteoufn efs. There are defilements in the Perfons, and defects m the works- of the Samts, The tr moll holy and fervent Prayers are perfum'd by the Incenfe of his lnterceflion, and fo b ecome grateful ro God, Rev. 8. 5· Our bell Virtues are mix'dand fbadowed with Imperfections ; but in him all Graces were confpicuous in their confummate degrees. Our Obedt ence, fuppofing it perfc& is of no defert: When we have done all, we are unprofitable ferv ants : but l1is Obedience w;s infinitely meritorious by the union of the D7ity with his_ humane Nature, and is the foundation of the excellent Reward. Not that Ius Ments dcnve a value to our Works to make them worthy of eternal Glory: as fame noble .1\;lineral infufe d into. Water that is in it felf without tafte or efficacy, gives tt a medtcmal TulEture and Vmue; for'this is impoflible, fince the infinite Dignity of his Perfon, a~d h1smoll perfect habJtual and aaual Holinefs, that are the Fountains and Reafons of h1s !'4enrs, are ~~co.mmum<?Iblc to our Perfons and Wor!<S. But the active and paflive Obedtencc of Chnft tS fo fanf- - facrory
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