Of Eternal Judgment. Chap. VI. radiant by the Fire, the infincere like reprobate Silver !hall not endure that fevere trial. in ~:C(~~Y~ ~~ec~~t~~~:b1~f~~~~~i~~ ~f~:~i~~~eJ~~:. re~~~i~~ ~';;u;';aJ?'c~~fi:~~!fRr{. voluti.on: for while we are in Flefb, the bell Sainrs; notwithflanding all their vigilance :~~ ~i!i~~~~:·n~~~rfa~~r:~\~gbfo[';[~;~r~;r~~~,f~~:~ifu~s0~~e~~~~n:,~a~:o~0~~~f~~tt,n~; if any one had by touching a dead Body contra&ed Uncleannefs, he was ro walh h~ Clothes in the Evening, and fl!!)t to lie down m h1s Uncleannefs. This was typical of our duty, that we ll1ould wafh away am finful Defilements every day in the purifying Fountain of Chrill's Bloorl, that u fit open for ftn and for uncleannefs. And the Method of the Gofpe l to obtain the grant of Pardon, and our comfortable Senfe, and the ble!fed Ef. fet\s of it is this , there muft be a mournful fight, and ferious acknowledgment of our daily Sins, and a judging our fdves by the dome!lical Tribunal in our Breafts as worthy of Condemnation. For rho we cannot fatisfy Divine Juftice for the leaft Sin, we muft glorify it; and with humility and fervency defire that God would gracioully forgive our renewed Sins, with unfeigned Refolurions and Care againft them for the future. Thus we are to fue out our Pardon for Sins committed every day. And whereas many Errors in re. gard of our frailty, an? their finenefs, do nip from us, we fhould widt contrite Spirits implore the Divine Majefty to t!eanfe tu from ot<r Jimt ftns, Pfal. 19. 1 2. fuch as through ignorance' or inadvert~ncy ef~pefrom our obfervario~. If we arc obl1ged to be reconciled to an oflended or of!endmg Brother before the mght, and the SuTJ muft not go down upon our wrath, much n:tore to be reconcilerl tq an offC:nd_ed God , that his D1fpleafure may be atoned. The mornmg and evening Sacrifice was a Figure of the conftanr ufe of Chrifi's Merits and !vlediarion for us. The fecurc neg!eaof renewing our Repentance for our renewed Sins, deprives us of the Comforts of the Covenant, and will make the thoughts of Judgment as heavy as Mountains upon t.hc Confciencc, when 'cis awakened out of its Jlumber. But when the. Soul's ~ccoums_ are. kept clear with Heaven every _day, 0 wha t a ble!fed Reft does the pemtent Believer enJOY m the Favour of God ! 0 the d1vine Calm of Confcience, when our Debts are cancell'd in the Book of God's Remembrance! If we lhoulrl be unexpe&edly fummoned to appear before the 'Judg of •11, the fight of our Sins will rather excite thankfulaffet\ions, and joyful Praifes of God for his Mercy, that he bath pardoned them, than fearful defpairing thoughts of his Mercy, that he will not pardon them. And as this confidering our ways leads to Repentance, and is a Remedy for paft Sins, fa 'tis a powerful prefervahve from Sins afterwards. For as m War the greateft care is ro fortify the wcakeft Part of a befieged Town, and·makc it impregnable; fo a Chriftian, by the experience of his infirmity and danger, will be more wife and wary, morecircumfpea and refolved again!l thofe Sins wh.ereby he has been often foil'd, to prevent the daily incurfion, and fuddcn furreptmn by ~hem. ~nd accordmg to the degrees of our Innocence, we have confidence of acce pta~ce Wit~ God mJudgment. Fourthly, Let us improve w1th a w1fe and fingular diligence the Talents. committed to our Truft: for in that day we 0Jall be refponfible for all that we have rece1ved . All the Bleffings we potTefs, whet~er natural, our Life, .our F~cultics, our End?wrnents, ?~r Health and Strength; or C1vil, Honour and D1gmry, R1ches and Reputation; or Sp•n·· tual, the Gofpel in its Light and Power, the Graces and Affiftance of the Holv Ghoft, as they arc Gifts from God's Love, fo they arc Talents to be emplored for hiS Glory.. We are Stewards, not Proprietanes: for the fuprems: Lord does not rehnqutfh lu~ R1ght mour !~~~fi~~ t:,~% i~eo~cilt ~~r~~~r~Yb,~1:e::~~~ ~~~t~~~~~e bb':n~fi:'~y.r~;f;~~'~d ~~~ fci~ f:~g~e~~~s~f~~~ ,\~~a~~W~1/!u~~~~~~~h~=~~0Jrs1~~eg~~tlftb~:;.~~ i~~h~,:~rui~:~.acl;f;:: that unvaluable T reafure, that IS due to God and the Sool, the pnce of wluch anfes from the Work of Salvation to be done in it, how is it fquander'd away? Confcieoce would blulh at the ferious refle&ion; that every day fo much is fpent in the bufinefs of the World, or Plcafm es, and fo little redeemed for Communion with the Holy God:_ that as in the Prophetick Dream the lean Kine devoured the fut, fo unconcernmg Van111es take up that time that lhould be employed _for our !aft and ble!fed End. Wlule T1me IS m1ferably · \vafted, the Soul lies a bleeding to everlaftingDeath. More pamcularly, we !hall he accountable for all the days of the Son of Man that we have fecn, all the fpecml Seafons of Grace : thefc we lhould improve for our eternal advanta~e, to prepare us for the Divine Prefencc above. But alas, the Lord's Day _th~t IS confecrated for the immediate Service of God, and lhould be entirely fpent m tt, and m tbmgs that hav~
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