Chap. VI. Of Eternal Judgment. The inferna l Furnace is feven-fold heated for the punif11ing fuch wickeclnefs. To conclude this Argument; Let us obferve the Command of our Saviour, To watch and prtty alrvap, thttt we- may be co11nted worthy to (land before the Son of m.ttn. Thefe are Duties ·of uni verfal influence into our lives, the one prevents Carelefncfs, the other vain Confidence in our felves: and the confideration of Judgment to come, is the grccuefl Motive ro them, and the firlt Principle of Holinefs. This fl1oulcl work more powerful in us, conflderi ng the Day of Death is equivalent to the Day of Judgment to every Perfon; for then a particular Sentence decifive and irrevocable paifes, that fl1all be publif11'd at the lalt Day. Methinks the Terrors of the Lord fhould engage our Souls and Senfcs to a conti. nual preparation for his coming. 'Tis reprefented foas to aft'ct the Eye, and keep it vigilant, Behold, tile Lord comes with ten thotifand ofhis Saints, to execute judgment upon all, Jud. 1 5· Behold, hecomes in theclotu!s, and every eye fba/1 fee htm, Rev. 1. 9· .And to call the Ear, and malce it attentive; The Lord himfeiffba/1 defcend from heaven with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trttmp of God. I TheJT. 4- r6. How circumfpect fhould we be in all our Ways, lince every action fhall be reviewed by our Judg? St. Peter firongly infers from t!Jed iifolution of the World, as a moll cogent Argument, that we fhould be exactly and univerfall y Holy: Seeing then all tbefe thin15s fba/1 be dijfolved, ••hat manner of perjons ought rPe to be in Ail holyconverfation and godlinejs? 1 Pet. 1· u, 12. But the con~derarion of the eternal Judgment immediately fucceeding the deltruaion of the World; 0 how powerful fhould it be upon Confcience and the Affections, to regulate the whole courfe of our Lives with a final refpect to God's Tribunal ! In fl10rt, That which we read of the fuccefs of the Apoltles preaching to the Athenians upon the prcfent Subject, the Immortality of the Soul, comprifed in the Refurrection of the Body and future Judgment, is the fame in all times and places. And when they heard of the re{ttrre8ion of the dead, Jome mocked; and others [atd, We will he.:r thee again of this matter; and others believed. AB:s 17. j2, 14· There are three Differences of the Hearers of this DoCtrine of fo great importance : fame deride it as an extravagant Fancy ; fame believe it, and yield up themfelves entirely in obedience to it; others do not abfolutely reject it as the lirll:, nor accept it as the fecond, but have a conjeClure, or flight fuperlicial Opinion of it, or a fpeculative aifent as to a hill:ory of things that do not concern them, and defer the ferious confideration and applying ofit to themfelves. And of this third fort ( 0 Grief!) are the molt of thofe who are Chriltians in Name. They delay till Death the folemn refteC\ing upon the final Judgment, and the inevitable confequence of it, a ~~~~:d or' ;~;~~~v;,ad:d f~~i~h;~ h~~d ~:J~~:~;s a~~e f~~~~~i~l :~flar~~r~%al;\f1~~~~i Complacencies that might hazard the never-fading Crown ; I keep under my body, and bring it into fubjerlion, left by any means when I have preached to others, I fbould be a cajl.away, I Cor. '9· 27. ·)-Yet the molt live and die in a fecure ltate, without preparation to appear before the Prefence of his Glory. OF 475
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