the Stewards Summons. For the reward of their works. Mal. ;. 17, r8. ;.In refpeûof the wicked. For the mani- fcltation of Gods righte- ous proceed- ing againft them. tom. z. s. For the per_ felting of their puoilh- meat. Secondly, it is neceffáry alto , That their works may be rewarded. When' we fpeak of reward, we mean not the reward of merit, we mean the reward ofgrate; called a reward, becaufeGod is tied to it by his promife. The fervants of God, though they fierce him with all care, they have not the fat of the earth as fometimes the Ifhmaels ofthe world have, they do not abound with outward things as many othersdo : nay, fometimes they are in the worft condition , and that makes Gods wayes the more defpifed, as if God were not able to maintain his fervants in the world in his wayes and work. God therefore hails a time when his fervants (hall have full meafure heaped up, pre:Ped down, fhaken together, an running over. When God !ball make tip his jewels (as he faith in Malác. ;.) then (hallyedifcern between the righteous and the wicked ; between him thatferveth God, andhim that ferveth himnot. Mark, ye (hall difcern, God will make it appear to the whole world, in the day when he makes up his jewels, that notwithilanding his fervants are defpifed and lie here under divers preffures, yet that they areapeople whom he delights in,and accounteth as his trealures. Thirdly , it is neceffary in refile& of th4 wicked too : that is , Firft, that Gods righteoufnefs may fully' be manifefted. Secondly, that their unrighteouf- nefs may fully be puni hed. Firlt I fay , that Gods righteoufnefs may fully, be mandated, therefore the day of Judgement in Rom. z. 5. is called a day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God : As if he íhmild fay : As God will manifefl his wrath againft the veffek of wrath, fo he will make it appear to the world, that he'proceedeth in a right manner, and 'by a right rule in judge- ing. For we muff know, that howfoever God cannot be unjuft , and howfoever that the ungodly men in this life contend with their own confciences , fuch is the hardnefs of their hearts, and abundance of corruption that they would fain juftifie themfelves amongst men : and again , howfoever it be true that the foul when it is departed out of the body is under.Gods particular judgement by an intellectual elevationof it, that it may receive the fentence of the Judge, by an illumination, and by fuch a fpiritual, andcontemplative difcourfe, and obferva- tion, and underftanding of Gods actions, as thàt by refle&ìon upon it'fed, it may know it felf to be accurfed, or acquitted, and accordingly is mired inter the poffeflion either of happinefs or mifery. Yet all this is fecret in the world, till the day of Gods tribunal come, wherein fecres things (hallbe made manifefl, and things that have been done in darknefs, (hall appear before men and Angels. Secondly, Gods juftice muft be cleared, and fully manifefted, fo the wicked and unrighteous mutt be fully pnnifhed ; They are,not fullypunilhed , when theyare under the fenfe of Gods wrath in this life, or when the foul is judged at death, there muft be yet a further degree for all this. And there be thefe two reafons for it. The fiat is, becaufe the wicked not only fin in foul, but in body too, the body hath been the inftrument ofthe foul in finning, and therefore it cannot ferve the turn, that the foul is punifhed, and the body lie in the grave ; no, but thofe that have joyned in fin, mullalto joyn in Punifhment. Secondly, howfoever the fsnful actions of thewicked are tranfcient, and fee to die with them, yet in refpect of the contagion and evil effects, theft aaions work upon others , andupon pofterity by the ill example of their predeceffòrs; thea&ions, I fay of thofe wickedmen continue to the day of Judgement. Thus we !hall fee the ?ewes, in Ter. 44, revived the fins of their fathers. Oar fa- thers ( fay they) made cakes to the QQueeen of heaven, and fo will se. So the fucceeding King's of /free!, that weW in the fteps ofJeroboam, whomade lfrael to fin, they continued the fin of jeroboam. As long as men go on in the fteps, and fins of their forefathers, the fins of their forefatherslive: So that lome mens fins by a continued imitation , are perpetuated to the day ofJudgement, therefore there mull be a judgement then, that may fill up .a meafure proportio- nable to their fin. This was that that Dives,feared in Hell, and that made him cry out
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