The l4pproachofthegodofRecompences. 259 fperity of the wicked. It made Job to fay, 'fob a4. ti+ Mengroanout ofthe City Ipfal 3,, by realm ofoppregion, and the foul; ofthe Pin cry out ; andyet God cbargetb them I lob 24. rz. not with folly. This made Jeremiah, to expoffulate his caùfe with the Lord, Jer. n. Ier. I,. Let me talk with thee ofthy judgements, ruby doth the wickedpro/per, and theythat ¡I tranfgrefs thy commandments ? This makes the godly take up that pallìonate cow - plaint, Pfal. 73. it. How doth God know it t is there any knowledge in the MO.(/' Pfal. ;7. u. high » Certainly, we have cleanfed our hearts in vain ; in vain we have wafhed our bands in innocency t in vain we labour to livegodly lives ; Why ? Every day we are chaf#ened: for the Lord correas us every morning. And thefe have the wealth ' of the world, they have the world2t will. We in Chriltianicy know this to be true. pivot hath the world at will, while poor Lazarus is (hut out of doors, hungry and chirfty, cold and naked, full of neceffity every way. This being fo, the day muff needs come, that the one !hall have fulncfs of glory , and the other of mi- Eery. But to anfwer thofe places before cited. To the former, fob S. where it is laid, The believer rs pagedalready from death to life ; hebath everlafting life already. It is true, he is palled already from death to life, by faith he hath it already, and by hope ; he fhall not come into judgement; that is, of condemnation, (fo we malt underhand it,) but there is a judgement of abfolution that is to be executed and fowhen the Lord Jefus Chrift (hall defcend fromheavenwith the foundof a Trum- pet, and the voyce ofthe eslrchangels, then the dead in Chrift (halt rife firffi and be caught :spin theclouds to meet Çhriff, and then they (hall be let at his right hand, and hear that heavenly fentence ; Come ye bleffedofmy Father, inherit,tbe kingdompre- pared foryou, before the beginning of the world. You fee the anfwer to that, that believers !hall not come into judgement; that is, not the judgement ofcondemna- tion, but ofabfolutionat the lift day. Now for theother place,whereit is faid, ?oh. 3. 18. the unbelieveris condemned Unbeliever already. condemned It is true, he is condemned already, and thatthree wayes. alreadyhow. Firft ofall, he is condemned already in the counfel of God. Secondly, he is condemnedalready in thewordofGod. Thirdly, he is condemned already in hisown confcience. Firft,in the counfelof God; God hathmadean eternal decree ofPredeftination, wherebyhe hath elefted frame to falvation, and predeftinated them thereto, and o- thers to damnation. In this Godseternal decree, the unbeliever isalready condem- ned : nay,beforeever hecame intothe world,asyou have it in the example ofJacob and Efate, Rom.9. before ever they had done good or evil, God hated the one,and loved the other. Secondly, in the wrd of Godhe is condemned, Joh.3.i8. Why t becaufe he hatesthe light, and loves darkuels. Thirdly,inhis ownconfcience he is condemned : for the continual horror there- ofgives him no reft,daynor night ; there isa worm continually gnawingthere, and a fling tormenting him: but the full execution thereof is to be in the day ofwrath, when he 1h all be let at the left hand ofChrift, and hearthe fentence, Go yeenrfed into eternal fire, preparedfor the deviland his Angelo. O, ,what a terrible daywill thisbe to all the wicked workers of iniquity : for ChriftJefus the Judge (hall come then, togive them theirreward. This !hall be a black, a fad, awoful, difmal day to them : they (hallnot be able to look on the Judge, he (hall be fo terrible to them. You fee the terriblenefs.ofthe Judgelet downby Saint yohn, Rev. ao. to, sr. where Rev. 20. it is laid, be fate agreat white throne, andone fitting thereon, from wbafe face fled heaven andearth, and their place was no more found. Heaven and earth are great and mighty creatures,infenfible creatures,that have not fanned, they.flie,and tremble, and hide themfelvesat the coming ofthe greatJudge : and lhallman,fillyftnful man, ' think tonand before theJudge without trembling? Indeed ifa man could prefent himfelf fpotlefs without blame, he needed not to fear ; but alas it is far otherwife, there isnone that doth good, and finneth not, faithSolomon. The tnoft righteous before menare {bitted, andpoluted in the fight ofGod ; andmay,cry,with the Le- ,_ Per!
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