Ver. 1o. Fifth Chap.2d Ep. to the C O R I N T H. ' g 3 .The. pr'opartion; According to their feveral ways; only the reward of good is ofgrace; devil of delert, Rom. 6. 23. TbeWagesoffin is death. Doe. There willcertainly come a day when every perfon that ever lived/hall be judged Chrift according to his works. I thall examine this point by the eircumflances of the Text. t. The necegity ; he might havefaid, *e fhallappear; No, but he faith, .ve mull appear ; Grid hash fo appointed. Here I (hall fpeak, t. Of the certainty ofthe thing. There Mull be a Judgfíient. z. The infallible certainty of the event. There /hall be a Judgment, 1. It mull be fo. For God bath decreed it, and Reafon enforceth it. But why is it need. fary? I Anfwei,notto difcover any thing to God. X. But Partly, Thatgrace may beglorifyed in and by the righteous. r Epiftle of Pet. Chap. i, v. 13. Hope unto theendfor the grace which is to be brought unto you, at the re- velation òf lefus Chrift. Then is the largeft and fulleft manifeftation of Gods love to his people. We fee his grace now in the pardon of fins, and that meafureeSan&ification which now we attainunto,that heispleafed to pafs by dur offences, and ta=le us into his fa- mily, and give us ataft of his love, and a right to his HeaVéhly kingdom, and irnploy us in his Service;but then it will be another manner ofgrace,and fávotirindeed, when pardon and approbation fhall be pronounced and ratifyed by the Judges own mouth, Ath 3. to. When he (hall not only take us into his family, but into his Immediate prefence, and Pá- lace, john 1 z. z6. Where I am there /ball my fervant be. Wherthe giveth us not only a right,but the poffellìon,Matth. aS. 34. Come ye blejfedof my Father, inherit the Kingdont prepared for you. When wethallnot only have force remote Service and miniftration, but be everlaftingly imployed in loving, delighting in, and praifing of God, with all thofe Heavenly creatures who are our eternal companions in the work. The grace of God,or his favourto his people,is never feen in all its glorious gracioufnefs, till we be gld= rifyed. z. That the wickedmay be convinced of their fin and defetl, they eóme updh a tryal, andthe fault of all their inifcatriage is charged on themfelves. 'Tis hard to determine Which is the greater torment to them, the righteoufnefs or terriblenefs of the fentence.. God leaveth them withoutexcufe, Rom. Lao. Pfa. fo. a1. I will jet all thyfins in order before thee. Sins forgotten,loft in the crowd by a fecure ftnner,in the day of Gods reckon- ing !hall be brought to remembrance, With time, place and other circumftanèes,and fo pre= fented to confcience as if newly done. 3. That Gods 7aßice may Le cleared, Pfa. 51. 4. That thou maye/tbeclear when thou, 7udgell. When he giveth to men according to their choice, and according to the merit of their own works, therelyeth nojuft exceptionagainf} Gods proceeding. The juftice of God requireth that there Ihould be differing proceeding with them that differ among themfelves,that it Ihould be well with them that do well, and evil with them that do evil. Thatevery man fhould reap according to what he bath fown. Therefore thofe whom Chrift will receive into Everlafting life Mutt appear faithful and obedient,for then God will judge the world in rlghteoufnefs, Ads 17.3 i. Nów in patience towards the wicked, now by way of exercife and tryal of his people. z. The certainty of the Event. The hour it coming, .john S. i8. That there is fuch a time coming he ill deferveth the name of a Chriftian who maketh any Qùeftian of it. But, besaufe many live,' as if they ¡hall never be' called to an ac- count, I ¡hall evidence that certainly we fháll appear, both by naturahtight and Scrip- cure. i. Let the evidence of Reafon be heard fofar as it willgo ; Reafon IheWeth that it may be, and argueth, i. From the nature ofGod. There is a God ; That God is juli; and 'tit agreeable to his juftice that it Mould be well with them that dowell,and ill with them that do evil. There are prinéiplesout ofdifpute,arid foundations in the firu&úre and building of the Chriftiant Faith. Here the heft fuffer molt, and are ekrcifed with poverty, difgYacé, fcorn, and all manner of perfecurions,and the wicked rive a life ofpómp and eafe ; how thallwe re- concile thefe things with the notionsWhichwe have of God and hit Providence ? No fa- tisfa&ory account can be given but this : The wicked are referved to future punitlimenr; and the Godly to future teward, Here the goodnefs of God towards the good, and thé jufliee
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