166 SERMONS upon the SE R M. XXI. S1-4:RMON XXI. MATT H. XXV. v. 34. Then jhall the King fay unto them on his Right Hand, Come ye Bleffed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World. E have confidered in the former Perlis, (r.) The Sitting; down of the ra4ge. (2.) The Prefenting the Parties to be judged. Now, (3.) The Sentence. Firjt, Of Abfolution, in there bleffed Words which I have now read to you. Obferve in them, a. The Preface. 2. The Sentence it felt (s.) The Preface fheweth the Perfon by whom the Sentence is pronounced : Then (hall the King fay. (2.) The Parties whom it còncerneth : To them on the Right Hand. Secondly, The Form and Tensor of the Sentence it felf; 'cis very comfortable and ra- vífhing. Take notice, z. Of a Compellation ufed : Te Bleffed of my Father. 2. An Invitation, expreffed in two Words, Come, and Inherit. The Firft giveth Warrant for Entrirlg: The Second, for poffeffing of this Bleffed Eftate ; and that by a Eure Tenure. 3. The Happinefs unto which we are invited; and there the Notion by which 'Lis expreffed : The Kingdom. The.AdjuitE} : A ILingdom repared. The Application of it to the Parties concerned : For Tou. The Ancientnefs of it : From the Foundation of the World. An Eftate excellent in its felf, And made Eure for us. Doctrine, That yells.; Chrift, at his Coming, will adjudóe his People unto a State of Everlafling Happinefs, by a favourable and comfortable Sentence paffed in their behalf. Firft, Obferve the Order, [Then.] The Godly are firft Abfolved, before the Wicked are Condemned : Why ? Becaufe, (r.) ''Tis more natural to God to reward, than to punifh ; to fave, than to condemn. The one is called, A/tenum opus, His flranóe Work, Ifa. 28. 21. His Self - Inclination bendeth him to the one, more than to the other. The Abfolution of the.Good, maketh for the Manifeftation of. his Mrrcy ; the Attribute wherein God delighteth, Mica 7. 18. But his Juftice, as to the Punitive Part of it, 'cis lait : God doth Good of his own Aeeotd ;-but Punifh meut is- extorted, and forced from him (2.) 'Tis fuitable to Chrift's Love, to begin with the Saints: He is fo pronely inclined to them, thtit he taketh their Caufe firlt in Hand. He parted from them, with Thoughts of returning to them again. (3.) For the God/irs fake; that they be not for any while terrified with that dread- ful Doom, which (hall pats on the Reprobate ; and that afterwards become Judges of the Wicked, by their Vote and Suffrage, when abfolved themfelves, z Cor. 6. 3. (4.) For
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