i g o Of the Perfön by Dhow Vol. II. Pra&lees they have fo contemned in this World, will fit as Judge upon then,, and condemn them in the next. And therefore our Saviour tells us, Luke 2t. 25, &C. that when the Day of Judgment [hall furprize the World, and they [hall fhall fee the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven, with Power and greàt Glory ; then the Wicked of the Earth [hall be in great Di[trefs and Per- plexity, and their Hearty (hall fail them for fear, and for looking after thofe Things which are coming upon the Earth : But that to good Men it thall be a Day of great Joy, and that the Approach of it (hall revive their Spirits, and raife their Heads, v. 28. But when thefe Thi,egs (hall begin to come to pafs, then lift up your Heads with Toy, becauffyour Redemption draws nigh. And this Conlderation is Matter of great Comfort to all good Men, both upon Account of their Sufferings and Services for Chrift. In refpeét of their Sufferings for him. In this World they are expofed to great Tryals andPer- fec,itions for him e But he, for whofe Name we Coffer, is to give us our Re- ward ; he, who is, of the fame Nature with its; and tool part ofFiefs and Blood, and fuffer'd himfelf in the Flefh, more grievoufly than any of us can fuller ; he it is, to whom God bath referr'd it, to confider our. Sufferings,' and give what Rewards to them he thinks fit. And then in refit of our Services. Though the heft of them be imperfect, and nothing that we do is able to abide the Severity of his Juftice, yet by Vertùe of his meritorious Sacrifice and Satisfa&ion, the Imperfection of them is pardoned, and the Sincerity of them is accepted. For he being our judge, who was out Sacrifice, and is our Advocate with the Father, we may reft a(fùred, that he will plead our Caule for us, and the Merit of his own Sufferings, in Bar of that Sentence which ftri& juftice would pats upon us. 3. And lailly, This (hews what Reafon the Minihers of Chrift have, to be earneft and importunate with Sinners, to repent and turn to God, to believe and obey the Gofpel of Chrift, that they may have him their Friend, who will certainly be their judge. This Inference the Apof le makes from this Do&rive, in the Words immediately after the Text. Knotting therefore the Terror of the Lord, we perfnade Men ; we who are employed by Chrift, to warn Sinners of the Danger and Terror of a future Judgment, who are Ambaffadors fent from this great King and Judge of the World, to treat with Sinners, and to offer Peace to them, and in Chrifi's flead to befeech them to be reconciled to God, as the Apoftle fpeaks in the latter part of this Chapter. So that if we Our felves believe what we preach to others, tobe the Word and Law of him who (hall fhortly judge us, and them that hear us, can we forbear with all poffible Importunity to follicit their Repentance, and to warn them to flee from the Wrath which is to come e Can we let them deep in their Sins, when we fee them negle& fo great a Happinefs, and run themfelves upon fo intole- rable a Mifery ? If we believe that holy Book out of which we preach, and the Difcoveries and Revelation there made, we may take an eafie Profpé& of another 'World, and fee the Wrath of God revealed from Heaven, againfl all Ün- godlinefi and Vnrithteoufnef of Men. For the Gofpel hath made a more par- ticular and clear Difcovery to us of the State of the next World, and the Proceedings of the great Day, than ever the World was acquainted with before. It tells us who is the Perlon that fhall fit in Judgment upon us, even Jefws Chrift, whereof God bath gibe» Affurance unto all Men, in that he hath raifd himfrom the Dead. Now if we know this, and be affùred of it, we cannot but deal plainly with Sinners, and out of tender Pity and Compafhon to them, endeavour to make then lenfble of the fad Iffue and Event of a wicked Life, and that without Repentance and Amendment, they will not be able to Rand in the judgment of the Great Day. When we fee Men in the High-way to Ruin and Deftru&ion, and the evilDay making hafte towards them, we can- not but warn them of that fad Fate which hangs over them, and endeavour by ,all Means to refcue them frotta that extreme and endlefs Mifery, which is ready to overtake them. Confider
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