I 5 b Of the Perfons vpho are to be judged. Vol. II. Gen. t8: 25. God is call'd the judge of all the Earth. Shall not the judge of all the Earth do right? Matth. 25: 52. 'tiS Paid, that When Chrf (ball it upon the Throne of his Glory, allNations (hall be gathered before him. A&s 1o. 42. He is faid tobe ordained ofGod to be Judge ofkeickandDead. And fo likwife, r Pet. 4. 5. Who (ball give an Account to him who is ready to judge the wick and the Dead. This Exprefíion is purpofely ufed to take in all Perfons that have ever lived in the World ; not only thofe that (hall be already dead at the Coming of Chritt, but thofe that éall be found alive at his Coming, who though they {hall not die, yet they than undergo a fudden and equivalent Change, as St. Paul tells us from particular Revelation, a Cor. 15. 51, 52. Behold, I fbewyou a Myflery : we(hall not allfleep; that is, we (hall not all die, and {veep in the Grave, but wethan all be changed, in a Moment, in the twinkling of an Eye, at the lafi Trump (for the Trumpet (hall found, and the Dead (hall be raifed incorruptible, and roe 'hall be changed ; ) that is, they that are already dead {hall be then raifed, and their corruptible Bodies changed into incorruptible; and they that (hall be found alive, though they (hall not die, yet their Bodies than undergo the fame Change with thofe that are raifed. And this is the Reafon why Chrift is often in Scripture call'd, The fudge of;`uick and Dead. But to proceed to other Texts. Alls 17. 31. He bath appointed a Day, in which he will judge the World in Righteonfnefi. The World, that is, all Men that ever lived in it. He commands all Men, every where, to repent, becaufe he will judge all Men. Rom. 14. to, ar, 12. We /Ball all fiend before the judgment Seat of Chrifì:; for it is written, As I live, faith the Lord, every Kneefhall bow to me, andevery Tongue (Ball confefs to God. So then every one of us(hall give an Ac- count ofhimfelfto Gad. Heb. g. 27: It is appointed for all Men once to die, and after that the judgment. That is, as Death (hall pats upon all Men, or a Change equivalent to it, fo after Death the Judgment (hall pals upon the fame Perfons. Heb. 12. 27. And to God the judge of all. t Pet. a. 17. Ifye call on the Father, who without refpell of Perfonsjudgeth;every Man according to his Works. And to exprefs this the more fully, the Scripture reckons up the feveral Ranks and Conditions of Men, to thew that none (hall be exempted. Rev. 6. 15, 16, 17. Where you have a Reprefentation of the Day of Judgment, and feveral forts of Men in vain endeavouring to hide themfelves from it, and e(cape it. And the Kings of the Earth, and the great Men, and the rich Men, and the chief Captains, and the mighty Men, and every Bondman, and every Free- man, hid themfilves in the Dens, and in the Rocks of the Mountains, and faid to the Mountains and Rocks, Fall on us, and hide to from the Face ofhim that itteth on the Throne, and from the Wrath of the Lamb. For the great Day of his Wrath is come, and who (hall be able toffand ? Which Words are a lively Reprefentation of the univerfal Appearance, that all Perfons in the World, of all Ranks and Conditions, mutt make before God at that Great Day. If any be exempted, they mutt either be fecur'd by their Power and Intereft, or overlook'd for their Meannefs and Inconfiderablenefs ; but none than either be privileg'd for their Greatnefs, or negle&ed for their Meannefs. If any can pretend to be privileg'd, it mutt be thofe of greateft Dignity and Authority, the Kings andgreat Men ; or of the greateft Efteem, the rich Men of the Earth; or of the greaten Strength and Power, the chief Captains, and the mighty Men : But thele have. no Prote&ion againft the Arreft of that Judgment. Nor than any be overlook'd for their Meannefs. If any fort of Men be contemptible and in- confiderable, it mutt be thofe who are in the lowett Condition of Debafement, Bondman and Slaves: But every Bondmanas well as every Freeman, (hall be brought before this Tribunal. Andfo likewife, Revel. 20. 12,13. where all Perfons are di- ftributed into twoRanks, Smalland Great. I faro theDeadbothfmalland great, hand. ingbeforeGod, and theBooks wereopened, and the Deadwerejudgedout ofthe Things which werewritten in thofe Books, and the Sea gave up the Deadwhich were in it, andDeath and the Grave gave up the Dead which were in them; and they were judged every Man according to their Works. You fee the whole World is ranfack'd and 3 fearched,
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