a 154 Of the Per /ons zvbo are to be judged. Vol. jj, Law written in their Hearts, their Confeiences alfo bearing them mitnefs, and their Thoughts in the mean while accufsng, or elfe excufng one another. His Meaning is That there is no Perfon in the World, but, tho' he hath not the Knowledge of Divine Revelation, and that Law ofGod which is written in the Scriptures yet he bath theLight of natural Confcience, he bath a Law which is born with him, ena&ed, as I may fay, in his very Nature, and written upon his Heart; which will acquaint him with the material Parts, and great Lines of his Duty ; and by vertue of this Law he is obnoxious to the Judgmentof God, and (lands accountable to him for all his Breaches and Violations of it. So that from the commonNature of Man, and that which is efíential to all Men, it is evident that weare all equally liable to the Judgment of God. 2. If we confider the Nature of God, who is impartially juft, and no Accep- ter of Perfons, this likewife will furnish us with an Argument for the Proof of this Truth, That none (ball be exempted from the Judgment of God. Juftice requires, that every one (hould have that whichof Due belongs to him t But of Due it belongs to every reafonable Creature, to give an Account of himfelf, and of his A&ions, to the great Judge of the World ; and to exempt any from this Account, would be Partiality, and that which the Scripture calls eye m nn 'a, RefpeC1 or Acceptation of Perlons, and which the Scripture doth every where remove at the greateft Diffance fromGod. Deut. so. 17. The Lordyour God is Lord of Lords, and God of Gods, a great God, mighty and terrible, he re- gardeth not Perfons. 2 Chron. 19. 7. There is no Iniquity with the Lordyour God, nor accepting of Perfons. ,job 34. 18, 19. fpeaking of the impartial Juftice of God, Pays he, He acceptetb not the Perfons of Princes, nor accepteth the Rich more than the Poor : for they are all the Work ofhis Hands. r Pet. 1.17. Ifwe call on the Father, who without Refpell of Perfonsjudgeth every Man. Now Refpelà` of Perfons is, in the Diftribution of Juftice, to have Refpe& to fome Qualities and Circumftances of Perfons, which do not at all appertain to the Merits of the Caufe, and upon that Account to deal unequally with thofe whole Cafes otherwife are equal. As when two Perfons are equally guilty, and obnoxious to theLaw, to bring one upon his Tryal and condemn him, but to exempt the other from Juftice ; or if he come upon his Tryal, toabfolve and acquit him uponfome account of Relation, or Inter,,.ft, orFriend (hip, or becaufe he is rich and powerful, the other mean and poor, or upon any other Account betides the pure Merits of the Caufe. Now the impartial and inflexible Juftice of the Divine Nature is fuck; that he is not to be moved and wrought upon by any Confideration whatfoever, to exempt any Perfon from appearing at his Bar, and receiving his Tryal there, and having Judgg- went pafs'dupon him, accordingas upon Tryal his Caufe (hall appear to be. We mull all appear before the Judgment-fiat of Chrif7. No Perfon whatever, of what Condition foever, (hall be exempted from rt. All that now remains is to apply this to our felves, and that in there fol- lowing Particulars : I. From what bath been (aid, we learn that thisDoEtrine of a future Judg- ment equally concerns every one of us, and ought in Reafon to have the like Influence upon us, becaufe we are all of us, without Difference or Exception, equally liable to the Judgment of God ; not one of us, of what Age, or Qua- lity, or Condition foever, (hall be exempted from it. Whoever thou art, how Great, or Rich, or Powerful foever, tho' never fo Big and Confiderable amongMen, thou (hall not efcape the Judgment of God. It may be thou art a Prince, and beareft Ruleover others : But thou alfo art liable to the Judgment of God, and therefore oughteft to remember, that they that rule over Men, midi be jufi, riding in the Fear of God, and of that great Account which they mutt one Day give of that high Charge committed to them. It may be now thou judge(t others, and canft call them before thy Bar, and make them tremble, ha- vingPower and Authority to abfolve or condemn them: But remember, that for all this thou mull come into Judgment thy felf, and give an Account how thou haft judged others, and whether thou haft fat and proceeded in thefe in- feriour
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