Tillotson - BX5037 T451 1712 v2

5 6 01 the `l';<rftts ]v/?o are to be judged. Vol II. herd divideth his Sheep from the Goats. All Mankind (hall then be gathered into orie common Flock, among which there shall no other DifHnáion be made, but of' Sheep and Goats; the Separation which fhall thenbe made, Mall not be of the High from the Low, of the Rich from the Poor, of the Honourable from the Bale, of the Learned from.the.lghorant ; there ¡hall be but one Diftin&ión then made, Of the Good frosts the Bad, arid the Righteous from the Wicked there Thal] no Confiderationbe then had, but only of the Moral Differences of Men; all Civil Difference will then 'cranial and be of no account ih that Day, either to exempt any Man from that Judgment, or to gain any Favour and Refpeet to him in the Hearing or Decitïon of his Caufé: , Thii fhould Make all Men very modeft and bumble in thisWorld, to confider how they (hall be levélPd in the next. III. How should the Confiderationof this daft' all our fenfual Mirth and jollity, and put a Damp upon our Spirits, when they are too light and vainly tranfportecí with the Pleafures and Delights of thisWorld ! If a Man be to prepare himfelf to be tried for his Life after a.fewDays, howwill he look about him 1 With what Care andSerioufnefs will he provide for fo folemn an Occafioh, and negleít no- thing thatmay {landhim inRead, and help to being hitn offwhen hé (hall receive. his Tryal ! The Thought of thiswill fpoil all his Mirth, and turn theLi htnefs of his Spirit into fober Sadnefs. Muchmore ought the Córifderation of a Judgment infinjtely more terrible, and in the Confequence of it of far greaterConcernmenft . tour, to compofe our Minds into a ferions Frame. For if we believe a future and general Judgment, and that none of us can by any Meanspolfibly efcapé it. then certainly it highly concerns every one ofus to be ferions, and to pars the Time of this Life in a perpetual Awe of it. So St. Peter argues from this Cónfideration, I Pet. r. 17. And ;Lye call on the Father, who withoutRefpell of Perfoni judgeth every Man, pal the Time ofyour fojourninghere in Fear. This Thought fhould interpofe it Pelf in all our Mirth, that we mull appear before the Judgment-Seat of Chrf. And thereforeSolomon admonifheth young Men, in the midit of their Sports and Plea- fures, to think of a future Account, Ecdef. 11. 9. Rejoice, O young Mats, in thy Youth, and let thy Heart chear thee in the Days ofthy Youth, andwalk in the Ways of thy Heart, and in the Sight of thine Eyes: but know that for all theft Things God will bring thee into Judgment. IV. And Lalily, From hence we learn, that theBufinefs ofReligion does equal- ly concern every Man. For if we muff all be judged, we are all concerned to prepare and provide for it; and a Religious and Virtuous Life is the only Pre- paration for it. How fhould we order our Lives with a Refpe:9- to this great and general Afíizes, when every one of us (hall be brought upon his Tryal, and fond at the Bar of God to be judged bihim ? Many live as if they thought the Bufinefs of Religion below them, arlll^not at all appertaining to them: But if the Judgment of God will equally reach all Perfons, then Iam fore it equally concerns all to mindReligion, and a Holy and Virtuous Life; for that alone will make us worthy, as our Saviour himfelf exprefïeth it, to efcape allthefe Things that find/ come to pats, and to flandbefore the Son of Man. And this is the Refult of Solomon's Enquiry, and of his longDifcourfe upon that Argument, VVhat is the great Work and Bufinefs, the great Intereft and Con- cernment of Men in this Life; which we find in the Conclufion of his Sermon, cal rd, the Bookof the Preacher, Eccl. 12. I;, 14. Let us, fays he, hear theConclufion of the whole Matter. Fear God, and keep his Commandments; for this is the whole of Man. Religion is the great Bufinefs and Concernment of Men in this World, becaufe God rill bring every Man, and every W'orkinto yádgment, whether it begood >r evil: SER-

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