Sersn. CXXVIII. at the Day offudgment. 167 whether he bath glorified God, and ferved the great Ends of his Creation whe- therhe hath obeyed or difobeped theTruth, whether he bath lived in Zingodli- ne/r and worldly Lulls, or foberly and righteonfly, and godly, in this profnt World : In aWord. whether we have been righteous or wicked. This will be the great En- quiry at that Day, and thefe Qualities, according as they are found with us, will determine our Condition for ever. II. The tonfideration of this may comfort good Men under the protnifcuous Difpefations of God's Providence in this World. Now allThfngs generally hap- pen alike, and there is thefame Event to the Righteous, and to the Wicked but Things will not be always thus. Have but a little Patience, and the Juftice of God's Pro- vidence, which is now under a Cloud, will clear up; the Day is coming which will make a wide and va(i Difference between good and bad Men, between thof that ferve God, and thofe that ferve him not ; thofe that fwear, and thole that fear an bath ; between the Lewd and the Chant, the Sober and Debauch'd, the Meek of the Earth and the Murderers ; between the Proud and the Humble, the jail and the Oppreflors ; between thofe that perfecute, and thole who are perfecuted for Righteoufnefs. Now the Difference is frequentlyon the wrong Side ; good Men fuller andare affli &ed, the Wicked flourifh and are profperous : but go into the SanEfuary ofGod, and there thou Jhalt fee their End. Let us but look a little before us, beyond the Things which are fen and are but temporal, unto the Things which are not fete and are eternal, and we (hall fee all Things ftreight ; that the End of the Wicked, whoflou- rifh'd in this World, is to be deflroyedfor ever; and that the Righteous, who were fo diftrefs'd and afi&ed in thisWorld, Jhall enter into Refi and Joy : When theDays of RefreJhing (hall come from the Prefence ofthe Lord, theft (hall be comforted, and the other tormented. III. If the Reward of the next Life (hall bear a Proportion to theDegrees of Good or Evil which we have done in this World, then on the one hand bete is Matter of great Comfort and Encouragement to us in the Ways of Holinefs and Obedience. This is a mighty Argument to good Men to grow in Grace, and top'ref forward toward Perfeetion, to be fledfafl and immoveable, and abundant in the Work of the Lord, becaufe they know that their Labour (hall not be in vain in the Lord ; but that according to the Degree of our Service and Obedience, of our Virtue and Goodnefs, {hall be the Degree of our Glory and Happinefs. We ferve a good. Matter, who will confider every Thing that we do for him; who is not unrighte- ow, to forget our Work and Labour of Love, and will not let the leali Service pars unrewarded. Let us not then content our felves with any low Degree of Good- nefs ; but be continually afpiring after the highefi Perfe&ion we are capable of. Since we have fetch a Prize in ourView, let us run with Patience, and with all out Might, the Race which is jet before tee. For by the fame Reafon that any Mail defires Happinefs, he cannot but delire the highefDegrees of it that are attain- able; and will confequently endeavour to make himfelf capable of the greaten Degree of Glory : And tho' no Degree of Holinefs can merit everlafiing Life and Happinefs, yet greater Degrees of Holinefs will certainly be rewarded with a larger Portion of . Happinefs. God is not bound antecedentlyto his Promife, to give fo great a Reward to any Man for his Works; yet he bath promifed to reward every Man according to them. So that there is no Reafon why a good Man, when he is once come to this, that by the Grace and`Afiìfiance of God, he can refrain from grofs Sins, and re- lift the Temptations to them, and perform the great Duties of Religion, why he fhould with Elam, fit down and fay, 1 have enough, I have fo much as will carry me to Heaven, and I delire no more. 'Tis a fad Prefage of Apoftacy, to (land hill in Religion. He that once flops, the next Thing is to look back. This is the Remedy which St. Peter prefcribes againft Apoftacy, 2 Pet. 3. 18. Take heed, lefi ye fall fromyour own Stedfafinéfs and then it follows, but grow in Grace, and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Sa;viour yeti's Chrifi. The belt Remedy againft Apoftacy, is Growth in Goodnefs. It is a Rule in Policy, that an Am- bitious Man (hould never flay at any Step of Preferment, 'till he come at the Top,
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