78 Of the Vncertainty of Vol. II. Third and laß Part of the Text, which is the Reafon which our Saviour here adds to enforce our Care and Diligence in a Matter of fo great Concernment, viz. The Uncertainty, as to ps, of the particular Time when this Day of Judg- lnent will be: re know not when the Time is.. Therefore we fhould always be in Expeé#ation of it, always in a Readinefs and Preparation for it. The Certainty of the Thing, and that God.hath appointed and .determined a Time, in which he will Judge the World in Righteoufnef, tho' we were Pure this Day were far off, ought in á1l Reafon to make us very watchful over our (elves, and very careful of all our A&ions, Very ftriû and confcientious in theDifcharge and Performance of every Part of our Duty. If there were no more but this, that we muff one Day be call d to a {lri&Account for all the A&ions ofour Lives, arid receive the juft Recompence of them, and according to the Nature and Quality of them be fen tenc'd to eternal Happinefs, or evetlatiing Mifery ; this alone were a mighty Ar- gument: So St. Peter reafons, 2 Pet. 3. ao, r i, e2. But theDay of the Lordwill come, in the which the Heavens(hall parr away with a great Noifi, and the Elements (hall melt with fervent Heat ; the Earth elfo, and the Works that are therein, fhall he burnt up. Seeing then all theft Things (hall be dif%olved, what manner of Perfons ought ye to be in all holy Converfation and Godlinefe ; lookingfor, and hafting unto the Coming of the Day of God? that is, making fpeedy Preparation for it. The very Expe&ation of this terrible Day of the Lord, at how great a Diflance foever, fhould make us diligent, that whenever it (hall be, we may be found ofhim in Peace, without Spot andblamelef. But it adds a great deal of Aweand Force to this Argument, to confider, that for ought we know to the contrary, this Judgment may furprize us at any time ; that thisvery Night we may be awakened by the Soundof that mighty Trumpet, which (hall pierce the Ears of all the World, and fummon the Living and the Dead to Judgment. And God, who is the Lover of Souls, and defirous to fave us anyWays, by Hope and byFear, by his Mercies and by his Corre&ions, by our Knowledge and by our Ignorance, bath purpofely concealed from us the Time of his coming to Judgment, to the end we may always be prepared, and that we might continually ftand in awe of it ; and for fear our Lord fhould come upon us unawares, might always be in a Pofture to receive him. .And whatever the fecure Part of Mankind may think, who put farfrom them the evil Day, how carelefs and confident foever they may be, it would for all that be a terrible Thing to them, all on the fudden, to fee the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven, with his mighty Angels; to hear the great Trumpet found, fummoning the Dead to arife and come to Judgment; to fee the wholeWorld in a Combuftion, and the wholeFrameof Nature ready to diffolve and fall in Pie- ces ; the Sun darkned, and the Moon turned into Blood, and all the Powers of Heaven f(iaken, the Earth andall the Works that aretherein, flaming about TO ; to fee the Dead flatting out of their Graves, force with great Joy, others in a mighty Amazement and Fright, according to their feveral Expe&ations of a happy orfearful Doom. What a Surprize would it be to drowfy and carelefs Sinners, tobe thus fuddenly and unexpe&edly overtaken ? How will the profane Infidel like to find himfelf . fo terribly confuted by his own Eyes, and forc'd to believe that which will make hím tremble ? It will then be too late for Men to think to make their Peace with God, and to prepare for Judgment. And if there were any Time for it, the Horror and Amazement that Sinners will then be in, will hinder them from doing any. Thing. Thus the Scripture reprefents the fearful Cafe of impe- nitent Sinners, who are thus furprized, as not knowing what to do with them- felves, nor whither to fly for Safety, as ready to betake themfelves any whither for Shelter and Refuge, as calling upon the Mountains and Rocks to fall upon them, and hide them from the Face of him that fits upon the Throne, and from the Wrath of the Lamb; hereby fignifying tous, that Sinners. (hall be in fuch aConfternation, and fo deep a Defpair of the Mercy of God towards them, that inflead of addreffing thémfelves to him, they (hall turn their Supplicationsto the Mountains and Rocks, as being more exorable than he But
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