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be taken into confideration,when God allots him a fecond; for tho his ftate of life is changed, the Perfon is the fame, and his Deferts are the fame; and if he deserved ill in thisWorld, he cannot de-. ferve well in the next; and if he deferved well in this World, he ought to be well used in the

next.

Some Philofophers who believed that the Souls of men did pre-exift in a former ftate, before they came into thefe Bodies, thought this a very good account of the different Fortunes of Mens Birth, Education, Condition, and Circumftances of Life, that they were proportioned to their Merits and Deferts in that former State: And were this true, that the Souls of men did live in a former ftate before they came into thefe Bodies, this might be a very fair and reasonable account of it; for when men have deferved well or ill, whether they are continued in the fame state, or tranflated into fome other, the Juftice of the Divine Providence in allotting their State and Condition of Life, muft have refpect to their former Deferts; before Creatures have deserved well or ill, their Condition must be allotted by the Divine Wisdom and Goodness, with refpect to the capacities of their Natures; when they have deserved well or ill, their Condition must be allotted by Justice with respect to their Deserts: This is fo plain, that it will admit of no Difpute.

III. And then it neceffarily follows, that God muft judge Mankind in the next world, muft reward or punish Men according to their works that is, muft put them into fuch a ftate of Happinefs or Mifery as they have deserved, and

;

have made themselves fit for: Thofe who have obeyed God, and purified and refined their Natures by the Habits of Grace and Virtue, are fit Objects of his Goodness, and have made themfelves capable of a Divine Happiness, of seeing God, and dwelling in his prefence; but thofe who have debased their Natures with the love of this world, and have defiled their Souls with impure Lufts, deferve to be banished from God's Prefence, as Rebels and Apoftate Creatures; and having made themselves uncapable of Divine Joys, muft fuffer the Miseries of Damned Spirits: So that if we will but allow that God allots men their Condition in the next world, as he does in this, and that in allotting their Condition in the next world, he has any regard to their Behaviour and Deserts in this, as Wisdom and Justice requires he fhould, and this proves a Future Judgment, or that God will reward or punish men according to their works. And this may suffice for the first thing propofed, What Natural Evidence we have of a Judgment to come.

II.1

SECT. V.

The Scripture Proof of a Future Judgment.

Having hewn what Evidence we have from the Light of Nature for a Future Judgment, let us now confider the Scripture Proofs of it: And this might be dispatched in a very few Words, by turning you to fome plain Texts of Scripture which exprefly affert it; but I fhall do fomething more than this, which if it be not neceffary for the Proof of a Future Judgment, yet

will be of ufe for the better understanding the Christian Religion, and to rivet this Belief fafter in our Minds; that is, I fhall represent to you thofe Parabolical Reasonings whereby our Saviour infinuates this Belief into our Minds; and fhew you that the whole Chriftian Religion is founded on and adapted to the Belief of a Future Judgment, and is a very unintelligible Inftitution without it.

i. Let us confider thofe plain and express Proofs the Gospel of our Saviour contains of a Future Judgment; and fome few Texts will be fufficient for this purpose: This is exprefly affirmed by St. Paul, 17. Acts 31. That God hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness. The Apostle to the Hebrews tells us, It is appointed for men once to die, and after that the Judgment. 9. Heb. 27. Our Saviour tells us. that we fhall be judged, 7. Matth. 1, 2. Judge not, that ye be not judged; for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you again. And v.22, 23. He tells us, That in that day (that is, the Day of Judgment) many will fay unto me, Lord, Lord, have we not prophefied in thy Name? and in thy Name barve caft out Devils? and in thy Name done many Wonderful Works? and then will I profefs unto them, I never knew you: Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Thus he tells us, 16.Matth. 27. The Son of Man fhall come in the Glory of his Father with his Angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his Works. And 25. Matth. 31, &c. he gives a lively Description of the Future Judgment. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the

boly

boly Angels with him, then fhall he fit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered allnations, and be fhall Separate them one from another, as a Shepherd divideth his Sheep from the goats; and be fhall Set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. And then he judges them, and pronounces their FinalDoom andSentence according to their works, as it follows in that place. It were easie to turn you to many Texts to this purpose, as every one knows, who is acquainted with the Scripture; but there is no need of it; these few are fo express, that if we believe the Gofpel,we muft believe that we fhall be judged.

2. Our Saviour does not only exprefly declare this, that there fhall be a Judgment, but infinuates the Belief and Reasonableness of this by fome proper Allusions and Comparifons; which is the true Scope and design of many of his Parables.

As to inftance in fome of them; 19.Luke12,&c. he tells us of a certain Nobleman who went into a far country, to receive for himself a Kingdom, and to return; where he describes his own leaving this World, and afcending into Heaven to take poffeffion of his Kingdom; from whence he shall return again at the Laft Day to judge the World: This Nobleman called bis Servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and faid unto them, Occupy till I come. But his Citizens hated him, and fent a Meffage after him, Saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. This defcribes our State in this World,which is a State of Labour and Industry, where we muft improve our Mafter's Money, all the Advantages and Opportunities of doing good, to his Service and Glory. Now as it is reafonable to expect, when such a King returns,

that

that he will call his Servants to an account, reward the Diligent, and punish the Slothful, and destroy his Enemies; the fame Ufage we muft expect from our Lord, when he returns again; he will judge us, will reward or punish us according to our Works. To the fame purpofe is that Parable, 25. Matth. 14, &c., of a Man travelling into a far Country, who called his Servants, and delivered to them his Goods, and at his return rewarded them proportionably to the Increafe and Improvement they had made, and punished that wicked Servant who hid his Talent in a Napkin. The Parable of the Unjuft Steward, who had wafted his Mafter's Goods, and was turned out of his Stewardship for it, is founded on the fame reafon, That we are but Stewards of God's Gifts in this World, and that God will as certainly call us to an account for our Stewardship, as an Earthly Mafter will, 16. Luke 1. The Parable of the Houfholder, who hired Labourers into his Vineyard, and gave them every man his Penny at Night, 20: Matth. fignifies to us, That in this Life we must work in God's Vineyard, and finish the Work he has given us to do, and that at Evening, when this Life ends, God will reward us in the next; and this we may as certainly and reasonably expect from God, as an hired Labourer expects his Wages when he has done his Work.

The Parable of the King, 22. Matth.who made a Marriage for his Son, and fent forth his Servants. to call them who were bidden to the Wedding, but they refused to come, and evil intreated his Servants, and flew them; upon which the King

was

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