the Dead, as St, Paul afferts. How happy is it for us to have a Judge, I had almost faid fo partial, but I may well fay fo favourable to us, that he was content to be himself the Sacrifice to redeem us from the Punishment due to our Sins? When we confider ourfelves how wretched and weak we are, how perpetually doing wrong either wilfully or ignorantly, and contemplate the infinite Majefty, Holiness and Juftice of God, what Account can we hope to give of ourselves to him, whofe Eyes are purer than to behold Iniquity? But fee, God hath withdrawn his Terrors, and has given a Man to be the Judge of Men. So that we may say of our Judge, what the Apostle to the Hebrews fays of our High-Prieft; We have not a Judge, which cannot be touched with the Feeling of our Infirmities; but was in all Things tempted like as we are, yet without Sin.

You may think perhaps that this is drawing Confequences upon the Foot of vulgar Apprehenfions, and that in Reality there is no Difference, whether God be Judge himself, or commits the Judgment to the Son of Man: For, fince Chrift fhall come not only in the Power, but in the Wisdom and the

Justice

Juftice of God alfo to judge the World, what Difference can there be in the Judgment, fince in both Cases it must be guided and formed by the Wisdom and Justice of God? True it is, that a mere Man is not qualified to be Judge of the World; the Knowledge of Hearts is neceffary to the right Discharge of that Office; a Knowledge which no mere Man was ever endowed with. But ftill, if the Man is to be Judge, the Sentiments, Notions, and Feeling of the Man, however guided and influenced by fuperior Wisdom, muft prefide over and govern the whole Action; otherwise the Man will not be Judge. And hence we may answer fome Difficulties, which speculative Men have brought into the Subject of a future Judgment. Some have imagined that Juftice, Mercy and Goodness. in God are not of the fame kind with Justice, Mercy and Goodness in Men; and therefore that we can never, from our Notions of these Qualities in Man, argue confequentially to the Attributes of God, or to the Acts flowing from these Attributes. The Result of which is, that when we talk of God's Juftice or Mercy in judging the World, we talk of fomething which we do not understand. But

if Men would confult Scripture, these Difficulties would not meet them in their Way: For furely we know what Justice, Mercy and Goodness mean among Men; and fince the Scripture affures us, that the Man whom God raifed from the Dead is ordained Judge of the World, we may be very certain that the Justice, Mercy and Goodness, to be displayed in the future Judgment, will be such as all Men have a common Senfe and Apprehenfion of; unless you can imagine that a new Rule is to be introduced, to which the Judge, and thofe to be judged, are equally Strangers. Upon this Foot of Scripture then we may certainly know, what the Justice, Mercy and Goodness are by which we must finally stand or fall; and this Point being fecured, the Speculation may be left to shift for itself.

And thus you fee how this great and fundamental Article of Religion, involved in Darkness in former Ages, is made plain and fenfible to Mankind by the Light of the Gospel. That Men were accountable, they always knew; that there would be a future Judgment, was generally believed; but how Men were to appear in Judgment, or how mere unbodied Spirits were to be judged, how

rewarded,

rewarded, or how punished, they knew not. That the Right of judging Men was in God, was well known; but how he would exercise it, whether by himself or another, vifibly or invifibly, they knew not. Infinite were the Difputes upon this Subject: Instead of which the Gospel has given a plain fenfible Reprefentation, affuring us that at the Judgment we shall be what we now are, Men, real Men; and that the Man Chrift Jefus, who appeared in the World to redeem us, will appear again to judge us by that very Gospel, and those very Rules, which he has left us to govern and conduct ourselves by.

Thirdly, Let us then go one Step farther, and view the Confequences of this Judgment; this folemn Judgment, which every Mortal must undergo. If we consult either Scripture or Reason, we shall find no Evidence of any farther Change to be made in our future State, after once Judgment has paffed on us. That we are accountable, and shall therefore be judged, Reason fays; but can see nothing relating to us after Judg ment, except the Reward or the Punishment confequent upon it: And therefore the only Conclufion to be drawn from

this Information is, that the Condition of Man will be finally determined as to Happinefs or Mifery, and confequently that Man must continue under the good or the bad Effects of the last Judgment.

As Reason can fhew us nothing beyond Judgment, but that State and Condition which are the Effect of it; fo the Holy Scripture has given us Reason to think that nothing else there fhall be, by defcribing the Rewards and Punishments of another Life, as having perpetual Duration. Life eternal is prepared for the Righteous, and everlasting Punishment for the Wicked. The Fire prepared to receive them is never to go out, the Worm prepared to torment them will never die. Thefe Images carry great Terror with them, and have led fome to a milder Interpretation of the Threats of Scripture than the Language of it seems to import. But even the mildest Interpretation, that allows any Meaning at all to thofe Threats, fupposes the Punishment to laft as long as the Sinner lafts. So that in this, the lowest View, our all depends upon the Judgment which fhall be finally paffed on us at the second Coming of our Lord. There is then a Juft

nefs