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2Cor.9.6.

A. The Scripture is plain and express in this Matter. To whomfoever much is given, of him Luke 12. fball be much required; be that foweth Sparingly, 48. fball reap sparingly; and be that foweth bountifully, fhall reap bountifully. And in the Parable of the Talents, our Saviour plainly teacheth us, that Men are rewarded according to the Improvements they make. He that had gained Luke 19. Ten Talents is made Ruler over Ten Cities, 16, &c. and he that had gained Five Talents, Ruler over five Cities. St. Paul exprefsly affirms, that 1 Cor. 15. the Glory of the Saints fhall be different at the 41. Refurrection. And our Saviour telleth us, that in the Day of Judgment the Condition of Tyre and Sidon, of Sodom and Gomorrah, fhall be more tolerable than that of impenitent Sinners under the Gospel. And this is agreeable to the Justice and Equity of God's Providence, and to the Reafon of the Thing, nothing being a greater Incitement to Piety than the Confideration, that the least Service will not lofe its Reward. And the better any Man is, the greater Difpofition he hath for the Enjoyment of God; and the more hardened he is in Wickedness, the more fufceptible he is of Torment, and treasureth upgreater Measures of Wrath against the Day of Wrath. Q. What is the prefix'd Time of our Saviour's coming to Judgment?

A. The Time and Season for that great Affize is appointed by God, and referved as a Secret to himfelf. Of that Day and Hour knoweth no Man, Mark 13. no not the Angels which are in Heaven, neither 32. the Son, but the Father. The Angels who excel in Knowledge, and fhall administer in all the Solemnities of the laft Judgment, are ignorant' of it, and fo is the Son of Man, who is himself

to be the Judge, and who as God knoweth all Things, yet as to his human Understanding he did not know it; which is not unreasonable to fuppofe, if we confider that the human Nature of Chrift did not neceffarily know all Things by Virtue of its Union to the Divine Nature, otherLuke. 2. wife Jefus could not have grown in Wisdom and Favour with God and Man.

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2 Thef. 1.

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1 Cor. 15.

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Q. What shall be the Manner and the Circumftances of Chrift's Appearing?

A. He fhall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels. He fhall defcend with a Shout, i Thef. 4. with the Voice of the Arch-Angel, with the Trump Luke 9. of God. He fhall come in his own Glory, and in bis Father's, and in that of bis holy Angels. Mat. 25. He shall fit upon the Throne of his Glory, and 31, 32. all Natious fhall be gathered before him, and be fhall feparate them, the one from the other, as a Shepherd divideth his Sheep from the Goats. Those that fleep in the Grave fhall awake, and the 1 Thef. 4. Dead in Chrift fhall rife first, and they that are 16, 17 alive fhall be changed and caught up to meet the Lord in the Air; which fufficiently fhews the Tit. 2.13. glorious Appearing of the Great God, and our Saviour Jefus Chrift: Glorious in respect of the Brightness and Splendor of his celeftial Body, still made more glorious and majestick by the Authority which his Father hath committed to him of Univerfal Judge: Glorious in his Retinue, being accompanied with thousands of holy Angels, who fhall attend not only to make up the Pomp of his Appearance, but as Minifters of his Juftice; and glorious, laftly, in that bright Throne of Glory, from whence he fhall difpenfe Life and Death to all the World. Q. What

Q. What may we learn from the Certainty of a future General Judgment?

A. To govern our Lives with that Care and Confideration, and with that due Regard to the Measures of our Duty, that we may be able to give up our Accounts with Joy, and not with Grief. To keep that ftrict Watch over ourselves by frequent Examination, that our Demeanour, in this State of Probation and Trial, may obtain the Favour and Acceptance of our Judge at his dreadful Tribunal. To reftrain ourselves from committing the leaft Sin, because there is none fo inconfiderable as to be overlooked at the general Audit. Not to encourage ourselves by the greatest Secrecy to the Breach of any of God's holy Laws, because all our Actions shall be then exposed to publick View, and known by the whole World, to our eternal Infamy, and Reproach, Not to be dejected by the Slanders and Calumnies of bad Men, because our Integrity fhall then be cleared by him who cannot err in Judgment. To improve all those Talents the Providence of God hath intrusted us with, because we are but Stewards, and muft give an Account of them. To be fincere in all our Words and Actions, because in that Day the Secrets of all Hearts fhall be disclosed. To avoid all rafh Judging of others, because he that judgeth another fhall not escape the Judgment of God. To abound in fuch Works as we know will particularly diftinguish Men at that Day, as feeding the Hungry, cloathing the Naked, &c. because our Labour fhall not be in vain in the Lord. And yet after the moft careful and industrious Performance of our Duty, to be humble and jealous over our own Conduct

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Conduct, because, though we know nothing by ourselves, we are not thereby juftified, for 1 Cor.4.4. be that judgeth us is the Lord.

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Q. What should we learn from the Uncertainty of the Time when we fhall be judged?

A. Immediately to reconcile ourselves to God by a fincere and hearty Repentance, that the terrible Day of God's Wrath may not find us unprepared: To be always upon our Guard, that we may make a daily Progress towards Chriftian Perfection, and conftantly defend ourfelves against the Attacks of our fpiritual Enemies: To be frequent in all Acts of Piety and Devotion, that when we are fummoned to appear, we may, if poffible, be found employed in religious Exercifes: To beg God's Grace that the Day of Judgment may not overtake us unawares, but that by a patient Continuance in well-doing we may wait for Glory, Honour, and Immortality.

The PRAYERS.

I.

Paration Almighty God, give me Grace, that I may

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caft away the Works of Darkness, and put for Judg- upon me the Armour of Light, now in the Time of this mortal Life (in which thy Son Jefus Chrift came to vifit us in great Humility) that in the laft Day, when he shall come again in his glorious Majefty to judge both the Quick and Dead, I may rife to the Life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee, and the Holy Ghoft, now and ever. Amen,

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II.

Success of

Lord Jefus Christ, who at thy firft Com- For the ing didft fend thy Meffenger to prepare God'sMithy Way before thee; grant that the Ministers nifters. and Stewards of thy Mysteries may likewife fo prepare and make ready thy Way, by turning the Hearts of the Difobedient to the Wisdom of the Juft; that at thy fecond Coming to judge the World, we may be found an acceptable People in thy Sight, who liveft and reignest with the Father and the holy Spirit, ever one God, World without End. Amen.

III.

Tempta

Lord, raise up, I pray thee, thy Power, For Reand come among us, and with and with great fcue from Might fuccour me, that whereas through my tion. Sins and Wickedneffes I am fore lett and hindred in running the Race that is fet before me, thy bountiful Grace and Mercy may speedily help and deliver me, through the Satisfaction of thy Son our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be Honour and Glory, World without End. Amen.

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IV.

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Believe, O bleffed Jefus, that from thy Bp. Kenn. Throne at God's right Hand, where thou For Prenow fitteft, thou wilt come again to judge the paration for JudgWorld, attended with thy holy Angels. I believe, O thou adorable Judge, that all Mankind' shall be summoned before thy awful Tribunal; all the Dead who fhall be waked out of their Graves, when the Angel fhall blow the laft Trump: and all that are then Quick and Alive, D 4

fhall

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