SERMON XX. On the Laft Judgment. 2 CORINTHIANS, V. IO. receive For we must all appear before the judgment- THE XX. HESE words present to our view the SERM. great event which is to determine the fate of all mankind. No article of Chrif tian faith is more clearly afcertained in Scripture, is of greater importance in itself, and more worthy to dwell upon our minds than this, of the final Judgment of God. It adds folemnity to every part of religion; it XX. SER M. it introduces an awful feriousness into our thoughts, by placing in the most striking light, the clofe connexion between our prefent behaviour and our everlasting happiness or mifery. In the Gofpel, it is described with fo many circumstances of awe and terror, as may, to many, render the confideration of this fubject dark and difagreeable. But we must remember, that though religion be often employed to foothe and comfort the diftreffed, and though this be one of its moft falutary effects, yet this is not the only purpose to which it is to be applied by minifters of the Gospel. the midst of that levity and diffipation with which the world abounds, it is neceffary to awaken the giddy and unthinking, by fetting before them, in full view, all the dangers they incur by their conduct.Knowing the terror of the Lord, adds the Apoftle, in the verfe immediately following the text, we perfuade men.In treating of this fubject, I fhall, in the first place, flate the arguments which reafon affords for the belief of a judgment to come; and fhall next fhow the improvements which In we ought to make of the particular difcoveries the Gospel hath made to us concerning it. I. By taking a view of the arguments which reafon affords for the belief of a general judgment, our faith in the dif coveries of the Gofpel will receive confirmation, from difcerning their confonance with the natural fentiments of the human heart. IN the first place, and as the foundation of all, I begin with obferving, that there is in the nature of things a real and eternal difference between right and wrong, between a virtuous and an immoral conduct; a difference which all men discern of themfelves, and which leads them unavoidably to think of fome actions as deferving blame and punishment, and of others as worthy of praise and reward. If all actions were conceived as indifferent in their nature, no idea of justice and retribution would be found among men; they would not confider themselves as in any view accountable for their actions to any fuperiour. But SER M. XX. SERM. this is far from being the cafe. Every man XX. feels himself under a law; the law of his being, which he cannot violate without being felf-condemned. The most ignorant heathen knows and feels, that when he has committed an unjuft or cruel action, he has committed a crime and deferves punishment. Never was there a nation on the face of the earth, among whom there did not prevail a confcioufnefs that, by inhumanity and fraud, they juftly expofed themselves to the hatred of thofe around them, and to the displeasure of any fecret invifible power that ruled the world. This, therefore, may be affumed as an incontrovertible principle, that the difference of good and evil in actions, is not founded on arbitrary opinions or inftitutions, but in the nature of things, and the nature of man; and accords with the univerfal fenfe of the human kind. This being the cafe, it is certainly reasonable, IN the fecond place, to think that the Ruler of the world will make fome diftinction among his creatures according to their actions; and if this diftinction be not made, XX. made, or only imperfectly made in this SERM. life, there will be fome future ftate of existence in which he will openly reward and punish. To fuppofe God to be a mere indifferent fpectator of the conduct of his creatures, regarding with an equal eye the evil and the good, is in effect to annihilate his exiftence; as it contradicts every notion which mankind have entertained of a Supreme Being as juft and good. It would represent him as inferiour in character to many of his creatures on earth: as there is no man of tolerable virtue and humanity who is not shocked at the commiffion of atrocious crimes, and who does not defire to fee the guilty punished, the innocent protected, and the virtuous rewarded.If there exift at all a God who governs the world, (and what nation has not acknowledged him to exist?) as a governour he undoubtedly will act; and as fuch, will, fomewhere, and at fome period or other, reward and punish, according as his creatures obey, or violate, that law which he originally implanted in their hearts. Whether this be completely done in the prefent world, is not a point that |