John vi. 40. This is fpoken of believers; but it is fpoken alfo of the wicked: John v. 28, 29. The hour is coming in the which all that are in their graves fhall hear his voice, and come forth they that have done good to the refurrection of life, and they that have done evil to the refurrection of damnation.

Hence it ftrongly follows, if the dead fhall certainly be raised, and the Lord Jefus fhall raise them, that the appearance of Chrift to do it is certain.

3. The third argument to prove the certainty of Christ's fecond appearance, may be drawn from the certainty of the laft general judgment.

If there will certainly be a day of general judgment, and the Lord Jefus Chrift will be the Judge: then the fecond appearance of Chrift is certain; but there will certainly be a day of judgment: and the Lord Jefus Chrift will be Judge: therefore Chrift's appearance is certain.

2

1. The certainty of the last judgment is evident from scripture, Heb. vi. 2. II Pet. iii. 9. Rom. ii. 5, 6, 7. And elsewhere frequently, and I fhall further prove it by Scripture argu

ment.

It doth appear there will be a day of judg.

ment.

1. From God's appointment, Acts xvii. 31. He hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteoufnefs. God appointed the

creation of the world which accordingly he ef fected, he appointed the reconciliation of the world to himfelf, which he brought to pafs; and having appointed the judgment of the world, it fhall as certainly be brought to pafs in its day. Nothing can fruftrate God's appointment, God being fo infinite in wifdom, doth not appoint any thing about which there fhall be any reafon to alter his determination, and God being fo infinite in power, and nothing can hinder the effecting of what he hath deter mined fhall be done.

2. From God's fupreme and univerfal fovereignty he is the bleffed and great Potentate which rules over all the kingdoms of the earth; he is the King of kings and Lord of lords, I Tim. vi. 15. All the children of men are not only his creatures; but alfo his fubjects. As it is the work of earthly kings to judge their fubjects, and to difpenfe rewards and punih ments; fo God being the fupreme Sovereign, will judge all his fubjects. Kings are but God's vicegerents, they rule under him, and they must give an account unto him; God will judge the judges of the earth; men do often judge unrighteously, fometimes through their own wickedness, and partiality; fometimes through ignorance and falfe information: the the righteous are condemned by fome, and notorious offenders are acquitted; and those which judge moft righteously, cannot find out

;

all that should fall under the lash of the law and the ftricteft laws of men do not reach all offences against God: therefore there is need that the fovereign Lord and King fhould call the whole world to another judgment, which will be at the last day.

2. From God's most excellent wisdom in the management of his government over the children of men; the wisdom of God now is much out of fight and little taken notice of in the world there feems now to be great diforder and confufion in the government of man; the most faithful subjects of the King of heaven in most places are trodden under foot, and have many bitter cups put into their hands and the moft vile rebels and traitors against the highest majefty, are lifted up into the feat of honor, and spend much of their days in mirth and jollity: we read in Scripture of the various and great afflictions of God's people, Heb. ix. 36, 37. Some there were mocked, and fcourged, and tortured, and were fawn afunder, they were flain with the fword, they wandered about in fheep skins and goat skins, being deftitute, afflicted, and tormented, and yet fuch as the world was not worthy of; whereas it is faid of the wicked, Pfal. lxxii. 5, 7, 10. Their eyes ftand out with fatnefs, they have more. than heart could wish, and waters of a full cup are wrung out unto them, and they are not in trouble like other men, neither are they plagued

like other men. See alfo Pfal. xvii. 14. Job xxi. from the 7th to the 14th verfe.

So that if there were not another judgment, God would feem to have been an ill contriver of government for the welfare of his people, and to have ill confulted his own glory in the world, yea his enemies would feem to have outwitted him; therefore it is needful there fhould be a day of judgment, when all things fhould be fet right, and plainly appear in the view of all, and his glory be made manifeft; when his people fhall be exalted and his enemies debafed.

Now

4. From the infinite holiness of God. the holiness of God is trampled under foot by ungodly finners, they scorn and deride it, whereever they fee any image or appearance thereof; they fcoff at the name of a faint, they hate holinefs, and many do their uttermoft to banish it the world, which is a high affront which fome perfons offer to the higheft Majefty in his high attribute it is therefore neceffary that there should be a day of judgment, that God may redeem the honor of his holinefs, which now lies under their contempt; then he will make his holiness to fhine with an amazing excellency in the eyes of all thofe that did despise

it.

5. From God's juftice and righteoufnefs. God hath given unto men a moft juft and righteous law, and hath annexed threatenings of ev

erlasting punishment, which he will inflict up. on the breakers thereof. God's juftice cannot be fatisfied without execution of his vengeance in the punishment of all tranfgreffors, except it be of fuch who have an intereft in the fatisfaction which was made by the Lord Jefus Chrift; and all the children of Adam being tranfgreffors, and very few of them having an intereft in Chrift and his merits, and none receiving condign punishment for their fins in this life: therefore there will be a day of the revelation of the juft and righteous judgment of God, Rom. ii. 5. The righteoufnefs of God doth engage him not only to punifh the wicked for their fins, but also to give his people that reward which the Lord Jefus Chrift hath purchased and prepared for them therefore there must be a day for him to do it in.

Thus it doth appear that there will be a day of general judgment.

2. That Chrift will be the Judge, is alfo evident from fcripture, Acts xvii. 31. He hath ap. pointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness, by the man whom he hath or dained, whereof he hath given affurance unto all men, in that he hath raifed him from the dead. And Rom. xiv. 10. We fhall all ftand before the judgment feat of Chrift. And 2 Cor. v. 10. For we muft all ftand before the judgment-feat of Chrift, that every one may receive the things done in his body, ac

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