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work of the law written in their hearts, their confcience also bearing witness. Confcience is a cenfor going with every man whitherfoever he goes, taking an account of his deeds done in the body, and, as it were noting them in a book; the which being opened, will be found a double of the former, fo far as it relates to one's own state and cafe. Much is written in it, which cannot be read now; the writing of confcience being in many cafes, like to that which is made with the juice of lemons, not to be read, till it be held before the fire: but then men fhall read it clearly and diftinctly the fire which is to try every man's work, will make the book of confcience legible in every point. Tho' the book be fealed now (the confcience blind, dumb and deaf) the feals will then be broken, and the book opened.' There shall be no more a weak or misinformed confcience among thofe on the right hand, or thefe on the left. There fhall not be a filent confcience, and far lefs a feared confci ence amongst all the ungodly crew: but their confciences fhall be muft quick-fighted, and moft lively, in that day. None fhall then call good evil, or evil good. Ignorance of what fin is, and what things are fins, will have no place among them and the fubtle reafonings of men, in favour of their lufts, will then be for ever baffled by their own confciences. None hall have the favour (if I may fo fpeak) of lying under the foft cover of delufion: but they fhall all be convicted by their confcience. Nill they, will they, they fhall look on this book, read and be confounded, and stand speech lefs, knowing that nothing is charged upon them by mistake; fince. this is a book, which was always in their own cuftody. Thus fhall the Judge make every man fee himself, in the glass of his own con fcience, which will make quick work.

Thirdly, The book of the Law shall be opened. This book is the ftandard and rule, by which is known what is right, and what is wrong; as alfo, what fentence is to be paffed accordinly, on these who are under it. As to the opening of this book, in its ftatutory part, which fhews what is fin, and what is duty; it falls in with the opening of the book of confcience. For confcience is fet, by the Sovereign Lawgiver, in every man's breaft, to be his private teacher, to fhew him the law, and his private paftor, to make application of the fame; and, at that day, it will be perfectly fit for its office; fo that the confcience, which is molt (tupid now, fhall then read to the man, most accurate, but dreadful lectures, on thé law. But what feems (mainly at least) pointed at, by the opening of this book, is the opening of that part of it, which determines the reward of mens works. Now, the law promifeth life, upon perfect obedience: but none can be found on the right hand, or on the left, who will pretend to that, when once the book of confcie ence is opened, it threatneth death upon difobedience, and will effectually bring it upon all under its dominion. And this part of the book of the law, determining the reward of mens works, is

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opened, only to fhew what must be the portion of the ungodly, and that there they may read their fentence before it be pronounced. But it is not opened for the fentence of the faints; for no fentence ab folving a finner could ever be drawn out of it. The law promife:h life, not as it is a rule of actions, but as a covenant of works: And therefore innocent man could not have demanded life upon his obedience, till the law was reduced into the form of a cove, nant; as was fhewn before. But the faints having been, in this life, brought under a new covenant, namely, the covenant of grace, were dead to the law, as a covenant of works, and it was dead to them. Wherefore, as they fhall not have any fears of death from it, fo they can have no hopes of life from it, &ince they are not under the law, but under grace, Rom. vi. 14. But, for their fentence, another book is opened; of which in the next place.

Thus the book of the law is opened, for the fentence againft all thofe on the left hands and by it they will clearly fee the juftice of the judgment against them, and how the Judge proceeds theres in according to law. Nevertheless, there will be this difference, namely, that thefe who had only the natural law, and lived not under any special revelation, fhall be judged by that law of nature they had in their hearts: which law bears, that they who commit fuch things (as they will fland convicted of) are worthy of death, Rom. i. 32. But thefe, who had the written law, to whom the word of God came, as it has founded in the vifible church, thall be judged by that written law. So fays the Apoftle, Rom. ii. 12. For as many as hav finned without (the written) law, all perish without (the written) law; and as many as have finned in the law (ie. under the written law) fhall be judged by the (written) law.

Laftly, Another book fhall be opened, which is the bank of life, Rev. XX. 12. In this, the names of all the elect are written, as Christ faid to his difciples, Luke x. 20 Your names are written in heaven. This book contains God's gracious and unchangeable purpose, to bring all the elect to eteral life; and that, in order thereto, they be redeemed by the blood of his Son, effectually called, juftified, adopted, fanctified, and raifed up by him at the laft day without in. It is now lodged in the Mediator's hand, as the book of the manner of the kingdoms and having perfected the work the Father. gave them to do; he hall, on the great day produce, and open the book, and prefent the perfons therein named, faultlefs before the prefence of his glory, Jude 24. Not having pot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing, Eph. v. 27. None of them all, who are named in the book, fhall be m fing. They fhall be found qualified, according to the order of the book, redeemed, called, juftified, fanctified, raifed up without fpot: what remains then, but that, according to the fame book, they obtain the great end, namely, everlafting life. This may be gathered from that precious promife, Rev. 5. He that overcometh, the fame fhall be clothed in white raiment,

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(being raised in glory) and I will not blot out his name out of the "book of life. But I will confefs his name (it fhall be, as it were, "read out ainong the rest of God's elect) before my Father, and "before his angels." Here is now the ground of the faints' absolviture, the ground of the bleffed fentence they fhall receive book of life being opened, it will be known to all, who are elected, and who are not. Thus far of the trial of the parties.

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Eightly, Then fhall the Judge pronounce that blessed sentence on the faints, "Come ye bleffed of my Father, inherit the kingdom "prepared for you from the foundation of the world," Matth xxv 34, It is most probable, the Man CHRIST will pronounce it with an audible voice; which not only all the faints, but all the wicked likewife, fhall hear and underftand. Who can conceive the inexpreffible joy; ' with which these happy ones thall hear thefe words? Who can ima gine that fulness of joy, which fhall be poured into their hearts, with these words reaching their ears? And who can conceive how much of hell thall break into the hearts of all the ungodly crew, by these words of heaven? It is certain this fentence fhall be pronounced before the fentence of damnation, Matth. xxv. 34. "Then fhall the King fay ❝unto them on his right hand. Come ye bleffed, &c. Ver 41. Then "fhall he fay alfo to them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye "curfed, &c." There is no need of this order, that the faints may, without fear or aftonishment, hear the other fentence on the reprobate: they who are raifed in glory, caught up to meet the Lord in the air, prefented without fpot, and whofe fouls (for the far greater part of them) have been fo lung in heaven before, fhall not be capable of any fuch fear. But hereby they will be orderly brought in, to fit in judgment, as Chrift's affeffors, against the ungodly: whofe torment will be aggravated by it. It will be a hell to them, to be kept out of hell, till they fee the doors of heaven opened to receive the faints, who once dwelt in the fame world with them; and perhaps in the fame country, parish, or town, and fat under the fame miniftry with themselves. Thus will they fee heaven afar off, to make their hell the hotter. Like that unbelieving lord, 2 Kings vii. 19, 20. They "fhall fee the plenty with their eyes, but fhall not eat thereof." Every word of the bleffed fentence fhall be like an envenomed arrow fhot into their hearts, while they fee what they have loft, and from thence gather what they are to expect.

This fentence paffeth on the faints according to their works, Rev xx. 12 But not for their works, nor for their faith neither, as if eternal life were merited by thein The fentence itfelf overthrows this abfurd conceit. The kingdon they are called to, was " prepared for them, from the foundation of the world," not left to be merited by theinfelves, who were but f yesterday. They inherit it as fons, but procure it not to themselves, as fervants do the reward of their work. They were redeemed by the blood of Chrift, and clothed with his fpotless righteoufne fs, which is the proper caufe of the fentence.

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They were alfo qualified for heaven, by the fanctification of his Spirit; and hence it is according to their works; fo that the ungodly world hall fee now, that the Judge of the quick and dead does good to them who were good. Therefore it is added to the fentence, "For I was "an hungred, and ye gave me meat, &c." Ver. 35, 36. which doth not denote the ground, but the evidence of their right to heaven; as if a judge-fhould fay, he abfolves a man purfued for debt; for the witneffes depone, that it is paid already. So the Apoftle fays, 1 Cor x. 5. But with many of them God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness." Their overthrow in the wilderness was not the ground of God's difpleasure with them, but it was an evidence of it. And thus our Lord teacheth us the neceflary connexion betwixt glory and good works, namely, works evangelically good; works having a refpect to Jefus Chrift, and done out of faith in him, and love to him, without which they will not be regarded in that day. And the faints will fo far be judged according to fuch works, that the degrees of glory amongst them fhall be according to thefe works: for it is an eternal truth, "He that foweth fparingly, fhall reap fparingly," 2 Cor. ix. 6.

Thus fhall the good works of the godly have a glorious, not a gratuitous reward; a reward of grace, not of debt, which will fill them with wonder at the riches of free grace, and the Lord's condefcending to take any notice, especially fuch public notice, of their poor worthlefs works. The which feems to be the import of what they are faid to anfwer, "faying, Lord, when faw we thee an

hungred, &c." Ver. 37, 38, 39. And may they not justly wonder to fee themfelves fet down to the marriage-fupper of the Lamb, in confequence of a dinner or fupper, a little meat or drink (fuch as they had) which they gave to an hungry or thirsty member of Chrift, for his fake? Oh plentiful harveft following upon the feed of good works! rivers of pleasure fpringing up from (perhaps) a cup of cold water given to a difciple, in the name of a difciple! eternal mansions of glory rifing out of a night's lodging given to a faint, who was a Jtranger! everlafting robes of glory given in exchange of a new coat, or it (may be) an old one, bestowed on fome faint, who had not neceflary clothing! a vifit to a fick faint, repaid by Chrift himself, coming in the glory of his Father, with all his holy angels a vifit made to a poor prifoner, for the caufe of Chrift, repaid with a vifit from the Judge of all, taking away the vifitant with him to the palace of heaven, there to be ever with himself! these things will be matter of everlafting wonder; and should ftir up all, to fow liberally in time, while the feed-time of good works doth laft. But it is Christ's stamp on good works, that puts a value on them, in the eye of a gracious God; which feems to be the import of our Lord's reply, ver. 40"In as much as ye have done it, unto one of the leaft of thefe my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

IX. Now

IX. Now the faints having received their own fentence, they shall judge the world, 1 Cor. vi 2. This was not fulfilled, when the empire became Chriftian, and Chriftians were made magiftrates. No, the Pfalmift tells us, This hooour have all the faints, Pfal, cxlix. 9. And the Apostle in the forecited place, adds, "And if the world fhall "be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? "Ver. 3. Know ye not that we fhall judge angels?" Being called, they come to receive their kingdom, in the view of angels and men: they go, as it were, from the bar to the throne, "To him that over"cometh, will I grant to fit with me on my throne," Rev. iii. 21. They fhall not only judge the world, in Christ their head, by way of communion with him; by their works compared with thefe of the ungodly; or, by way of teftimony against them: but, they fhall be affeffors to Jefus Chrift the Judge, giving their voice against them, confenting to his judgment as juft, and faying Amen, to the doom pronounced against all the ungodly: as is faid of the faints, upon the judgment of the great whore, Rey. xix. 1, 2. "Hallelujah, for true and righteous 66 are his judgments.", Thus "the upright fhall have dominion over "them, in the morning," of the refurrection, Pfal. xlix. 14. Then, and not till then, fhall that fully be accomplished, which ye may read, Pfal. cxlix. 6, 7, 8, 9. " Let the high praifes of God be in their "mouth, and a two-edged fword in their hand, to execute vengeance. ડે upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people,-this honour "have all his faints." O! what a strange turn of affairs, will appear here! what an aftonishing fight will it be, to fee wicked churchmen and statefinen standing as criminals before the faints, whom fometimes, they condemned as hereticks, rebels and traitors! to fee men of riches and power stand pale-faced before these whom they oppreffed! to see the mocker ftand trembling before thefe he mocked: the worldly-wife man before thefe whom he accounted fools! then fhall the defpifed faces of the faints be dreadful faces to the wicked: and those who sometimes were the fong of the drunkards, fhall then be a terror to them. All wrongs must be righted at length, and every one fet in his proper place.

Tenthly, The Judge fhall pronounce the fentence of damnation on all the ungodly multitude. "Then fhall he fay alfo unto them on "the left hand, Depart from me, ye curfed, into everlafting fire, "prepared for the devil and his angels," ver. 41. Fearful doom! and that from the fame mouth, from whence proceeded the fentence. of abfolution before. It was an aggravation of the mifery of the Jews, when their city was deftroyed, that they were ruined by one, who was accounted the darling of the world. O! what an aggravation of the mifery of the wicked will it be, that he fhall pronounce this fentence alfo! to hear the curfe from mount Zion, muft needs be most terrible. To be damned by him, who came to fave finners, must be double damnation. But thus it fhall be. The Lamb of God fhall rore, as a lion, against them! he fhall excommunicate, and caft them

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