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when we fee fuch things as these in the World, fhall we not fear and tremble before that juft and righteous Judge? Can we forget that GOD will judge the World in Righteoufnefs, when we fee already fuch terrible Executions, which are only Preludiums to a Final Judgment?

2. These present and vifible Judgments give us a nearer Profpect of a Future Judgment; and Judgment will more fenfibly affect us, the nearer we fee it: Not that fuch Judgments as thefe prove, that the Final Judgment is near at hand; for the Records and Hiftories of former Ages give us an Account of very terrible Judgments which God then executed upon the World, and yet we fee the Final Judgment is deferred and we know not how long it may be deferred ftill: But though the General Judgment may be a great way off, yet our particular Judgment may be very near; God may quickly cut us off, and put an end to our Account; and when the Judgments of God are in the World, we have reafon to expect it, at least so far, as to be prepared for it: Proximus ardet Ucalegon; when we fee the Judgments of God sweep away fo many Thousands round about us, who not long fince lived as fecure and unconcerned for danger as we do; when we see the Clouds hover and rowl about the Heavens, charged with Thunder and Tempeft, who knows where the Storm will break next and who fhall feel the Violence of it? And therefore the Judgments of GOD, which are in the Earth, will give all confidering

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Men fuch a prefent Senfe of a Future Judgment, as a threatning Sickness will do: Prefent Judgments may fuddenly cut us off, and fend us into the other World unprepared for a Final Judgment; and there is no preparing for it there; and then thefe prefent Judgments may prove Final to us. So that those who live in fuch an Age as this, will be utterly inexcufable if they forget their Account, which they have fuch terrible Admonitions of. Let us make this use of present Judgments, to awaken a more lively and vigorous Senfe of a Future Judgment in us; and that will make us good Men, and fecure our Eternal Happiness; and is the best way to prevent any publick Calamities of our Countrey, which we may fear, or to preferve our felves from being involved in

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CHA P. II.

Concerning the Time of Judgment.

SECT. I.

Concerning a particular Judgment at the Time of

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every Man's Death.

ET us now confider the Time of Judgment; God hath appointed a day wherein be will judge the world in righteoufefs. Now this plainly refers to that General Judgment, when all Mankind fhall

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be fummoned before the Tribunal of Chrift to be judged according to their Works. But before I fpeak to this, it will be neceffary to take notice of what we commonly call a Particular Judgment, which is fuppofed to pafs upon all Men, as foon as they go out of thefe Bodies.

The received Opinion is, that when any Man dies, he is immediately called to Judg ment, and receives his Final Sentence, which is immediately executed on him; that a Bad Man is fentenced to Hell, and fent immediately thither; that a Good Man is received into Heaven, and enjoys the Beatifick Vifion from the time of his going out of this Body:

But I must confefs, this has always appeared a great difficulty to me; we live in fuch an Inquifitive Age, as will not allow us to affirm what we cannot prove, and indeed no honeft Man ought to do fo; for it forfeits any Man's Autho rity, and weakens the Credit of Religion, when that which has no proof, or at beft is very uncertain, is taught with as great affurance, as that which is moft certain and unqueftionable in Religion and yet no wife Man will oppofe and contradict a received Doctrine, though he were fatisfy'd it were a Mistake, when there are no evil Confequences attend it: For my part, I muft honeftly profess, that I neither dare affirm nor deny this particular Judgment in the fense in which it is commonly understood; for there are fome Paffages in Scripture, which feem to look both ways, and fince I cannot decently

avoid faying fomething of it, Ifhall fairly reprefent to you, what Intimations there are in Scripture about this matter; for there is no other way of knowing this; and I dare teach no more than what the Scripture teaches.

1. Now in the first place, thus much is very plain in the Scripture, That good men when they die, are tranflated into a place of Ease, and Reft, and Happiness; and bad men to a place of Mifery and Punishment: which I fuppofe is what men mean by a particular Judgment: for this is a kind of Judgment, though it be not perform'd with all the Pompous Solemnities of Judgment, to allot men their different States of Life, according as they have behaved themselves in this World.

The Parable of Dives and Lazarus is very ex. prefs to this purpose, 16. Luke 19, &c. There was a certain rich man, which was cloathed in purple and fine linnen, and fared fumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate full of Sores. And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's bofom: the rich man also died, and was buried. And in Hell be lift up his eyes, being in torment, and feeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in bis bofom. That this relates to the ftate of Good and Bad Men immediately after Death, is very evident, especially from that Requeft which the Rich Man made to Abraham, to fend Lazarus to his Father's House; For, faith he, I have five brethren; that he may testifie to them left they alfo come into this place of torment: Which fhews, that Lazarus was in Abraham's Bofom,

Bofom, and Dives tormented in Hell, or Hades, while his Brethren were living and revelling on Earth; and therefore this can't relate to a General Judgment, but fignifies that State they entred into as foon as they Died: And though what is generally faid, that we muft not argue from Parables, is very true as to particular Circumftances of the Story, which are the Ornaments and Embellishments of Parables; yet it is as true, that we muft argue from the principal Scope and Defign of them; and then we may certainly conclude from this Parable, that good and bad Men as foon as they Die, are in a State of Happiness and Mifery; otherwife there is no Foundation for this Parable: For why fhould one be fent from the Dead to inform the Living what Punishments bad Men fuffer in the next World, if they fuffer nothing till the Day of Judgment, which is not yet? For in this Cafe fuch a Meffenger could not be an Eye-witnefs of the Punishment of Sinners; which is the only thing that is fuppofed to give fuch Authority to his Teftimony.

1. I do not remember any other fuch exprefs Text for the immediate Punishment of Sinners as foon as they go out of these Bodies; and one fuch Text as this is enough; but there are many Texts to prove, that good Men when they die, go immediately into a State of Happinefs; not only Lazarus was carried by the Angels into Abraham's Bofom, but Chrift promiled the Thief upon the Crofs, that that Day he fhould be with him in Paradife; and St. Paul tells us, That to be at home in the Body, is to be

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