heard no more of them to Eternity. The Wif dom of all Governments has taught them the neceffity of Publick Executions; and when God would make himself known in the World, he executes fome publick and visible Judgments, which may command our Notice and Obfervance: Thus he did when he fpared Pharaob from the Destruction of those numerous Plagues he fent on Egypt, and referved him for a more glorious Execution, when he overthrew him and all his Hoft in the Red Sea: Thus he did when he fent Fire from Heaven to deftroy Sodom and Gomorrah; and in numerous other Inftances: These terrible Executions indeed are intended by God as publick Warnings to the World, to teach men to fear God, and reverence his Power and Justice, and prevent their own Ruin by a timely Repentance: Now this end they cannot ferve in the other World, when the Devil and his Angels, and all bad men are involved in the fame Ruin, and there are no Sinners left to take warning, and to learn Righteousness by it: But Saints and Angels are Spectators and Witneffes of the Vengeance, and adore and praise the Righteous Judge of the world; and Devils and all wicked men fee and feel it too, and tremble and fly before him, are forced to confefs his Power and Glory, though with Anguish and Despair. This is a glorious and visible Triumph over all his Enemies, and all the Powers of Darknefs,

And

And how glorious is God in his Saints, when he publickly rewards their Faith and Patience, their Obedience and Sufferings for his Name fake; when in the fight of all the World he cloaths them with pure Light, and receives them into his Eternal Kingdom; the Glory of God is the Publick Manifeftation of his Juftice, and Goodness, and Power; now there cannot be a more unquestionable Demonstration of the inflexible Justice of God, than the final Deftruction of the Devil and his Angels, and all wicked men; there cannot be a more glorious Manifeftation of the Goodness of God, than in the Final Rewards of Piety and Virtue; and nothing can be more publick and visible, than that which is done before all the world. And this makes it reasonable for God to fummon all the world before his Tribunal, to make himself visibly glorious to all his Creatures.

God has been greatly difhonoured in the World; fome have denied his Being and Providence, others have fet up Rival and Oppofité Gods, and given his Worship to Devils, to Dead Men, to Wood and Stone, nay, to the vileft and most contemptible Creatures; others. have framed very unworthy Notions of God, and cloathed him with their own Weakneffes and Paffions, made him either a Tyrant and a Devil, or fuch a tame, eafy, fond Being, as men may make bold with without danger; others prophane his Name, corrupt his Wor fhip, or neglect and defpife it: Some think themselves too big to ferve God, others too little to be observed by him; fome ridicule his

Laws,

Laws, others take no notice of them; and there are very few who are fincere Worshippers of him, and acknowledge and fubmit to his Authority and Power; and when God has been fo much difhonoured in the World, I think it is very fit, that when he judges the World, he fhould vindicate his own Glory, make it publick and visible, and force all his Creatures to own and confefs it; and the moft effectual way to do this, is by fummoning all Mankind before him, and judging them according to their Works. Thus we see what Reason there is, with respect to God, why he should not judge Men fingly, and fend them privately and filently to Heaven or Hell, but appoint a general Day of Judgment.

II. There is great Reason for this too, with refpect to Men, both to good and to bad Men; for this is part of the Reward of Virtue, and of the Punishment of Vice.

Many good Men have been used with the utmost Contempt and Scorn; if they cannot comply with their Company, and do as their Neighbours do; if they boggle at popular and fashionable Vices, they are gazed on as fo many Comets and Prodigies, and would be contented to be gazed on, were they as far out of the reach of danger too, as those Meteors are; fome call them Fools, others Knaves and Hypocrites, and treat them accordingly: And is it not fit that GOD fhould vindicate these Men, who have fuffered Infamy and Reproach for his fake? that he fhould publickly own them, applaud and reward their Virtue: And

what

what a Glorious Vindication is this, if we can but have Patience to expect it: What a little contemptible Scene is this World, nay, this little corner of the World where we live; for whether we be Praised or Reproached, it is likely we are never heard of out of the Parish and Neighbourhood, or City, or Kingdom, where we live; and can't we be contented to let a whole Parish, or City, or Kingdom defpife us, to be publickly owned by God in the General Affembly of Men and Angels?

Good Men do a great many good. Actions privately, which few or none are confcious to, but God and themfelves, and therefore they lose the Praise which is due to fuch fecret Virtues in this World; but our Saviour hath promifed, that fuch Men fhall have Praife of God. 1; that if we Pray, and Faft, and give Alms in fecret, Our Father which feeth in fecret fhall reward us openly, 6. Matth. And this is a great Encouragement to the Practice of the moft fecret Virtues, that we shall be openly rewarded for them.

Good Men are many times great Sufferers in this World, are not only Reproached, but Perfecuted, lofe their Eftates, their Liberties, their Lives, for Chrift's fake: And though God has ftrictly forbid them to avenge themselves; yet he will execute Vengeance on their Enemies, and do it publickly, and make them the Spectators and Witneffes of it..

On the other Hand, Wickedness is many times very Glorious and Triumphant in this

World

World, is fo far from fuffering Shame, which is the juft Reward of it, that it is applauded and courted; and the greatest Prodigies of Wickedness are adored for their profperous Villanies; but yet Shame is the juft Reward of Sin, and it must have it at one time or other; and nothing can more effectually caft Shame and Contempt upon Sinners, than a general Judgment, when they fhall be publickly Arraigned and Condemned in the great Affembly of Men and Angels: This will confound the moft glorious Sinner, who never blushed before; for though while bad Men are fupported with Power, or are the most numerous Party, and can out-vote and outlaugh the reft of the World, they can fecure themselves against the Senfe of Shame: Yet when they appear before fuch a Judge, and have their Villanies expofed to all the World; when they are ftript of their Riches, and Honours, and Power, and fee all their Admirers and Companions paft Laughing and Flattery, and themselves defpifed and fcorned by God and his Holy Saints and Angels, and condemned to Everlasting Miseries, it will then be impoffible for them any longer to glory in their Shame: Confufion will then cover their Faces; and it would be thought very Merciful to be Damned privately without feeing their Judge, and being expofed to publick Scorn and Cenfure.

Thus there are a great many wicked things done privately, and concealed from the Eyes of Mén, and many times gilded over with a form and counterfeit appearance of Religion;

and