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about Glorious Designs, to furprize the World with unexpected Bleffings, or unfeen Evils, to keep them in conftant Awe and Dependance on himself.

And then of what ufe is it to us, to be able to give a Reason of every particular Passage of Providence? We have nothing to do to fit in Judgment upon God; and therefore if we know enough to be a fteady Foundation of our Faith and Hope, we know all that is needful in this Life: God does not intend to gratify our Curiofity, or our Scepticism: We must not perfectly know God in this World, for we must live by Faith here, which fuppofes an imperfect Knowledge; but perfect Sight and Knowledge is the Reward and Happiness of Heaven.

It is the laft Act which explains the whole Plot, the reft is Amusement and Surprize; and therefore the proper time to understand the whole Myftery of Providence, is when all is finished: When God puts an end to this World, he will think fit to display that infinite variety of Wifdom and Goodness, which governed the World from the beginning to the end.

IV. And this we may expect to understand at the Day of Judgment; for I know no other Reafon why God fhould in fo Solemn a manner Judge the World, but to juftify the Wisdom, and Justice, and Goodnefs of his Providence to all his Creatures.

God does not thus publickly judge the World, to enquire into Mens Lives, and Actions, and Deferts, which is the Reafon of Human Judgments, to convince Sinners by Witneffes and Evidences, and to inform the Judge in Matters of Fact; but God

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perfectly knows us all; and every Man's Conscience is a Witness against himfelf, that God might without any farther Solemnity adjudge every Man to his proper Place and Reward: But he confults his own Glory in this, and fummons all his Creatures together, that Men and Angels may understand, and be Witneffes of his Mercy and Juftice.

Now it is impoffible God fhould juftify his Providence, without expounding the Reasons of it; and therefore then we may expect to underftand the Cafe of the fallen Angels, which now we know nothing of; and all the Paffages and various Scenes of Providence, from the Fall of Adam, till the end of the World: Then the State of Nations, of Kingdoms, of Churches, and of private Men, will be explained: the Secrets of Hearts will be difclofed, and the hidden Works of Darkness brought to Light.

Let us then ftay till this Day comes,when God will justify his Providence againft all the Reproaches and evil Surmifes of Men, for he will appear just when he judgeth, and overcome when he contendeth. Let us not difturb our Heads with fuch • Difficulties as we cannot understand now; we know enough to believe that God is Righteous in all bis Ways, and Holy in all his Works; enough to make us devout Worshippers of God: And to enquire farther, is a dangerous Curiofity, like looking into the Ark of God.

SECT.

SECT. IX.

Fifth Inference: To affect our Souls with a strong, and vigorous, and conftant Sense of Fudgment.

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V.Ince it is certain that God will Judge the World, let us endeavour by all means poffible to affect our Souls with a strong, and vigorous, and constant Senfe of Judgment: The Belief of a Future Judgment is worth little, when it ends in Speculation; the ufe of it is to govern our Lives, and to prepare us to give a good Account of our felves to God, fince we know that he will demand an Account of us: But a mere Belief that we fhall be judged, will not do this, unless we affect our Souls with a Senfe of Judgment. The Experience of the World, and our own Experience of our felves, does fufficiently prove this: We all profefs to believe a Future Judgment, and most of us do heartily believe it; and yet there are too many. among us, who give little Reafon to the World to think they believe it; who commit thofe Sins every day, for which they know God will " Damn them when they come to Judgment; which one would think those who believe they fhall be judged, could never do: So that a mere Belief of a Future Judgment cannot govern Mens Lives; but then thefe very Men, when they are awakened into a Dread and Fear of Judgment, feel the Virtue and Power of it on their Hearts; it makes them hate their Sins, and hate themselves for them; it makes them very devout and importunate in their Prayers, very

fincere and paffionate in their Repentance, very refolved to forfake all their Sins, and to live a new life; and therefore if we would have the Belief of a Future Judgment make us good men, we muft not only believe it, but affect our Souls with a great fenfe of it; which is true of all the other Arguments and Motives of Religion, as well as of a Future Judgment.

The proper Enquiry then here is, How we Thall awaken and preferve fuch a powerful Senfe of Judgment in our Minds?

Now the only general Direction that can be given is, Frequently to Think and Meditate on a Future Judgment; for nothing can affect our Minds, but our Thoughts, which make the Object prefent, and give us a near View of it: as it is in the Objects of Senfe, the Eye affects the Heart, and excites and moves the Affections more than all the Arguments in the world: If we look ftedfaftly upon a terrible and frightful Object, it will ftrike Terror into us; if upon a pleasant and beautiful Object, it will excite Love and Delight; if upon a miferable Object, it will affect us with a tender Compaffion; to fee men in great Want and Mifery,will melt and open that Heart which was hardened and fhut against all the Arguments and Motives to Charity: And long and frequent Confideration will have much the fame effect on us that Sight has: Judgment is a terrible thing to bad men, and if they would but ferioully think of it, it would terrifie them; if they would but imagine fometimes, that they beard that last Trumpet found, which will awaken all Mankind, and raife them out of their Graves, and fummon them to Judgm.nt; that they faw the Son of

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man defcend from Heaven, attended with his mighty Angels, to execute Vengeance on all them who know not God, and obey not the Gofpel of our Lord Jefus Chrift; that they faw the Earth all in flames about them, and Hell opening her Mouth wide to receive them; that they faw the Books opened, and thofe Sins recorded which they had forgot, and the Secrets of their Hearts difclofed and that they heard that terrible Sentence, Go ye curfed into everlasting Fire, prepared for the devil and his angels; do you think that any man who believes all this, and would fuffer himself seriously to think of it, could bear up against the. Terrors of it? Or that with thefe Thoughts about him, he could court a Strumpet, or spend his Time in Revels and Excefs, or Blafpheme God, and Ridicule Religion, or cheat his Neighbour, or opprefs the Poor and Fatherlefs, or forfwear himfelf? No! we fee this cannot be, as o we fee a miferable Sinner whofe awakened Confcience diftracts him with all thefe Scenes and Images of Terror.

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So that Serious Confideration would make a Future Judgment very effectual to govern our Lives; but the great Difficulty of all, is to bring men to confider; and yet one would think it impoffible that a Reasonable Creature fhould not confider that he must be judged; But fo it is, and there is no difputing againft Experience; and yet is this fo dangerous and fatal a Neglect, that it concerns us to enquire into the Caufe and Remedies of it; for could we cure this, it would quickly reform the World, give a new Refurrection to Piety and Virtue, and fecure men from the Danger and Terrors of a Future Judgment. Now there are two apparent Cau

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