then all them that fay this, Do ye indeed believe fo? If not, then are you vile and abominable Diffemblers and Lyars both to God and Man. And that's a Character, which tho' you are ashamed to own, and angry that it should be given you, yet you cannot deny to be your own. Try then your Hearts, and fee if you believe what you say, for if you do not, and fay fo folemnly that you do, are you not Perfons of no Faith or Honefty, and therefore unfit to be trufted, but to be accounted Enemies to Society? If you do believe as you fay you do, that Chrift will come to Judge you, by what do you think he will Judge you? Is it not by the Law of Faith which he hath given us, his holy Gofpel? Hear him, for as the Apo file faith, all fhall be Judgded by the Law under which they have lived. Rom. 2. 12. As many as bave finned without Law, fhall also perish without Law, that is, they who have no written Law, the Heathens who have only the Law of Nature to live by, if they fin against that Law, (for where there is no Law, there can be no Sin, they must therefore have a Law, if they fin) they fhall be condemned in Judgment for it; and as many as have Sinned in the Law, fhall be Judged by the Law. That is, the Jews, who have finned against the written Law of Mofes, fhall be Judged according to that Law. So faith Chrift Joh. 12. 48. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, bath one that Judgeth him, the Word that I have Spoken, the fame (hall Fudge him in the last Day. And Rom. 2. 16. God fhall Fudge the Secrets of Men by Jefus Chrift, according to my Gospel. f this be fo, how dare fuch as fay they believe that Chrift fhall come Judge them, live fo unfuitably to his Holy Gospel? You must needs own your

Selves (whilft you live not very holy Chriftian Lives) to be the very vileft of all Men, becaufe you are either profeffed Liars, or manifeft Fools: Liars, if you fay you believe, and believe not: Fools, if indeed, you do believe, and yet live fo as you believe you must be condemned for it.

2. Therefore that we may avoid this juft Reproach, let us live as Men that know and believe, that Chrift will come and call them to account how they have lived, whether according to his Gospel or no, and will condemn them, or acquit them in Judgment accordingly. It is to this end that he fhall come. 2. Theff. 1. 8. The Lord Jefus fhall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels, in Flaming Fire, taking Vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jefus Chrift. Can we believe this, and not use all diligence, to live obediently to this Holy Gospel? If ye then, faith St. Peter, call on the Father, who without refpect of Perfons, Judgeth aecording to every Man's Works, pafs the time of your fojourning bere in fear. 1 Pet. 1. 18. Unto them that are Contentious, and do not obey the Truth, but obey unrighteousness, be will render Indignation and Wrath, Tribulation and anguish. Rom. 2. 8. Therefore let us take St. James's good Counsel. Jam. 2. 12. So fpeak ye, and fo do, as they that Shall be Fudged by the Law of Liberty. What a Madness is it to profefs to believe the Gofpel, and not to do our utmoft Endeavour, to live exactly according to it, when we know, that if the Gofpel which we believe be true, we shall be condemned for not living obediently to it in all things?

3. Take

3. Take heed how we fcoff and mock at the talk of Chrift's coming, going on confidently in our loosenefs and carelefnefs of living, indulging our felves in what we have a mind, faying, let us alone till that day. It's no firange thing to hear of fuch People, even now in a Chriftian Nation, becaufe we had warning given us long ago to expect fuch Profane talkers, and the quality of the Perfons defcrib'd plainly enough to us, that we may know what kind of People they are, and how little to be regarded. 2 Pet. 3. 3. There fhall come in the last days fcoffers walking after their own Lufts, and Jaying, where is the promife of bis coming? Thefe are called filthy Dreamers, like Brutifh Beafts, defiling themselves, defpifers of Government, &c. Thele little confider that tho' Chrift feem to tarry, yet he will come at the appointed time, and that he tarries fo long, is a great mercy to them, if they would but fee it. V. 9. The Lord is not flack in his promife, as fome Men count flackness, but is long-fuffering toward, not willing that any should perish, but that all fhould come to Repentance. He endureth with long-fuffering, even the Veffels of Wrath fitted for Destruction. Rom. 9. 22. I, faith be, gave her Space to Repent, and he repented not. Rev. 2. 21. Beware therefore of putting that day far from you, and looking on it as a great diftance, for you know not when it comes: We are not in darknefs, that that day fhould overtake us as a Thief, therefore let us not fleep as do others, but let us Watch and be Sober. 1. Thef. 5.4. 5.

4. Because it is at Midnight, and will be fudden and furprizing to many, therefore that's the beft advice we can take, to be always ready. O how little is this regarded? And why? We

look

look on the day of Judgment as a great way off: Yea, but can we think the hour of Death is fo too? And yet it's all one to us which comes firft, Death or Judgment. Let us eat and Drink, fay fome, for to morrow we die. Soul take thine Eafe (fay others) Eat, Drink and be Merry, for thou haft Goods laid up for many Years. Now, how foolishly do both thefe behave themfelves? Well, faid our Saviour, thou Fool, to him that promised himself many Years, when he was not fure of one Night. I am fure, we are none of us any furer of one Night than he could be. And if to morrow we must die, as the other fay, is it feasonable to spend this day in eating and Drinking? Have we not fomething else to do to prepare our felves for Judgment and we must be prepar'd before we die, if that prove to be to morrow, or we must never be prepar'd. He that grows confident either ways, and refolute in his Course, so that he begin to eat and drink with the drunken, the Lord of that Servant will come in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him afunder, and appoint him his portion with the Hypocrites, there fhall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth. Matt. 24. 5. 1. O, how greatly concerns it us, to have our Lamps always lighted up, that fo the cry when it comes may not confound us. That our whole Spirit, and Soul, and Body, may be preferv'd blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift. 1 Thef. 5. 23. That when he shall appear, we may have Confidence, and not be alhamd before him at his coming. 1 Joh. 2. 28. What manner of Perfons ought we to be, in all holy Conversation, and. Godliness, looking for, and hafting to the coming of the day of God? 2 Pet. 3. 11 12:

Take

Take heed of inconfideration, of laying afide or checking all ferious thoughts of this day, and fpending your time in vanity and foolish mirth. Would you indeed hear the Trumpet found to Judgment, or hear the Summons of Death to go out of this World, when you are in such a Temper? And can you tell, that it will not be fo? How many Examples have there been, not unlike that of Belfhazar, who had their Summons to Death in the midst of their jollity? When they had laid afide the confideration of such things. If the good Man of the house had known (faith Chrift) i. e. had confidered, and seriously thought, what hour the Thief would come, i. e. that he might come at any hour for ought he knew, he would have taken more care of his House; he would not have been furpriz'd, and taken without all Defence. Take heed, leaft coming fuddenly be find you fleeping. Matt. 13. 36. That is not confidering, fecure, and without ferious thoughts of him.

Take heed therefore again of provocations to fleep, beware of the pleasures of this Life, leaft at any times your Hearts be over-charg'drfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this Life, and fo that day come upon you unawares. Luk. 21. 34. For as a Snare fhall it come on all them that dwell on the Face of the Earth v. 35. As in the days that were before the Flood, they were Eating and Drinking, Marrying and giving in Marriage, until the Day that Noah entred into the Ark, and knew not until the Flood came and took them all

away, fofhall alfo the coming of the Son of Man be. Matt. 24. 28, 29.

Good God, how regardlefly we generally live of these things! Where fee we them that look

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