upon the hopes of unfeen things, would be madness and distraction, if there were no heaven, and no unfeen things to be hoped for.

The laws of our Saviour require us, in fome cafes, to facrifice the dearest interests we have in this world, and life it self, for his fake; which would be a fenfeless and unreasonable command, if he did not intend to bestow a better life on us. If there were no other life after this; no wife man would forfeit more for any religion, than it is worth in this world, and that would but reach a little way in fuffering. Nor is our Saviour fo unreafonable, as to require it upon thefe terms; but tells us plainly, Whosoever (fays: he) will fave his life, shall lofe it; and whofoever will lofe his life for my fake, fhall find it; For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lofe his own foul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his foul?The reasons of most of the gofpel commands must be fetched wholly from the other world, and a future judgment; fo that altho' no fuch express mention had been made of a judgment to come, we should have had the same

evidence

evidence for it, that we have for the chriftian religion it self.

HAVING thus fhewn the Scripture evidence of a future judgment, let us be perfuaded from hence, to improve this belief for the government of our lives; for that is the only end of faith and knowledge.

Let us therefore endeavour to live as it becomes thofe who fhall certainly be judged. Let all our actions be conducted with great confideration and advice. Rashness and inadvertency, to do we know not what, in a heat and hurry, without confidering whether it be good or evil, right or wrong; doth not become those who must be judged. To be judged, is to be called to an account, to give a reason for what we do; and therefore we ought to confider, what reason to give, before we do it. It will be an ill plea at the day of judgment to say, that we did not confider what we did; that we lived without care, without thought, and without obfervation. For this is no àllowable plea for any reasonable creature; much lefs, for one who knows he must be judged. And as we ought to act with confideration, so we must make it the ftanding principle

and

and rule of our lives, never to do

any thing, but what we can give a good account of; either 'what we know is our duty, or at least what we are fatisfied is very lawful and innocent to be done. For if we do thofe things which we cannot account for, for which our own minds condemn us; how can we appear with any hope and confidence at the tribunal of God?

Laftly, It becomes those who must be judged, to judge themselves, and to take a frequent and impartial account of their own lives and actions. The truth is, it is impoffible for any man, who knows he fhall be judged, not to be very folicitous to know, what his judgment fhall be. And this every man may in a great meafure know, who impartially examines his own confcience. For fo St. John tells us: If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things; but if our heart, (that is, our confcience well informed) condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God.

This frequent examination of our selves, would keep a perpetual watch and guard upon our lives. After our greatest care and caution, a great many things will be

haftily

haftily done, and faid, which we cannot reconcile with the rules of prudence, and decency, and ftrict virtue. But he who frequently calls himself to an account, and obferves all these defects, will attain an habitual caution and watchfulness, and improve into great exactness of conversation, and all the graces and beauties of virtue.

It is a very good rule, to call our felves to an account every night, for what we have done that day. This would make us reverence ourselves, and our own confcienBut there is much more reafon to do fo, when we remember, that God obferves all our actions, and will judge us for them, whether they be good, or whether they be evil.

ces.

SERMON XXIII.

That the dead, fmall and great, must be judged.

[From SHERLOCK's Difcourfe on Judgment.]

RE V. XX. 12.

I faw the dead, Small and great, ftand be

THE

fore God.

HESE words are fpoken of the general judgment at the laft day. And left fome perfons might think them

felves exempt from this judgment, namely, as being either too high to be called to an account, or, on the other hand, too low to be taken notice of; the author of my text includes both these fpecially, in his prophetical vision of the last judgment: I saw the dead, SMALL and GREAT, ftand before God.

And the general declarations of the Scriptures are, that all fhall be judged. We are all alike God's creatures; we are all equally accountable