4. Sentence will accordingly be pass'd upon 1. Of Abfolution, S. Matth. xxv. 34. 2. Or of Condemnation, S. Matth. xxv. II. He will judge the World in Righteousness; 1. Without respect of Perfons, Rom. ii. 11. 2. 3. 4. Circumftances, S. Job. iii. 19. S. Luk. III. He will judge the World by Chrift, who 1. That fo He may judge them which judg'd 2. That fo we may fee our Judge, S. Joh. v. 27. 3. That we may the more readily confent to IV. The Day when Chrift fhall judge the 1. There is a private Judgment upon the Day 2. There will be a general Judgment, which is great great Day, S. Jude 6. the great and notable Day of the Lord, Act. ii. 20. the Day of the Lord, I Theff. v. 2, 4. the Day of Chrift, 2 Thess. i 2. This Day is known only to the Father, xxiv. 36. Matt. V. GOD having rais'd Chrift from the Dead, hath thereby given Affurance unto all Men, that He will judge the World. 1. By Chrift's Refurrection, we are affur'd that we shall rise again, 1 Cor. XV. 12, 21, 22. Rom viii. II. Ἐκείνα η αναςάν & καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐλπίζουμ αναςήσας, Theod. Κεφαλῆς ἀναςάσης καὶ ἡμᾶς ἠγέρθημα, S. Chryfoft. 2. By our Refurrection, we are affured that we shall be judg'd, that being the End of the Refurrection, 1 Theff. i. 10. S. Matt. XXV. 31, 32. USE. Seeing GOD hath appointed a Day, wherein He will judge the World by Jefus Chrift, we ought to repent; for, 1. Unless we repent, we fhall then, most certainly, be caft and undone for ever, 2 Theff. i. 8, 9, 10. S. Matt. XXV. 46. S. Luk. xiii. 3. 2. If we do repent, we fhall then be abfolv'd and crown'd, S. Matt. XXV. 46. 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8. 3. This Repentance must be now, immediately, Pfal. xcv. 7, 8. S. Matt. xxiv. 44. S. Luk. xxi. 34, 35, 36. 1. ACT. xxii. 20, And when the Blood of thy Martyr Stephen was Shed, I also was ftanding by, and confented to his Death, and kept the Raiment of them that slew him. W HAT is it properly to be a Martyr? Maglus, teftis, one that by Suffering for it, bears Witness to the Truth. 1. There must be Suffering. 1. In Name, by Reproach, 1 Cor. iv. 12, 13. 2. In Eftate, Phil. iii. 8. 3. In Health, 1 Cor. iv. 11. 2 Cor. xi. 24, 27. 4. In Liberty, Hebr. xi. 36. 5. In Life, Hebr. xi. 37, 38. Act. vii. 59. 2. It must be for Righteoufnefs-fake, for the Confeffion, and in Defence of the Truth, 1 S. Pet. iii. 14, 17. and iv. 14, 15, 16. He that fuffers for Herefy or Error, is the Devil's Martyr, and not GOD's, 1 S. Pet. ii. 19, 20. Martyrii mater fides Catholica, S. Ambrof. 3. The End and Intention must be right too. Not for Humour and Faction, not out of VainGlory and Ambition, but out of true Love to GOD and His Truth; otherwife, a Man mày fuffer much, and yet be no Martyr, 1 Cor. xiii. 3. All these Requifites of true Martyrdom, concurr'd in the Death of our Sovereign King Charles I. 1. He fuffer'd much, too much! 2. In a good Caufe, in Defence of the true Catholick-Church, against the novel Inventions both of Papifts and Sectaries. 3. He could not poffibly have any other Defign in Suffering fo chearfully, as He did, but only to bear Witness to the Truth of GOD. II. How may a Man be faid to confent to the Death or Martyrdom of another, tho' He had no actual Hand in it? 1. He that does not prevent it, as far as he is able, or do what he can towards the preventing of it. 2. He that any ways encourageth or affifteth them that do it, A&t. vii. 58. S. Matt. xxvii. 22, 25. 3. He that is not forry or troubled for it when it is done, S. Matt. xxvii. 39, 40, 41. USE. Hence obferve, 1. The Happiness of this glorious Saint and Martyr. Seculi homines infœliciter fælices funt, martyres autèm fœliciter infœlices erant, S. August. • Erant enim ad tempus infelices, fed in aternum fælices, Idem. 2. The Mifery that this Nation is fubject to, by reafon of His Death. Abel's Blood cry'd to Heaven, Gen. iv. 10. 9, 10. To prevent this, 1. Be liberal to the Poor, Dan. iv. 27. 2. Be serious and conftant in Prayer and Fafting, Deut. xxi. 7, CC 4 8. А ст. ACT. xxiv. 16. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a Confcience void of Offence toward GOD, and toward Men. DOCTRINE. E ought to have a Confcience void of WE I. What is Confcience? 1. For the Name; 1. It is call'd Heart, 1 Sam. xxiv. 5. Ecclef. vii. 22. S. Joh. iii. 21. 1, Spirit, Prov. xviii. 14. 1 Cor. ii. 11. 2. Confcience, suveidno15, Tit. i. 15. which implies, 1. The Knowledge that feveral have of the fame Thing, so GOD knows with us, fob xvi. 19. σuviswg μe. 2. The Knowledge that we have of several Things, 1 Sam. xxiv. 5. Hic murus aheneus efto, Nil confcire fibi, Hor. 1 Cor. iv. 4. 2. The Thing. Confcience is a Habit of the practical Understanding, whereby the Mind of Man applies the Knowledge it hath, to its own particular Actions, by Difcourfe of Reason. 1. It is a Habit, because a kind of Knowledge. 3. The Object, particular Actions. 1. As a Witnefs. 2. As à Judge. |