accountable to him; and tho' we have very different talents, yet we have all fome talent or other to improve for our master's ufe. But because these two forts of perfons I have mentioned are too apt to forget this, altho' they have as much occafion to think of a judgment as any other perfons; I fhall endeavour in this difcourfe to remind them of it.

These

FIRST, as to the Rich and Great. must all be judged, how little foever they think of it, as well as the meaneft men. It is true, great power and great riches make them reverenced and adored like fo many deities in this world; and they are willing to think of nothing further. All men court and flatter them, and make a great diftinction between them and those of a meaner rank and fortune; and this is apt to fwell their minds. They look down upon the reft of the world, as very much below them; and think they merit much, whenever they look up to God. For fuch great men as they are, to worship God, and lift up their eyes fometimes to heaven, they imagine is fo great an honour to God, VOL. III. C c

and

little

and credit to religion, that a very matter will be accepted from them. They fee human judicatures oftentimes have great respect for men's perfons in judgment, and they hope God will confider their quality too, and deal with them like princes, or nobles, or gentlemen. So that if thefe men believe they fhall be judged, yet they perfuade themselves that they shall not be judged like other men; that God will wink at their faults, and have refpect to their rank and quality, and excufe them from the strict obfervation of thofe laws which were made for meaner perfons.

I fuppofe you do not expect I should

gravely and feriously confute fuch vain conceits as thefe, which few men dare profefs, and own, and defend, tho' they secretly flatter themselves with fuch hopes, as is too vifible in their lives: But fince men are apt to think fuch things as they dare not fpeak, it will be useful to fuggest some wifer thoughts to them, which may prevent fuch imaginations, and bring the greatest men living under the awe and terFor of the future judgment.

For

For what a vain imagination is it, that God will have regard to earthly greatnefs in judging the world! For what is this world, and all the greatnefs and glory of it, to him who made it? Great and small are but comparative terms; and nothing is great, when compared with that which is greater. Confider the glory of our judge, when he fhall come attended with myriads of angels; and then think what little creeping worms we are to him.

We may obferve in this world, that every rank and degree of men appears confiderable to those below them; but those above use them as inferiors, and are not afraid to judge and correct them for their faults. And is there not a much greater distance between God and the greatest emperor, than there is between the greatest emperor and one of his meaneft fubjects?

And fince man is apt to boast of his power and greatnefs; let him confider, who it is that made him fo, who it is that made him to differ from the meaneft beggar. Who is it that advances princes to the throne, and cloaths them with glory and majesty? Is not all power of God? Cc 2

Are

Are they not his minifters and fervants? And are not all fervants accountable to their mafter? And the greater their trust and power is, have they not a greater account to give? And is this a reason why they should give none, why they should be exempted from judgment, and from giving an account?

But it is a wonderful thing to think of, that any man fhould glory in power and greatness, or imagine himself too big to be judged by God, or that God will have any regard to his greatness in judging him; for did he but reflect upon his own ftate and condition in this world, it would convince him what a little inconfiderable creature he is.

As great as any man is, he is expofed to every accident, to all changes and viciffitudes of fortune. God can, and very often does, punish him in this world; and then there is no reafon to expect that he will not judge him in the next. Pain and -fickness ftand in no awe of his greatnefs; and death is no more afraid of him than of a beggar. Those who are reverenced like gods upon earth, muft die like men; and

this puts an end to all their greatnefs. For after a little funeral pomp is over, and they are laid in their graves with a little more ceremony than meaner men, they are forfaken of all their guards, and retinue, and dependants, and are left to be a prey for worms. And is this the creature too great. to reverence and worship God, and too big to be judged; whom worms eat, and beggars walk over his grave!

This is the weak and frail state of the greateft men on earth. They go naked and unarmed into another world, ftript of their power and fortunes, of riches and honours, which dazzled the eyes of ment here, and when they are gone, all men fpeak their minds freely of them, judgetheir lives and actions, arraign their me-1 mories, and revenge their injuries upon their graves. And when they are become little enough to be judged by men, furely they are not too big for God's judgment. Then the kings of the earth (as the author. of my text expreffeth it*) and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, as well as every

Rev. vi. 15, 16, 17.,

Cc 3

bondman,