may, with holy affurance, come to God, in their unclothed fpirits. The blood of Sprinkling (the Mediator's blood applied to them) will give them happy access to God the judge of all. Nay, they may be affured that they go to him, that died for them; and he that died for them, will take care of them in their death. So that they may, with much truft and confidence, refign their fpirits, into the hands of him, on whom they have believed.

VI. Though dark is the vale and paffage of death, yet they are affured that heavenly spirits shall attend upon their difmiffion from the body. The unfeen world is ftrange to them. The paffage thither may seem as ftrange. But their Lord is Governour of Angels: He has innumerable fquadrons of them, at his beck and command. They are minifterial fpirits to him, for the good of his profelites. And he will give thefe excellent fpirits charge to conduct his dying fervants home to himself.

VII. The dying profelite has affurance of a joyful refurrection from the dead. There is a natural love to the body. The beft are, in fome measure, loath to part with it. Thofe that are willing to part with it, are fo, because they know, that unless they do fo, they cannot be admitted into the higher world. Here they have all the rcafon and motives imaginable, given them, to drop the body in content and peace. It fhall be taken care of, while it lodges in the grave. The foul fhall be happy, all that while. And, at last, the body fhall be raised in honour and glory, joined in vital union with the foul again, and made partner in glorious immortality. For this corruptible must put on incorruption; and this mortal must put on immortality; fo when this corruptible, fhall have put on incorruption, and this mortal, fhall have put on immortallity, then shall be brought to pass the faying that is written, death is fwallowed up in victory. Here's copious relief against the fear and danger of death! Here's encouragement to the believer, to refign mortality with fatisfaction and joy ; and bid farewel to the body, and to a difaftrous life and world!

SECT

SECT. XXVI.

In the Christian Inftitution, we have the most awful and congruous account of the conclufion of this world, and of all the affairs of it.

T cannot be proved, that this world has been extant from eter

not be fo. And confidering the fate of mankind, we may fay, it is pity and unfit, that such a world as this, fhould have been from eternity. That, from eternity, it fhould have been fo finful and fo miferable. That from eternity, it fhould be fo full of enmity to God and Man. So full of contrariety to all the eternal reasons, relations and aptitudes of things. So full of envy, pride, contention, wars and bloodshed, lufts, rapines, cruelties and unrighteoufnefs. That, from eternity, it fhould have been fuch a world, as of which the righteous are weary, and from which they are fo ufually banished to another world. A world, in which the wicked fo much domineer, and in which also they meet with fo much difquietment and vexation, that they often difpatch themselves to another world. And, as it was not fit, that it should have been thus from eternity, so nor is it meet, that it should continue thus onward to all eternity: That men fhould be continually finning against God, and falling under the wrath of God, and be continually going to hell, through all eternity. Why fhould hell be continually increafing or the numbers of the damned be made infinite or be continually multiplied, by conftant additions throughout all the ages of cternity? It will be mercy to flop the process of mankind, and prevent the rife of men

that would plunge themselves into fuch a dreadful condition, as than which to endure, it were better for them not to be born.

When it is made probable, if not evident, by natural phænomena, that the world is not much older, than the fcripture account reprefents it; the irreligious are apt to wonder at it; it seems strange to them, that the world was made fo late; and that infinite ages fhould run out, before the foundation of it was laid. But they may confider, that whenfoever they fuppofe the world was made, it must, fome time or other have been as young as (and younger than) it is now fuppofed to be. And the great God was not obliged to make it at all. He needed not it, nor any of the fervices it can do for him. And befides, it is old enough, unless it were better. The law of God, was there foon enough violated; and the majesty of the good Creator was foon enough affronted and offended. And it will continue long enough for fuch an atheistical, inconfiderate, and ungrateful a race; long enough to produce a vast many vessels of wrath, that will (by their impiety and impenitence) have prepared themselves for deftruction. This world was apparently defigned for a probatory state. And fo it is a temporary station for mortals ; wherein divine providence and government will difplay themselves, for a feafon; ftrange revolutions and tranfactions are to be permitted and ordered; human powers are to be exercised and tried; divine laws are to be exhibited and promulged; and fo foundation laid for an univerfal judgment and judiciary procefs in the conclufion. The end is determined when a period fhall be put to the whole fcene; and a far different ftate of things and events, fhall commence and fucceed. And fuch a wife, awful, fuitable conclufion as this that follows, is determined.

I. The end shall be fudden and unexpected. The present affairs of the earth fhall be going on in their ufual current. Men fhall be bufy in their fecular employs, as if the world were to laft much longer. As in the days of Noah, before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, till the day that

Noah

Noah entred into the ark; and knew not, till the flood came and took them all away; so sha'l also the coming of the Son of Man be. And, this is wifely and graciously foretold, to keep the world in awe, and to teach the inhabitants to manage their fecular concerns under the conduct of religion; that they may be fafe in fo doing, when that day fhall overtake them.

II. As it is a moral world, stocked and stored with moral inhabitants, fo they shall be called to an account at the last day. The great God did not make the world for nothing, or for fmall and frivolous defigns. He did not give to Man his excellent nature and powers, his habitation and all the fullness and furniture of it, for nothing, or for mean and infignificant purpofes. He did not bear with the world fo long, and fend his laws thither, and adminifter fuch a train of mercy and judgment, in his providence, for nothing or for low ends and ufcs. The great Lord and Ruler of all will not be trifled with. He will not fuffer himself and his perfections, his laws. and administrations to be infulted, or infolently treated, by the work of his own hands, without any regard, or taking any cognizance thereof. If men will not believe and obey the great God, he will make them one day with they had. They must not think to abuse the goodness of God, and their own fense and reason, and wit and conscience, and all the creatures of God, and have none to call them to an account at laft. They must not think to be tyrants and oppreflors, to be lewd and vicious, and hurtful to all about them, and escape the Divine Vengeance after all. If they will not fee and hear, in time; God will make them fee and hear, in his time; and make them know, that wherein they deal proudly, therein he is above them. If they deny him now, and deny the homage and veneration, that is his due, he will not deny himself, nor deny the vindication of his own majefly, authority, law and government. Man is an accountable being; and to an account he must be brought. And if he will obftinately refuse the eternal God, the cternal life and joy that is to be had with him, he must abide the confequence, and bear it as well as he can.

The

The cafe of the world calls for a future judgment. Mens own consciences prefage a future judgment. Religion has refpect to a future judgment and retribution. And here we find it evidently determined and declared.

III. 'Tis meet this judgment should be confpicuous, public and folemn. As men have been openly good or bad, fo it is proper, they fhould meet with a public retribution. Men have finned in privacy; have covered their lufts, their murders, their rapines, injuftice and cruelties with fecrefy; and have been inftigated to their villanies, by hope of impunity. It is meet they fhould be difappointed, and have their enormities brought to light. The religious have been clandeftinely fo. Their prayers and alms, their penitence, humility, faith and patience, has been chiefly known to the father of fpirits. Hypocrites have here paffed for faints, and the faithful worshippers have been ftigmatized as hypocrites and villains. 'Tis meet there be a day of detection. That perfons and hearts and actions fhould be laid open; and a public difcrimination made betwixt him that ferved God, and him that ferved him not.

IV. The Son of God has come and dwelt in this world of ours; has come upon the high crrand and office of an eternal redemption, in order to an eternal falvation. Here he was egregiously vilified and flighted; his perfon and miniftry and works, reproached and rejected. Here he was ranked with notorious criminals, fceptred and crowned in fcorn. Barbarously nailed and hanged on the crofs, and ignominiously difpatched out of the world. And yet at the fame time, he was Lord of Life and Glory: Has purchafed the world into his own hand; has died and rofe, and lives again to be Lord of the dead and of the living. He is capable of judging the world in righteoufnefs. He knows all perfons, all hearts and minds, and all transactions of the world, from the beginning to the end. Reafon then and cquity will dictate, that he fhould be the judge. It is meet, that he should be publickly feen, that was fo little known, while he was here. It is fit

the