But the Reason why the Judgments of God fo often furprize men in their Security, while they are asleep, and dreaming of nothing but what is profperous and happy, of the return of Aftrae and the Golden Age, is because their Sins, which make them ripe for Judgment, and will not fuffer God to ftay his hand any longer, have made them alfo fecure: Either they have finned away all Belief of God, and his Providence, and a Future Judgment; or have finned away the fenfe of thofe particular Sins which they are guilty of; or to make themselves fecure, they have by the help of Enthusiasm and Superftition, reconciled the hopes of Heaven, and the fenfe of God's love and favour, with the practice of the moft provoking Impieties: That is, their love to Sin has made them fecure, and then there is little hope that they will ever forfake their Sins; and this makes them very fit to be the Examples of God's Juftice and Displea fure.

And the fame Account is to be given of the Day of Judgment: It will furprize men as a Thief in the Night; not because they never heard that God would judge theWorld; for God has fufficiently declared this, and given us time> ly notice to prepare for it; but men will at that time have finned away the belief of a God, and of a Judgment to come, or have laid this Belief afleep with fome intoxicating Superftitions and Formalities; and this is fo hopeless and irrecoverable a ftate, that it makes it time for God to judge the World.

And this may give fome probable Account both why the Day of Judgment is deferred fo long, as fome Men are apt to fpeak (though God knows they have little reason to think it long, confidering what Account they are able to give and what Sentence they are like to receive) and why the particular time of Judgment is concealed from us.

While the Senfe of Judgment continues in the World, it must make a great many good Men, and reftrain the Wickednefs and Impiety of bad Men, and as you have heard, God will not deffroy the World while it is in an hopeful and recoverable State; but the long delay of Judgment (as Men are apt to call it) wears off the Senfe and Belief of it, and then Men grow Wicked without fear and reftraint; and then it is time for God to judge the World.

Thus if God fixes and determines the Day. of Judgment, upon the forefight of fuch a General Impiety as will deferve a final excision, God cannot reveal this to the World: For one would think it impoffible, did the World know this beforehand, but the Age of Judgment fhould be the moft Devout and Religious Age that ever had been from the beginning of the World; and then that would not be a fit time to deftroy the World; and God could not forefee it the propereft time of Judg

ment.

It is abundantly fufficient that God gives us all reasonable Evidence and Affurance that he will judge the World; but there is no reason to tell

us

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us at what particular time he will judge the World; nay, it is not fitting that we fhould know it.

Had Men known fome Thousand Years ago, how long the Day of Judgment fhould be deferred, it had fo much weakned the Argument of a Future Judgment, by removing it a great way off, that the World might much better have deferved to be deftroyed at any other time, than in likelihood it would do, if Men certainly knew the time when the Day of Judgment comes: And if the general Belief of Judgment will not make us good Men, it is not fit that we fhould certainly know the time of Judgment, no more than that we should know the time of our Death, or be converted by a fight of Heaven or Hell.

God referves this as a Secret in his own Breaft, which neither Men nor Angels fhall know; which is the beft way to make the Belief of a Future Judgment effectual upon all Ages of the World, efpecially fince that exprefs Revelation which the Gofpel has made of it. This Inftruction our Saviour himself gives us, That fince we know not the Day of Judgment, we fhould always watch, and be ready prepared for it. Watch therefore, for ye know not what Hour your Lord doth come: But know this, that if the good Man

the Houfe had known in what Watch the Thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have fuffered his Houfe to be broken up; therefore be ye alfo ready, for in fuch an Hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh 24. Matth.

24. Matth. 42, 435 44. And if this was good Advice in our Saviour's days, it more nearly concerns us, on whom the End of the World is

come.

(4.) There is one thing more I fhall; obferve from this Difcourfe, Not to be offended, tho' you fee Atheism and Infidelity prevail in the World, and the true Chriftian Faith begin to fail, and the Love of many wax cold: Thus it muft be towards the end of the World; and if we now fee the beginnings of it, it is no great Wonder.

t.

This is indeed, a great Temptation to Men who are governed by Examples, to hear the firft Principles of Religion called in queftion, and the great Fundamental Articles of our Faith made matter of Difpute and Controverfy; nay, the plaineft Rules of Life ri diculed and exploded; but if these things fhould not be, the World would never come to an end: God cannot deftroy a Believing and Righteous Nation, much lefs a Righteous World, a World of Believers and Saints. And if it be our Portion to fall into the Dregs of Time, into thefe laft days, when there fhall be Scoffers walking after their own ungodly Lufts, let us confider that this is no more than was foretold; thus it must be towards the end of the World; and therefore this ought not to weaken the Credit of Religion, no more than the fulfilling of Prophecies does: Let us remember how Sacred this Faith has been for Sixteen Hundred Years; how many Martyrs and Confeffors it has had; how God has preferved

it againft all the Powers and Oppofitions of the World; how it has triumph'd over Pagan Idolatries, and which is more than that triumph'd over the Lufts and Vices of the World, in the Exemplary Self-denial, Mortification, and Divine and Heavenly Converfations of its Profeffors: And this I think is fuch an Argument of its Divinity, as may defend us against the Wit, and Raillery, and Impudence of profefs'd Atheifts and Debauchees, who till of late have themfelves been the Scorn and Derifion of Mankind.

SECT. IIL

The Day God has appointed, is a General Day of Judgment.

"TH

II. HIS Day God has appointed, is a General Day of Judgment, or a Day to judge the whole World: All Mankind fhall be fummoned before the Tribunal of Chrift, and be Tried, and Condemned or Acquitted in the General Affembly of Men and Angels.

What an amazing Sight will this be! To fee all Mankind ftart out of their Graves, and appear before their Judge! To have one View of the whole Race of Men, of all fucceffive Generations from Adam to the end of the World! Such an Affembly as never was before, never will be till that day, and never will be after it: Could we look on as unconcerned Spectators at that day, what an Enter