abfolutely neceffary to the ends of Government, to reward every good man, and to punish every wicked man in this World, and not to defer their final Rewards and Punishments to the next; for if it be granted that there is another World after this, and that God if he sees fit may defer the final Rewards and Punishments of good and bad men to the next World; then this is no Objection at all against Providence.

But then instead of being an Objection against Providence, it becomes a very ftrong Argument for a Future Judgment: For if God does govern and judge the World, and yet Juftice is not equally and impartially adminiftred to all men, but fome good men are greatly afflicted, and fome wicked men are greatly profperous, it is little less than a Demonftration, that there is fome other Judgment to come, befides what God exercifes in this World: For it is certain, if God judge the World at all, he will judge it righteously, and will render to every man according to his Works; for Juftice and Righteousness is effential to the Notion of a God; and therefore fince we fee this is not always done in this World, we muft conclude that God's Judgment of Mankind does not end with thisWorld,but extends to aFuture State; that is, that there is a Judgment to come after this Life, when we shall be rewarded according to our Works.

3. That the Judgment of God in this world is not Final, appears from this, that the Rewards and Punishments of this Life cannot be the final and proper Rewards and Punishments of good and bad men: External Profperity,and External Miferies and Sufferings, are the only Reward and Pu

nishments

nishments we are capable of in "this Life; and therefore when God would visibly exprefs his Kindness and Favour to good men, he makes them profperous; and when he would express his Anger and Difpleasure against the wicked, he punishes them with fome Temporal Evils: And this is all that can be done in this World, except the peace and fatisfaction, or the guilty remorfe of our own Confciences, which God can heighten as he fees fit. Bnt now it is certain, that external Profperity is not the proper and peculiar Reward of Virtue, nor external Sufferings the peculiar Punishment of Sin; for if they were,a juft and righteous Judge could never permit bad men to be profperous,nor good men to be afflicted, if Profperity were due only to Virtue, and Afflictions and Sufferings to Vice: The promifcuous Distribution of the good and evil things of this world, both to good and to bad men, proves that Prosperity is not always good, nor Adverfity always evil; that Profperity is rather a prefent Encouragement, than the proper Reward of Virtue; and External Calamities rather a Curb and Restraint, than the proper punishment of Vice; and therefore when God can ferve the ends of his Providence by it, he may make bad men profperous,and afflict thegood, for this is not to transfer the neceffary and peculiar Rewards of Virtue upon bad men, nor to inflict the peculiar Punishments of Sin upon good men, which cannot be done by a juft and righte- ⇓ ous Judge: Now if the Happiness and Miseries of this Life be not the proper and peculiar and infeperable Rewards and Punishments of Virtue and Vice, then there are fome other Rewards and Punishments referved for good and bad men

in the next world; fuch Rewards as no bad man fhall fhare in, and such Punishments as shall not be inflicted on any good man; that is, befides the Providence and Judgment of God in this world, God will judge good and bad men in the next, and render to every man according to his works.

II. The Nature of the Divine Providence and Government, and the Manner and Circumftances of its Administration in this world, are a plain Indication of a Future Judgment.

The visible design of Providence is not to reward all good men, and to punish the wicked in this world, for this is not done; but to curb and restrain wickedness, and to encourage Piety and Virtue; and therefore God gives us fuch Examples of his Juftice, as are fufficient to over-awe mankind, and make them fear his Power and Vengeance; and fuch Examples of his Favour, Kindnefs, and regard to good men, as may encourage them to be good, and virtuous, with the expectations of great Rewards: But what does all this fignifie, unless it proves that God will punish bad men, and reward the good? and if it proves this, it must prove that God will do it in the next world, for it is plain that he does not do it here. And therefore if we will allow that God governs the world wifely, we must confess that the Examples of God's Goodness and Justice in this world prove a Future Judgment; for they are not fo univerfal as to answer the ends of Juftice in rewarding good men, and punishing the wicked in this World; and unless they prove a Future Judgment, they are not fufficient either

to

to over-awe and reftrain bad men, or to encou→ rage the good; for tho the frequent Examples of God's Juftice and Severity against Sin, deftroys mens fecurity in finning; for no bad man can be fure that God will not punish him, as he does a great many other bad men; yet we daily fee, they would venture this, did not the present execution of Juftice threaten them with the more terrible Judgment of the next world.

Thus if we confider the Providence of God as a method of Difcipline whereby he conquers mens love to Sin, and breaks the Habits of Vice, or exercises and improves their Virtues; this is a very unaccountable thing, without a Future Judgment: Why fhould God exercise so much Patience towards wicked men, and bear fo long with them, to conquer them by Methods of Kindness, were it not in great goodness to give them time for Repentance, that they may escape Eternal Miseries?

Why should God exercise men with fuch long and repeated Severities to conquer their love to this world, to teach them to govern their Appetites and Paffions, and to make them good men, if there be no reward for Virtue and Piety in the next World?

Why fhould he afflict good men all their Lives? whofe Virtue deferves a more profperous Fortune, only to exercise their Faith and Patience, and to advance them ftill to more Divine Perfe&tions, unless he intended to reward their prefent Sufferings, and their eminent Virtue with a brighter and more glorious Crown.

There

1

There are many Paffages of Providence,which there can be no other account given of, but that they are Methods of Discipline to conquer mens love to Sin, or to improve their Graces and Virtues; and I am fure there can be no account given of this, why God fhould with fo much Patience and Forbearance expect the Repentance of fome Sinners, and exercise Good Men with fo much Severity to make them better, unless the Providence of God in this world have a principal regard to the Rewards and Punishments of the next; that is, unlefs there be a Judgment to come, to reward good men, and to punifh the wicked. This I hope is fufficient to make good this Confequence, That if God govern the World at prefent, he will judge it hereaf

ter.

SECT. IV.

The Natural Prefages of Confcience prove a Future Judgment; and if there be a Future State, there must be a Future Judgment.

TH

V. THE Natural Prefages of Confcience are another good Argument of a Future Judgment; that is, all men naturally expect to be judged, to be rewarded or punished for the Good or Evil they do; and this is a ftrong Natural Prefumption that God will judge the World. This is an Argument of great moment, and therefore deferves to be particularly explained; to which purpose I fhall, 1. fhew you, That it is fo. 2.That this is not an Artificial Impreffion, but the natural Senfe of our own Minds. And