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this cafe, to complain of want of Monitors; for though we do not fee the Judgment-Seat, and all the awful Solemnities of Judgment, and it is impoffible we should, for it is not yet; yet there are a thousand things to put us in mind of it; and if it be poffible to forget a matter of -fuch confequence without 'fomething to refresh our Memories, and to renew the Impreffion of it, I fhall briefly hint to you some things which Occur every day, and are very familiar Emblems of Judgment, and defire you to unite the Thoughts of a Future Judgment to them; that when you fee the one, you may think of the other: Which will be a kind of Artificial Memory, when you find the Notes and Chara&ters of Judgment fo frequently prefented to you. As to give you three or four familiar Inftances of this, which you may very easily multiply:

When you are so bufie and careful in keeping your Books, and cafting up your Accounts, and Balancing your Gain and your Lofs, and obferving how your Stock increases or decays, can you forbear thinking,that you have a greater and more concerning Account than this, the Account of your Life and Actions? which if you do not keep, God does; he has his Records of them, and will produce his Books at the Day of Judgment, and judge you out of them.

When you call your Servants or Stewards to an account, how they have improved or imbezled your Goods, whether they have hid

their Talent in a Napkin, or traded with it, and. gained five or ten Talents; you fhould remember, that you also are but God's Stewards, and muft give an Account of your Stewardship, and either fhall be Stewards no longer, but be turned out of your Mafter's Service, and be punifhed for your Negligence, or fhall receive a Reward proportionable to your Diligence and Gain.

When we Correct our Children or Servants for their Idlenefs, Difobedience, or any other Mifcarriage, or Reward their Diligence and Virtue, can we forget that we have a Father and a Master in Heaven, who curioufly obferves all our Actions, and will judge, will reward and punifh us according to our Works?

When we fee at Harveft the Wheat gathered into the Barn, and the Weeds neglected or burnt; fhould it not mind us what a difference God will make between good and bad Men at the Day of Judgment; that though they live intermixed in this World, they fhall be parted then; good Men received into Heaven, where God dwells; and bad Men banished into outer Darkness, where there is Weeping, and Wailing, and gnashing of Teeth for ever

more.

The awful Solemnities of Human Judicatures, the Judge fitting on the Bench, the Malefactor arraigned at the Bar; the Jury, the Witneffes, the Trial, Condemnation, Sentence, Execution, are lively Emblems of a Future Judgment, and methinks fhould mind Judge, and Juries, and Witneffes, and Spectators, of it L 2

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I have mentioned these few Inftances because they are common and familiar, and ScriptureRepresentations of a Future Judgment, and fo often occur, that if we would but as often think feriously of a Future Judgment, we fhould foon attain an habitual Senfe of it: and poffibly my applying them to this purpose now, as little an Obfervation as it may feem, may make you think of your great Account,

when you are cafting up your Books, or reckoning with your Workmen, or taking an Account of your Stewards and Servants; and if it fhould, I fhall have my end, and you will find the Benefit of it.

But there is one thing which is naturally apt to mind us of a Future Judgment, and I am fure always ought to do fo, and is of very hear and prefent Concernment to us at this time, and that is, When the Judgments of GOD are in the Earth; for then, as the Prophet Ifaiah tells us, the Inhabitants of the World will learn Righteousness, 26. Ifaiah 9.

I have already obferved to you, that the Examples of a Juft and Righteous Providence, which governs this World, are a good Proof of a Future Judgment; for it is an Argument, that God does take notice of the Actions of Men, and concerns himself in the Government of the World; and then we have no Reafon to question whether he will judge the World.

And when God is actually executing Judgments on the World, when he is judging Kingdoms and Nations, when he has unheathed the Sword, and made it drunk with

Blood,

Blood, when the Defolations of flourishing Coun tries, the burning of Towns and Cities, the lamentable Slaughter of Infinite Numbers of People, do fo loudly proclaim the Wrath and Difpleasure of God, those who ha'n't a great, and awful, and terrible Senfe of Judgment, will never be awakened, but by the founding of the laft Trumpet.

It is this that makes the Judgments of God fo effectual to Reform the World, not meerly the Fears of present Sufferings, of thofe Temporal Evils and Calamities, wherewith God punishes Sinners; but that by thefe vifible Tokens of God's Anger, by the present fenfible Effects of his Juftice and Power, Men are rouzed and alarmed into a Confideration of Future Vengeance.

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We extreamly weaken the Argument from present and fenfible Judgments, when we urge it no further, than to perfuade Men to reform their Lives, to remove thofe Judgments which are upon them; this is an additional Argument, to reform our Sins to fave our Countrey from Ruin; but thofe who will not reform their Sins to fave their Souls, will never part with them to fave a Nation; and therefore the true force of the Argument refolves it felf into a Future Judgment: God has begun to punish us already in this World for our Sins; and unless we repent, we must not hope to efcape fo; thefe Temporal Sufferings are but a Summons to Judgment, and it may be are intended to remove us prefently into the other World to receive our Reward: the Axe is

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now visibly laid to the Root of the Tree; and every Tree which bringeth not forth good Fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the Fire.

And the visible Execution of GOD's Judgments upon the World, will certainly mind us of a Future Judgment, and give us a feeling Senfe of it; as it gives us a prefent and fenfible View of God's Juftice and Power, and a nearer Profpect of it.

1. It gives us a prefent and fenfible View of God's Juftice and Power: And that though he be very Good and Merciful, he is very Righteous too, and very fevere in his Judgments; that though he be Gracious and Merciful, flow to Anger, and of great Kindness; yet he will not always fpare, but will awake to vifit the Heathen, and will not be Merciful to any wicked Tranfgreffors, $9. Pfal. 5.

When we fee what Defolations God makes in the Earth, how his Judgments like a fudden and mighty Torrent overflow a fecure and happy Country, fweep away the Inhabitants of it, or tranfplant them into Foreign Nations to beg their Bread among Strangers; when we fee how he founds an Alarm to War, and fets Kingdom against Kingdom, and every Man's Sword against his Brother; when we obferve with what an Impartial Hand he ftrikes, that there is no Country, no People, no Religion efcapes; that he makes Ambition and Covetoufnefs correct Superftition, and Superftition chaftife the Coldnefs and Formality, the Loofe and Licentious Lives of more Orthodox Chriftians; I fay,

when

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