order unto compleat damnation, both in foul and body. Job. v. 28, 29. All that are in their graves, fball come forth,they that have done evil, unto the refurrection of damnation.But unto the godly, that have done the work of God, the day of refurrection will be a comforting and refreshing day. Pfal. xvii. 19. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteoufnels, I ball be fatisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. He knew, in the morning of the refurrection, he should be made like Chrift; as it is faid the faints fhall be. I Job. iii. 2. When be shall appear, we shall be like him; for we fball fee him as he is. Then fhall their eyes behold the king in his glory; which will be a refreshing fight unto them. Fob xix. 25, 26. For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin, worms deftroy this body, yet in my flefb fball I fee God. Whom I fball fee for myself, and mine eyes fhall behold. He should behold him as his own God and Saviour.--Then fhall the faints meet Chrift, the bridegroom, with ravishment of foul, in feeing his face and hearing his voice.

3. The day of judgment will be a day of rich recompence. In the day of judgment, Chrift will call all, men to an account, and render to every man according to what they have done in the body, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (2 Cor. v. 10.) That will be the great day of recompence. Now unto fuch as have neglected the work of the Lord, that day will be a terrible day. It will be the great day of his wrath, wherein they will not be able to ftand; but will call on the rocks and mountains, to fall on them and hide them from bis wrath. (Rev. vi. 15, 16, 17.) But unto fuch as have faithfully done the work of God, that day will be a day of abundant bleffed remuneration. Then fhall they find that their labour has not been in vain in the Lord. (1 Cor. xv. ult.) Then fhall their work receive an exceeding great reward. Matth. xxv. 21. Then fhall the King Jay unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the

foundation

foundation of the world. Chrift will then remember, and not forget, their work and labour of love. He will then make mention of their good deeds, commend them for their diligence and faithfulness in his fervice, and, of his infinite grace, will beftow fuch a reward upon them as will be furprising to themselves. 2 Thej. i. 10. When be fhall come, to be admired in bis faints, and glorified in all them that believe, in that day.

4. The day of eternity will be an harvest of endless bleffednefs. From the judgment-feat, men fhall go away into eternity. They fhall all enter upon an everlafting condition. The ungodly fhall pafs into an eternity of Shame and mifery. They fhall be everlastingly banished from the gracious prefence of God, and be eternally punished by the wrath and power of God. Their torment and mifery fhall be without any end. But as for the truly godly, that have finished their work, they fhall go into an eternity of glory and blessedness. They fhall be for ever with the Lord; partaking of eternal communion with Jefus Chrift, and pofleffing the inconceivable felicity of the kingdom of heaven, throughout all eternity. There hall they eternally reap the fruit of their labours, and find a thort fervice in this world, followed with a never-ending reward of bleffedness. Rom. ii. 6, 7. Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them, who by patient continuance in well doing, Jeek for glory, and honour, and immortality; eternal life. Such fhall have eternal life, in the kingdom of heaven.

O let these things excite us to diligence in doing that work, which God has fent us into the world to do. And now for Direction I would fay,

Direct. I. Let us meditate on the importance of that work, which God has fent us into the world to do.---'Tis work that must be done. Our Lord here fays in the text, I must work the works of him that fent me.-.So, we must work the works, God requires us to do. There is a neceffity lying upon us; and wo unto us, if we do them not. The work of God is not like fome other

works,

This is

Our

works, that may be, done, or left undone. work of abfolute and indifpenfable neceffity.. eternity depends upon it. Our eternity will be according to our diligence, or negligence, as to this work. If this work be not done now, in time, we are loft and undone to all eternity: but if it be done, we are made, and happy for ever. O then, let us take time, feriously to think, what we live in this world for; what the work is that we are called to; and what account we fhall be able to give up to God in the great day of reckoning. Would we thus exercife our thoughts, with fome frequency and ferioufnefs, we should foon be convinced of the importance of the work we have to do. Alas, we feldom, if ever, feriously confider of this thing; and that is one great cause of our undoing floth and negligence. Let us here ran over the several forts of work, that we have to do, and fee whether want of confideration be not a main caufe of our neglecting to do them.

As for the work of reconciliation to God, why do not finners more earneftly feek after it ? One reafon is, because they do not feriously confider, what a dreadful thing it is to have God for an enemy, and what a bleffed thing it is to have God for a friend. Did they believingly meditate thereon, they could hardly be fo indifferent about reconciliation to God, as they are. They could not be at reft until they had got to be at peace with God.

Again, as for the work of mortification of fin, why do not finners more engage in this work? One reafon is, because they do not believingly confider, what deadly enemies their lufts are to their fouls, and what forrows they will bring upon them in the latter end.

Again, as to the work of fanctification, why do not finners more labour after it? One reafon is, because they do not believingly ponder upon the neceffity, and excellency, and profitablenefs of holiness.

Again, as for eternal falvation, why do not finners more earnestly enquire, what they must do to be faved,

and

and more diligently apply themfelves to feek an interest in Chrift, and give themfelves to the ufe of the means of falvation? One reafon is, because they do not ponder upon their need of a Saviour, upon the greatness and eternity of the punishment of the damned, and the compleat and everlasting happinefs of them that are faved.---Would finners allow themselves time, in a folemn manner, to think of these things, they would fee them to be things of infinite importance, that are by no means to be neglected.

Direct. 2. Let us be much in prayer to God. To our meditations, let us add earneft prayer to God. In every thing we fhould make known our requests to God by prayer and fupplication; efpecially in the cafe before And here, there are thefe two things which we fhould humbly beg of God --

us.

1. That he would give us an heart to be willing, to do that work which he requires of us. We should pray to God, that he would make us willing to be reconciled to bimfelf, willing to part with our lufts, willing to be fanctified for his fervice, and willing to be eternally faved in his way. It is God that must work in us a will to these things. Phil. ii. 12, 13. Work out your own falvation with fear and trembling; for it is God that worketh in you to will.---Therefore we fhould cry to Gud, that it may be the day of his power, wherein we hall be made willing. (Pfal. cx. 3.) Let us lament before him the averfenefs and backwardness of our hearts to the work he requires of us; and pray for a cure thereof. Thus did Ephraim, Jer. xxxi. 18. I have beard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou hast chaftifed me, and I was chaftifed, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke; Turn thou me, and I shall be turned.Let us pray, that it may be given to us to believe: for this is the work of God, that we believe; and it is by faith, that we work righteousness.

2. Let us pray to God, that he would affift and Strengthen us, unto the doing the work he requires of us. Let us pray, that he would enable us to believe in

Chrift and to repent of fin, that fo we may be reconciled to him. Let us pray, that he would help us by his Spirit to mortify the deeds of the body.--Pray, that he would help us to walk before him, and ferve him in righteoufnefs and holiness, all the days of our life. Pray, that he would help us to work out our own falvation with fear and trembling, and would work in us to do, as well as to will. It was the Apoftle's prayer for the Hebrews, (chap. xiii. 20, 21.) Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jefus, that great Shepherd of the fbeep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleafing in his fight, through Jefus Chrift; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Let us beg of God to do these things for us; and wait upon him, in the ufe of all appointed means, for a fufficiency of grace to be given to us. If, under a fenfe of our own avertion and impotency unto the doing the work of God, we do thus feek to him to change our hearts and ftrengthen our hands, we may hope, that God will give us a love to his work, and enable us to go through with it, and to finish it well.

Gód

Then fhall we not mourn at the last, as others will do; but may go to our graves in peace, with grounded expectations that God will do great things for us. When our Lord had finifhed his work, he looked for glory. Joh. xvii. 4, 5. I have glorified thee on earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do: and now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own felf. We alfo may have hope of glory, when we have through grace done our work. Such hope, yea, affurance, had the apostle Paul. 2 Tim. iv 8. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge fhall give me at that day and not to me only, but unto all them alfo that love bis appearing.

FINI S