8.

28.

cafions of Sin diligently? That we walk Ser. I. circumfpectly and with Fear, and do finally, daily bemoan our Backwardness and Imperflections? If thefe Things be in 1 Pet. i. you and abound, then look up,and lift up your Luke xxi. Heads, for your Redemption draweth nigh. The Day of Judgment fhall be to you a Day of Triupmh; and the Voices of Angels fhall be heard, as the Joyful Noife of those that fbout for the Victory. But if upon due Examination, we can't find any true Marks of this Sincerity in us, then we are to proceed to the

2d Thing, wherein this Preparation confifts, viz. Repentance. When St. Peter had told the Jews, they were all to know affuredly, that God had made that fame Fefus, whom they had crucified, both Lord and Chrift, and they being mov'd with Religious Fear, began to cry out, Men and Brethren, what shall we do? Peter an- Aas ii.36, fwers, Repent and be Baptiz'd. Baptiz'd 37, 38. we all are, but this is the Preparation for Judgment that becomes the Sinner, Repentance. This is that which foftens and appeases GOD, and if I may fo fay, difarms him of his Rage and Indignation. This is that which deliver'd Nineveh from its approaching Ruin; and would have deliver'd Sodom and Gomorrab themselves, could it but have been

found

Vol. II. found in them. The Flames of Judg ment will not touch, will not hurt those whom the Waters of Repentance, and the Effufion of the Divine Spirit have cleans'd and fanctify'd; only defil'd polluted Sinners being combuftible Matter for that Flame. Apuleius tells us, that a little before his Time, when the Burnings of Vesuvius broke in like a Deluge of Fire upon all adjacent Cities and Villages for many Miles round; There was one Town found of that Piety, that the young and ftrong did not labour to escape by a hafty Flight, or to carry away their Wealth with them, but laying their Aged Parents, and Sick Relations on their Backs, refolved either to fave them, or to perifh with them. When the deftroying Flame came to this Place, it divided it felf; and as if it durft not touch Holy Grouud, it incircled the Walls of this Place with a harmless and inoffenfive Light, without the leaft Injury to the Place; fo that that Fire, which confum'd other Cities and Villages, did but, as it were, make a bright Crown to reward the Piety of this, or to prefigure that Reward which fhall attend the Righteous in the great Day of Judgment. For thus fhall it fare with the Penitent at that Day

I Cor. xi.

their Eyes fhall behold the Ruin of Ser. I. (O that it must be faid!) many many Thousands, but they fhall be in Safety; for Repentance anticipates the Day of Judgment, do's prevent the Evils of it, and while the Confcience, like the ViceRoy of GoD, does exercife the Judgment of GOD againft all Sin and Unrighteoufness, it prevents the dreadful Part of the Work of that Day, and leaves no Matter for Damnation. Thus fpeaks the Scripture, If we would Judge our felves, 315 we should not be fudged. And indeed 'tis not reasonable to imagine that those Sins which we have bewail'd, which we have fought againft, which we have conquer'd, which we have crucify'd, fhould appear in our Retinue as their Patrons and Entertainers. If therefore you would escape the Wrath to Come, this is the 2d. part of your Preparation, you must Repent.

And this doth plainly import thus much.

Ift, An unfeign'd Sorrow for your

Sins.

2dly, A ftedfaft and well-grounded Refolution of living conformable to the Will of God for the time to come. And 3dly The Bringing forth Fruits meet for Repentance in the remaining Part of your Matt, iii.

C

Lives.

8.

Vol. II. Lives.

Luke.xvii

10.

But waving a more full Confideration of these at prefent, I pass on

now to the

3d. Part of your Preparation, which confifts in Faith in our Lord Jefus Chrift. When we have done all, we must fay we are unprofitable Servants. We must not come with the Pharifee up to the very Face of GOD, vaunting our Righteoufnefs and Merits; but even then when we can give the best Proofs of our Sincerity, we muft beg GOD to be merciful to us, miferable Sinners. For fhould we infist upon the Desert of our Performances, alas what could we plead in excufe of our wilfull and repeated Sins? What could expiate all the Tranfgreffions of our Unregenerate State? Nay what could prevail with GOD to pass by, and not impute to us the Sins of our Regenerate State? The frequent Omiffions of our Duty, our reiterated Falls and Interruptions of our Perfeverance? The Diftrations and Lukewarmness that have. quench'd the Devotion of our Prayers and Sacraments? The Vanity and Offentation, or the fecret Reluctancies and Diffidencies which have ftain'd the Beauty of our Alms and good Deeds? How fhall all these appear in Judgment, if we should infift upon our own Righte

oufnefs

oufnefs? We must therefore, when we Ser. I. have done all, lay our felves at the Foot of the Crofs of Chrift, overflow'd with Tears, and cloathed with Humility; and we must intreat GOD to be Mercifull to us by the Agonies and Scourging, by the bitter Death and Pallion of our dear Lord and Mafter. We muft put our felves under his Protection, and defire with St. Paul to be found in him,not having our own Righteousness,but that which is thro3 Phil.iii. 9. the Faith of Chrift, the Righteousness which is of God by Faith. He is our Peace, he is our Hope, he is our Confidence in that great Day: 'Tis in the Lord we rejoyce, 'tis in the Lord we Glory, who is of God made unto us Wifdom, and Righte-1 Cor. i. oufnefs, and Sanctification, and Redempti- 30, on. He has loved us and wash'd us from our Sins in his own Blood, and he ever lives to make Interceffion for us; and therefore we 25 know there is no Condemnation to them which are in Chrift Fefus.

T

The Laft, and that an effectual means of fitting us for that Day, is to think often and seriously of its Approach. No Thoughts do more effectually tend to awaken the Souls of Men, to infpire them with Religious Fear and Zeal, than the Thoughts of a Judgment to Come: No Thoughts do more effectually tend to C 2 cleanse

Rev. i.

Heb. vii.

Kom.viji.