For he fo loved us, that he laid down his Life for our Sakes; and fhall we be fo ungrateful, as not to love him again, and give him Thanks? O let us not be fo ungrateful; for Ingratitude St. Ambrofe calls the Devil's Spunge, wherewith he wipes out God's Love and Mercy; but his fecond coming fhall be with Majefty, Power, and great Glory. And let us here note that he cometh not alone, but with Majefty and Power, and bringeth Ten Thousand of his Saints and Angels to execute Judgment upon all, then he promised his Difciples which followed him, that they fhould fit upon 12 Thrones, judging the 12 Tribes of Ifrael; David in Pfalm 57 faith, The Lord cometh to judge the World. St. John likewife in his 9th Chap. faith, The Father judgeth no Man, but hath committed all Judg ment to his Son, which is the fecond Perfon in the Trinity, it is he that must pronounce this Sentence, tho' the whole Trinity agree in the fame Condemnation: Where it is plain, that Chrift Jefus is the Judge of the whole World. And furely it makes much for the Comfort of God's poor Children, tho' here they be in Want and Mifery, yet they fhall be made Partakers of this Glory of their Head Chrift Jefus.

fe 3. Secondly, it ferves to aftonifh all hardhearted Sinners, who contemn Chrift and his poor Members: Chrift will at laft manifeft his Power in their juft Condemnation: fuch as will not ftoop unto him, that he might reign over them by the Scepter of his Word, and hear that still Voice of his in the Miniftry of the fame

f

fhall be never able to abide the B.ightness of his coming, but fhall hear that terrible Voice of his when he shell exalt himself in Judgment, to the everlasting Confufion of his Enemies.

Seeing the Perfon of the Judge is of fuch endlefs Power and Glory, of fuch wonderful Might and Majefty, this must humble all Men when they come to ftand in the Prefence of to great a Perfon, as we do when we come to hear the Word preach'd, and taught to receive the holy Sacrament. For when the Word is preached God fpeaks to us, and when we pray we fpeak to God, and how dare we then be fo bold to fleep in his Prefence, talk, or ufe any unreverent Gesture? If we were to come into the Prefence of an Earthly Prince, how careful and circumfpectly would we behave our felves, to do nothing unbefeeming the Prefence of fo great a Perfon? This is the great Care of Men, when they come into the Prefence of an Earthly Judge, to put off their Hats, and to fhew all Tokens of Reverence, and it is a Wonder to see how unreverently Men and Women come into the Prefence of the ever-living and moft high God, into the Prefence of the g eat Judge of Heaven and Earth, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. When we come to pray, or to fing Pfalms unto God, how unreverent are fome, would any Man be fo in the Sight of an Earthly Judge, or a Mortal Prince? Surely then unreverent Behaviour ought to be avoided, either when we speak unto God by Prayer, or when God speaketh unto us in his Word.

And

And last of all, this may farve for matter of fingular Comfort and Confolation unto the Godly, that Chrift fhall appear thus gloriously in Judgment. For this affures them that they all participate of the fame Glory with their Head: for this great Judge thall fay unto them, Come ye bleffed: They fhall both with Body and Soul receive a glorious Kingdom, and a beau iful Crown from the Hands of the Lord, and with his Right Hand ball he cover them, and with his Arm fhall he protect them. It is a Day of refreshing, when all Tears fhall be wiped away from our Eyes. Sorrow shall cease, and we and all penitent Sinners fhall live and reign with the Lamb for ever. Indeed now God's Church is many times black and deform'd thro' Affliction, it fhews many times without any Appearance of any Excellency or Beauty at all, the World fees no Glory at all in them; no, they many times perceive not their own happy Condition; but now, when Christ shall appear thus glorified, they fhall then appear with him in Glory. Let us then (my Brethren) walk by Faith, and not by Sight, not minding fo much what we are, but rather what we fhall be when the Day of refreshing shall come; God tells us plainly that he is a jealous God, and if he be jealous of us, let us be jealous of our felves, and fufpect our felves. For if we judge our felves we shall not be judged.

White

White Throne.

3. The Integrity of

Doct. 3.
Christ's Judgment.

Econdly, this Throne of Chrift Jefus is cal

led a White Throne, now this White Throne, betokeneth Purity, Beauty, Sincerity, and Inte rity; and therefore fheweth that Chrift Jefus, the Judge of the whole World, will judge all Caufes and all Perfons uprightly, fincerely, and justly, no Cruelty, nor Injustice,nor Wrong, will he do to any Creature, but will proceed moft fincerely with all Integrity, for our Con. fcience will testify either for us or against us. Indeed Judgment in this World often swerveth greatly; fometimes the Judge is not able to fearch the Depth of the Caufe, fometimes for Fear he dareth not to do Juftice; fometimes for Favour he is with-holden; fometimes Bribes blind his Eyes, and prevent the right Sentence. But it fhall not be fo with this Judge of the whole World, he that is verus Judex & juftus, the true and righteous Fudge; his Sentence is a righteous Sentence, he will judge according to Truth; he is able to find out any Caufe, and will examine to the bottom; he fears no Man's Perfon, he will not be moved with Favour to conceal the Truth; and as for Rewards, he contemas them all, i is far from him to deal unjustly, therefore no doubt he will proceed according to Justice. Nor is he like to these our Earthly Judges who are called to judge, but he comes of his own Power and Authority to be avenged, and give Sentence to all thofe that

in

in their Life-time had forgotten God..

We know that the Judgment of God is according to Truth, Rom. 2. 2. faith the Apostle again, Thy Throne, O God, is for ever, the Scepter of thy Kingdom is a righteous Scepter, thou lovest Righteousness, and hateft Iniquity, Heb. 1. 8. And this is to be referred to that of the Prophet Daniel, who faith, Dan.7.9. that this Judge shall fit upon a great white Throne, therein alluding to the very Throne of Solomon, but infinitely more glorious, which place of Daniel and this of St. John doth betoken the Uprightnefs, Parity, and Integrity of the Judge, and of his Judgment, when every fecret thing fhall be brought to Judgment (as Solomon faith) Eccl. 12. 14. and when be shall lighten all things that are bid in Darkness, and make the Counfels of all their Hearts manifeft: when there fhall be no bribing of Justice, pleading of Lawyers, or falving up of bad Caufes with Silver and Gold, nor Sanctuaries or privileged Places to fly unto for Succour, but every Perfon must now receive according to his Works, and therefore wo now unto the Hypocrite wo now unto the Murderer and Shedder of Blood, wo now unto all hard-hearted and imperi ent Sinners, that can now in this Life fhift off Juftice, and cfcape the Judgment of Min, that break the Net and escape, and none dare to control them. What will become of fuch at that Day, when they shall stand naked before the Judge, before the Saints and A gels, yea, before all the World, and hear their Indictment read against them for the fame? Is it fuch a

Shame