the last Day the Righteousness of God's Proceedings shall be universally manifest and magnified 'T is therefore called the Day of the Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God Now in order to this the Scripture informs us that all the Works of Men shall be brought in to Judgment even every secret thing whether good or evil And the Apostle saith That we must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his Body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad All Sins whether secret or openly visible shall be accounted for Those Sins that have been acted in the most secret Retirement so that no eye of Man could take cognizance of them Nay the Sins of the thoughts and affections of which Satan could not accuse Men when the inward Fire of Lust or Malice is not discovered by the least smoke or sparkles by no expressions all those shall be brought to Judgment God will judg the Secrets of Men by Jesus Christ. The sins of Omission of our Duty that are so numerous from carelesness and diversions from slothfulness and delays and that now so little affect us for we are more sensible of what we do than of what we have not done the guilt of all these shall then be heavily charged on the Conscience of the Sinner The neglect of improving all the Means Advantages and Opportunities of doing or receiving Good will be a great part of that Judgment The Lord called his Servants to an account for the Talent committed to their trust and required profit in proportion to their number and worth All sins of Commission in Youth and Age whether gross Sensuality as Lasciviousness Lusts excess of Wine Revellings Banquetings and abominable Idolatries and all excess of Riot shall be accounted for to him who is ready to judg the quick and the dead or acts of unrighteous-to others He that doth wrong shall receive according to the wrong he has done And sins of a lesser guilt for which the most are not touch'd with grief or shame shall then be produc'd in Judgment All the sins of our words so easily committed and not so easily observed shall then be called to a heavy remembrance The Judg himself tells us I say unto you that every idle word that Men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment And if vain words the Signs and immediate Effects of a vain Mind shall sadly encrease our Accounts how much more all the contentious fierce and revengeful words the detracting false contumelious and injurious words the impure filthy and contagious words the prophane blasphemous and impious words that flow from the evil Treasure of the Heart O their dreadful number and oppressing weight And all the Aggravations and Circumstances of Mens Sins that raise their Guilt to such fearful heights shall be enumerated in order to Judgment For thus 't was foretold Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute Judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly Deeds which they have ungodly committed and all their hard Speeches which ungodly Sinners have spoken against him And all the good Works of the Saints shall then be remembred even to the least work of Piety the giving of two Mites to the Treasury of the Temple and the least work of Charity the giving a cup of cold Water to a Disciple upon the account of his Relation unto Christ. All their secret Graces and Duties shall then be rewarded The manner of this Judicial Evidence is set forth to us in Scripture by the opening the Books congruously to proceedings in humane Judgment wherein the Information and Charge is produc'd from Writings for the conviction of the Accused Thus it was represented to St. John in a Vision I saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and the Dead were judged out of the things that were written in the Books according to their Works 1. The Books of the Law and Gospel shall then be open'd in all the Injunctions and Prohibitions and our Lives compar'd with them Our Saviour told the Jews Do not think that I will accuse you to my Father there is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom you trust not the Person but the Law of Moses And he denounced against those that reject the Gospel the Word that I have spoken the same shall judg them in the last Day The Law is the exact Transcript of God's Sacred Will the natural and immutable Rule of Righteousness 't is pure forbids all Sin and enjoyns universal Holiness 't is Spiritual requires not only a conformity in Words and Actions but inward sanctity in mind and heart for the Soul is the principal part of Man entirely open to God's Eye the Maker and Judg of it And the most enlightned Saints have but an imperfect knowledg of it here This made Holy David after his meditation upon its purity and perfection to cry out in an Agony Who can understand his Errors cleanse thou me from secret sins This when opend in its spiritual and comprehensive Nature by a wise and zealous Preacher darts a Light into the Conscience and discovers many secret Sins that like so many Serpents were still and quiet in the dark but upon the suddain breaking in of the Light fly upon the Sinner and torment him with their mortal Stings But when the Law-giver himself shall expound the Law in its full extent and perfection with respect to all the Duties it commands and Sins it forbids how guilty will Men appear how unable to answer one Article of a thousand charg'd upon them 2. The Omniscience of God will give most convincing Evidence of all our Works All things are naked and open to his Eyes with whom we have to do in Judgment The Psalmist declares the infinite perspicacity of his sight The Darkness hides not from thee but the Night shines as the Day As his Light and transcendent Brightness is invisible to us so our thickest darkness is visible to him We cannot see things in the Night because it hinders the reception of the Rays that insinuate into the Eye and causes sight but the Eyes of our Judg are like a flame of Fire dispelling all darkness From his Throne in Heaven his piercing Eye sees through all the concealments of Mens Sins Thou hast set our Iniquities before thee and our secret Sins in the Light of thy Countenance He discovered the Sacrilege of Achan the Lie of Gehazi the Deceit of Ananias Saul's disobedience in sparing the Amalekites devoted to destruction had the colourable pretence of Piety and as a Sacrifice was laid on the Altar And David's Murder of Uriah was imputed to the chance of War as a sufficient excuse But tho' they might have deceived others they could not
deceive God He is intimately present with the Souls of Men that are unsearchable to the most discerning Angels of Light and knows all their most secret Designs and Desires The Pharisees in whom Pride was the first Property and Hypocrisy a second Nature could not with all their saintly shews impose upon our Saviour for he knew what was in Man He discover'd their Alms to be not the effect of Charity but Ostentation and their specious Acts of Devotion to be a train to surprise some rich Prey And this Divine Knowledg of Men and their Actions is in order to Judgment Thus the wise King declares Doth not he that ponders the Heart consider it and he that keepeth thy Soul doth not he know it And shall not he render to every Man according to his Works And God himself testifies I the Lord search the Heart even to give to every Man according to his Works For this Reason he is said to keep a Register of Mens Sins Thus he speaks of the impure Idolatries of the Jews Behold it is written before me to signify his exact and actual knowledg I will not keep silence but will recompense even recompense into their Bosoms And at the Day of Judgment he will declare his Knowledg of their Sins before all and the most secret shall be made evident as if written in their Foreheads in the most plain and legible Characters And all the goodness of the Saints shall then be revealed by the Judg. Their greatest Excelcellencies are invisible to the Eyes of Men the sanctity of their Aims and Affections which gives Life and Value to all the Acts of Obedience their secret Duties wherein the sincerity and ardency of their Souls is most exprest are only known to God And such is the excellent humility of the Saints that the more they are enrich'd and abound with the gracious influences of the Spirit the less they discover to the World as the Celestial Bodies when in nearest conjunction with the Sun and most fill'd with his Light are least in appearance to the Inhabitants of the Earth But there is a Book of Remembrance before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his Name And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in the day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a Man spares his Son that serves him 3. The Conscience of every Man shall then be open'd and give an accusing or excusing testimony of all things for these Acts of Conscience in the present Life have a final respect to God's Tribunal And tho the Accounts are so vast there shall be an exact agreement between the Books of God's Omniscience and of Conscience in the Day of Judgment Now indeed the Conscience of Man tho never so inquisitive and diligent in examining and revising his Ways is unable to take a just account of his Sins As one that would tell the first appearing Stars in the Evening before he can reckon them others appear and confound his Memory with their number so when Conscience is seriously intent in reflecting upon it self before it can reckon up the Sins committed against one Command innumerable others appear This made the Psalmist upon the survey of his Actions break forth in amazement and perplexity Mine Iniquities are more than the Hairs upon my Head therefore my Heart fails me But it will be one of the Miracles of that Day to enlarge the view of Conscience to all their Sins And O the formidable spectacle when Conscience enlightned by a Beam from Heaven shall present to a Sinner in one view the sins of his whole Life Now Conscience is a Notary in every Man's Bosom and tho 't is not always vocal yet writes down their Actions The Sin of Judah is written with a Pen of Iron and with a point of a Diamond 't is graven upon the Tables of the Heart But then it shall be compell'd to give a full Charge against the Guilty Of this we have an infallible presage in this world when Conscience turns the point against the Brest of a Sinner and enforces the Tongue by a secret instigation to accuse the Person And this Information of Conscience at the last will make the Sinner speechless for the Book of Accounts with Divine Justice was always in his own keeping and what-ever is recorded there was written with his own hand And how will those hardned Sinners that now kick against the Pricks of Conscience be able to repel its strong and quick Accusations before that terrible Tribunal 4. Other numerous Witnesses will appear to finish the process of that Day Not as if God that knows all things wants information but for the publick conviction of the Wicked Satan will then bring a bloody Charge against them Such is his Malignity that he is a Complainer of God to Man and by calumniating the Blessed Creator seduc'd our first Parents and he is the Accuser of Men to God He is stiled the Accuser of the Brethren before God day and night Sometimes falsly as when he taxed Job that his Piety was mercenary and often truly to provoke the Divine Displeasure But tho his Charge be just against them as Sinners yet as Penitent Sinners they are absolved by the Judg upon the Throne of Grace This we have represented to the Prophet Zechary Joshua the High Priest a Type of the Church standing before the Angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him for that was the place of Accusers But Christ the Blessed Reconciler interposed And the Lord said to Satan the Lord rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee But he will principally act the part of an Accuser at the Last Judgment This is intimated in that fearful imprecation Let Satan stand at his right hand When he is judged let him be condemned He is now an active watchful Spirit whose Diligence is equal to his Malice and by glittering Snares or violent Temptations draws Men to sin But then he will be their most bitter Accuser not from zeal of Justice but pure Malignity Then he will aggravate their Crimes by the most killing Circumstances tho in accusing them he endites himself their sins being usually done by his sollicitations And the Wicked themselves will accuse one another In this World Fellow-sinners usually conceal one anothers Wickedness restrain'd by their own obnoxiousness But then all that have been jointly engaged in the commission of Sin will impeach each other The voluptuous Sinners that have excited one another to Lust or Luxury Come let us take our fill of Love till the Morning Come I will fetch Wine and we will fill our selves with strong Drink for to morrow shall be as to day and much more abundant All the Charming Companions and Associates will with fierceness charge one another And the malicious cruel Sinners that say Come
in outward offices yet our Saviour most congruously produces in Judgment the conspicuous effects of Love to them the supplying their wants allaying their sorrows owning them when obscured and deprest by afflictions and injuriously treated by others This love of service that is directed and exercised towards the Saints for the Image of God shining in them because they are the Children of God and Members of Christ and therefore extended to all in whom the reason of that Love appears shall be gloriously rewarded For he interprets what is done upon his Account to those who are his own by so many dear titles as done to himself And what is more becoming his excellent Goodness than to reward his works of Mercy with saving Mercy But those who when Christ presents himself to them in his poor distressed Members and solicits their assistance to protect them from injuries to refresh their sorrows to support them in their exigencies those that have ability but want affection to do them good and incompassionately neglect the suffering Saints shall be sentenc'd to be tormented with the Apostate Angels for ever What indignity is it to the Son of God that those for whom he shed his Divine Blood should be in less value and regard with many than the Dogs and Horses maintained for their pleasure And if those on the left hand shall be condemned to eternal Fire for the coldness of their Love how terrible will the Judgment bet of those that from the heat of their enmity outragiously persecute the Servants of Christ for his sake in their Persons Estates Reputations that with a worse than barbarous inhumanity seek their ruine Is there any Sin of a more mortal guilt The infernal Furnace is seven-fold heated for the punishing such wickedness To conclude this Argument let us observe the Command of our Saviour To watch and pray always that we may be counted worthy to stand before the Son of Man These are Duties of universal influence into our Lives the one prevents carelesness the other vain confidence in our selves and the consideration of Judgment to come is the greatest motive to them and the first principle of Holiness This should work more powerfully in us considering the Day of Death is equivalent to the Day of Judgment to every person for then a particular Sentence decisive and irrevocable passes that shall be publish'd at the last Day Methinks the terrors of the Lord should engage our Souls and Senses to a continual preparation for his Coming 'T is represented so as to affect the Eye and keep it vigilant Behold the Lord comes with ten thousand of his Saints to execute Judgment upon all Behold he comes in the Clouds and every Eye shall see him And to call the Ear and make it attentive The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with the voice of the Arch-Angel and with the Trump of God How circumspect should we be in all our ways since every action shall be reviewed by our Judg. St. Peter strongly infers from the dissolution of the World as a most cogent Argument that we should be exactly and universally holy seeing then all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness But the consideration of the eternal Judgment immediately succeeding the destruction of the World O how powerful should it be upon Conscience and the Affections to regulate the whole course of our Lives with a final respect to God's Tribunal In short That which we read of the success of the Apostle's preaching to the Athenians upon the present subject the Immortality of the Soul comprised in the Resurrection of the Body and the future Judgment is the same in all times and places And when they heard of the Resurrection of the Dead some mocked and others said We will hear thee again of this matter and others believed There are three differences of the Hearers of this Doctrine of so great importance some deride it as an extravagant fancy some believe it and yield up themselves entirely in obedience to it others do not absolutely reject it as the first nor accept it as the second but have a Conjecture or slight superficial Opinion of it or a speculative Assent as to a history of things that do not concern them and defer the serious consideration and applying of it to themselves And of this third sort O Grief are the most of those who are Christians in name They delay till Death the solemn reflecting upon the final Judgment and the inevitable Consequence of it a blessed or miserable estate for ever And whereas the Apostle who had infallible assurance of God's Love did with an holy severity and self-denial abstain from all Carnal Complacencies that might hazard the never-fading Crown I keep under my Body and bring it into subjection lest by any means when I have preached to others I should be a Cast-away Yet the most live and die in a secure state without preparation to appear before the Presence of his Glory FINIS Some Books printed for Brabazon Aylmer in Cornhill THe Harmony of the Divine Attributes in the Contrivance and Accomplishment of Man's Redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ. Or Discourses wherein is shewed how the Wisdom Mercy Justice Holiness Power and Truth of God are glorified in that Great and Blessed Work By William Bates D. D. in Quarto Considerations of the Existence of God And of the Immortality of the Soul with the Recompences of the Future state To which is now added The Divinity of the Christian Religion proved by the evidence of Reason and Divine Revelation for the Cure of Infidelity the Hectick Evil of the Times By William Bates D. D. in Octavo The Soveraign and final Happiness of Man with the effectual means to obtain it Also the Joys of Heaven and Torments of Hell are discoursed of By William Bates D. D. in Octavo Several Sermons upon Death and Eternal Judgment By William Bates D. D. in Octavo A Funeral Sermon preached upon the Death of the Reverend and Excellent Divine Dr. Thomas Manton who deceased October 18. 1677. By William Bates D. D. To which is now added the last Publick Sermon Dr. Manton preached in Octavo One hundred and ninety Sermons on the whole 119th Psalm By the late Reverend and Learned Divine Thomas Manton D. D. in Folio Twenty select Sermons upon choice Subjects preached by Thomas Manton D. D. in Quarto Eighteen Sermons on the 2d Chapter of the 2d Epistle to the Thessalonians containing the Description Rise Growth and Fall of Antichrist With divers Cautions and Arguments to establish Christians against the Apostacy of the Chnrch of Rome By Tho. Manton D. D. in Octavo The Gospel-Method of God's saving Sinners by Jesus Christ practically explained in XII Propositions Or a Discourse of the New Covenant By the late Learned Dr. Abraham Clifford To which is prefixed a Preface by Dr. Manton and Mr. Richard Baxter in