my self withal Yet for all that I have not stood but faln in the Time of Trial and Temptation for after all those Thoughts and Purposes aforementioned when I have come into Company and amongst a mixt People I have put on again the same vain and worldly Conversation I have talked and had that which savours of Men and the Grace and Spirit of the Lord hath sensibly departed from me for a time and I have been weak and all one as another Man I wish I could here tell it weeping but it is a real grief of Soul when I throughly consider of it I my self have a great deal to answer and account for before God in that I have not at all times and in all places and in all Companies lived according to that Grace and Knowledge which God hath given me that at the very same time when I did know and approve of the things more excellent yet I did not follow them but rather I did the worse How many precious and seasonable Truths have I concealed and kept within when in Duty I ought to have spoken them out I speak all this to my shame and to my fault which should be amended But as I am declaring this unto ye remember that your Hearts be also upon the search and examination whether it hath not been so with ye likewise And I do therefore bring forth these Things unto ye because that it is good to know our Faults in order to amend them As also to put you in mind stir up and exhort ye And let us consider one another to provoke unto Love and good works Heb. 10.24 As it is commonly advised Be sure to keep be best Company which in the meaning of the World is the Richest But this is a false way of speaking for they are not the best as may be understood from the word of Truth and will be seen at the Judgment of the Great Day so I would recommend to ye to set before ye the very best Examples of all the very best Saints and Servants of God that are in the Town or Neighbourhood wherein ye inhabit and there try your best skill and use your utmost endeavour that as the other Disciple did out-run Peter So do thou use diligence and put forth all thy strength if thou canst out-run such an one in the Christian-race for if thou wouldst not upon a false Imagination or vain Hopes which are like the Dream of one that eateth and he awaketh and his Soul is empty but upon rational and assured grounds have God do more for thee in this World and in the World to come as to have a Benjamin's Mess or a double Portion of his Spirit or to be brought out of Trouble for so is the Promise to the Righteous when the Wicked are left therein then thou must exceed them also in Godliness which hath the promise of this Life and of that which is to come and in righteousness and holiness It is very well worth our while to strive to be utmost herein because that the future recompence of God will be proportioned out and it will be infinitely so much beyond all the Pain Uncouthness Labour Backwardness which was ever in any Act or Instance of well-doing Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give account Heb. 13.17 These last words As they that must give account do not belong only to Magistrates Ministers and Preachers for it extends to all the People also for it should be a constant Rule which they should always bear in mind and have recourse unto in whatever they take in hand or in whatever their hands finds them to do To do it as ye that must give account And because this Judgment of God will reach to Thoughts and Words also therefore the same Rule should be exprest yet a little more comprehensively on this wise So think speak and do as ye that must give accovnt according to what is written and commanded by the Spirit So speak ye and so do as they that must be judged by the Law of Liebrty Jam. 2.12 As one saith Remember the End that is the last end of Things and thou shalt never do amiss So in thy Walking keep the Judgment of God always in thine eye and thou shalt never go much astray We know and are assured of it beforehand That when the Great Day of his Judgment is come we may have no Excuse or Plea that of this and of every day of our Life after we are come to the years of Discretion and to the Knowledge of Good and Evil we are not only in danger but we shall certainly be called to an account There is hardly any thing which is a greater Awe and Check to sin than a lively Faith of this future Judgment to have it continually before our eyes and to have our Thoughts and Apprehensions always upon it Jerom an antient Servant of the Lord did say of himself Whither I sleep or wake or whatever I do Methinks I hear that voice always sounding in my Ears Arise ye dead and come forth to judgment And truly if we did with the eye of Faith and with the eyes of our understanding being enlighmed Behold till the Thrones were cast down and the antient of days did sit whose Garment was white as Snow and the Hair of his Head like the pure Wooll his Throne was like the fiery stream and his wheels as burning fire A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him Thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him The judgment was set and the Books were opened Dan. 7.9 10. Such a vision the Prophet then had and also John when he saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the Dead were judged out of those things which are written in the Books according to their works And the Sea gave up the Dead which were in it and Death and Hell delivered up the Dead which were in them and they were judged every Man according to their works Rev. 20.12 13. Did we in the midst of Life see those things which we shall see when we are let forth into the Chambers of Death but yet more especially as we shall see when the Great day of his Judgment is come this would influence our whole Life and Conversation into the greatest Awe and Seriousness fear and trembling and watchfulness that can be If even a Sinner and an ungodly Man were to rise from the Dead and live over his past Life again he would be another kind of Man and even he would be perswaded unto God and good Things Nothing can be a more forcible consideration to make us to please God this little mean while and to endeavour to the utmost to be reconciled unto him then the knowledge how that we must
Age God only knows when it is He limiteth a certain Day saying in David To day after so long a time Heb. 4.7 after which if they will come to repentance they will be hardly admitted So in the foregoing part of Life there is a certain Day from which Day forward God will call in question and to account and so of every day after we are come to the years of Discretion and have the knowledge of Good and Evil. And this I shall not so much ground upon as assuredly gather from another conjectural Scripture as I phrase it which is the concluding part of the Speech of the Town-Clerk of Ephesus for we are in danger to be called in question for this days Voroar there being no Cause whereby we may give an account of this days Conoourse Acts 19.40 So in like manner I alledge and reason That we are not so much in danger which denotes Doubt and Uncertainty whether it would be so or not and probably for all he spoke thus they were never called in question for the same as we read of But I go on to add That we every one of us shall be certainly called in question for this Day and so of all the past Days after Years of Discretion and so of all the following Days for each days actions and deeds done in the Body yea for the Thoughts of Heart and for the Words of our Tongue For they must be given account of according to Mat. 12.35 36 37. and whether there was a Cause or no Cause for the same yet of every thing we must give account Many may be apt to think that this is but a slender foundation to build so great a Truth and Assertion upon as that here is For the Town-Clerk of Ephesus was an Heathen and a worshipper of the Great Goddess Diana and he said this as to a Temporal matter and when he spake after this manner he thought nothing at all of the Future judgment of God How then canst thou bring this Saying of his to manifest a great Truth of God as to declare his Decree of Eternal Judgment to be on that wise as thou hast here affirmed it Why therefore mistake me not I do only allude to those his words but. I do in no wise bring them for proof and confirmation of this Position of the extensiveness and comprehensiveness of the future Judgment For indeed they are no proof at all or at least a very slender one Only from the parity and likeness of the Proceedings in Humane Courts of Judicatory with those of the last and great Day of the Lord in which indeed there is some similitude For the Great Judge of all the Earth will proceed against all Mankind with the same measures of Justice as they now do one to another for he gave them knowledge thus to proceed and judge And from the same Reasoning Shall not he that teacheth man knowledge know It may be certainly concluded for he often makes such comparisons and resemblances that he will so deal with us Creatures in righteousness justice and equity Psal 98.9 as is now commonly used in Courts of Judicatory when they proceed according to the true and exact Rules thereof But similitudes do illustrate and not prove But here we have no need thereof for let alone that Saying of the Town-clerk of Ephesus which I only mentioned because his words did so appositely express forth our Subject in hand and so plainly that it may be understood by the meanest capacity We have besides sundry express plain and full places of undoubted Scripture which make known the comprehensiveness and extensiveness of the future Judgment as hath been afore-affirmed As also herein differs the future Judgment of God from Human Assizes or Sessions or Common Courts of Judgment For many things are here done on this Earth whereof no notice or cognizance at all is taken at Assizes Sessions Court-leets or such like And then also they do only take notice of some Misfesances Nusances Evil Prejudice or Harms either as to the Society of Mankind or as relating to Property which many times through Bribery Corruption Partiality or the Greatness of the Person do pass uncensured without Animadversion or Punishment And then they do not reward those that do well or who keep up the good and peace of Community Now herein the Judgment of the Great God supplies what is wanting or defective as to that He is a Great God mighty and terrible that regardeth not persons nor taketh Reward in all which he is opposite unto Men. And then as his Providence doth reach over Sparrows for not one of them falleth to the ground without the Will of our Heavenly Father as the Hairs of our Head are all numbred and not one of them is forgotten before God As his eyes are upon all the ways of the sons of Men Mark that particle all To give every one according to his way and according to the fruit of his doings Jer. 32.19 So he will bring them all to Judgment for not one thing whether it be great or small of more or less moment whether the greatest King or meanest Beggar had an hand in it For not only the Kings of the Earth and the Great Men and the Rich Men and the Chief Captains and the Mighty Men but every Bond man will also come forth unto Judgment I say again not any thing that was ever done or transacted on this Earth from the Cedar in Lebanon to the Hyssop on the Wall but will come forth into Judgment For God will bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be bad Eccles 12.14 Here is a most plain and express Text which proves and confirms the point in hand of the extensiveness and comprehensiveness of the future Judgment besides that saying of the Town-clerk of Ephesus which barely as it comes from him is not to be relied on But this of Ecclesiastes is a most certain Truth and proceeds from the Spirit of God Every work and every secret thing There is some of this sort done and Transacted every day and night after night so that each days transactions and secret things yea and every least thing shall be brought into Judgment whether it be good or whether it be evil This makes out again what is afore-affirmed for the Judgment of Man in Courts of Judicatory doth chiefly and almost only take notice of the Evil. But God will bring both the Good and the Evil into judgment And that God will judge for all the actions of Youth as to which many think that they shall escape scotfree and unpunished we have this expresly averr'd and affirmed in the foregoing Chapter Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thy heart and in the light of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment Eccles
11.9 Observe here again this last For all these things God will bring thee into Judgment And some of all these things are done every day by the young Man So that the consequence is evident that of every day after we are come to the knowledge of Good and Evil we shall certainly be called in question yea and be called to the Bar of God for to give an account for the same Many think of what is past as if it were over and there is no more to be said thereof It seems forgotten and perished and to be come to an utter end But the word saith otherwise God requireth that which is past Eccl. 3.15 yea all one as the present for what is past was once present also and what is now present will soon be past The judgment of God will be retrograde or by way of rehearsal or remembring or ripping up of former miscarriages as we commonly say or by reciting up the several Thoughts Words and Actions of this Life that now is These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Psal 50.21 That is in order and succession of time as each thing was done and committed together with the other circumstances of place and manner and such like as also with the several aggravations belonging thereunto some instances whereof are given in this same Fiftieth Psalm and many more there are throughout the Book of the Lord. Another great Scripture which proves the extensiveness and comprehensiveness of the future Judgment as before explained is 2 Cor. 5.10 For 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 It is said Deeds indefinitely which reaches to all the deeds done in the Body Like as when it is said in general words It is appointed unto men once to die That is It is so appointed unto all men once to die as we sensibly know And truly even common Reason manifesteth the very same for if we were to receive for some Deeds done in the Body Why not for other Deeds as well as for them and so on till it comes to all as indeed the Decree of God and our case is The Lord looketh upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth he considereth all their Works Psal 33.14.15 And give to every man according to his way whose heart thou knowest for thou even thou only knowest the hearts of all the Children of Men. 1 Kings 8.39 And so all those other places of Scripture as there are many which speak of Gods rewarding or rendring unto the Children of Men according to their works and according to their deeds and such like all these do manifest and make known the comprehensiveness and extensiveness of the future Judgment And so all these Deeds done in the Body the several works and ways are done in the several days of our Life some in one day and some in another so that the same Truth holds firm that of this day and of all the past days and of all the succeeding days between this time of my publishing this unto ye and the day of our several respective Deaths we shall be called to an account We must give account of this Concourse whereof I hope we shall give a good one with joy and comfort our only end and design herein being to worship the God of Heaven and Earth and to hear his word I must give account of every Sermon that I preach or publish that I be faithful in the handling thereof not shunning to declare unto ye the whole Counsel of God and to make known the Truth the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth whether it pleases or displeases Man for if I yet pleased Men I should not be the servant of Christ. Through good and evil Report as Deceivers and yet true And ye must give account of your Hearing whether ye do mind and are attentive unto the same and how ye profit and edifie thereby How ye ponder and remember it in your hearts But chiefly that ye continue therein Good God! how much dost thou delight in this one thing of continuing The Children of thy Servants shall continue Psal 102.28 But whoso looketh into the perfect Law of Liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful Hearer but a doer of the Word this man shall be blessed in his deeds James 1.25 This is the principal Matter to be doers of the Word and not Hearers only Though ye are to be Hearers also before ye can be doers For a man cannot do a thing before he knows it God will likewise call the Non-hearers of his Word to an account for the same for their disobedience and rebellion for their stubbornness and perverseness therein which is the same as if a Son or Servant should be obstinately resolved not to Hear what his Father or Master will say unto him All those Threatnings and evil Things as they are many which are written and spoken forth in the Book of the Lord against such who refuse to hear his words will be fulfilled upon them unto their greater Condemnation So it will be of the several Seasons and Opportunities of Prayer whether it be private Prayer in ones Closet or Family-Prayer or Prayer in the Cougregation and Assemblies of his People of all this we must give an â—â—count as also of all our other holy Things and of all acts whatsoever pertaining to Religion and so likewise of all the doings of common Life otherwise than what are meerly natural and necessary and so of all the Transactions between Man and man There is nothing done by any Men or Women under the Sun in any Country or Language of the Earth whether the same be done by Nations Families or single Persons in any Time or Generation but what will come into account and examination and to be heard and decided over again at the Judgement of the Great God Indeed there will be multitudes multitudes in the Valley of Decision Joel 3.14 So that what appearance is ever at the greatest Assizes or at the Rendezvous of the most numerous Armies or the greatest Concourse of People to see some extraordinary sight in populous Cities all this will be no more to the multitude and number of Creatures which shall be then gathered together in the great Day of God then a single Man is now in comparison of an hundred thousand or a million I have heard to this purpose that the Schoolmen should say That because of the multiplicity of Business and the multitude of Creatures which shall appear then thereupon they suppose that the Day of Judgment will last a thousand years But herein they imagine and talk after the manner of Men For known unto God are all his works from the Beginning of the World as also the Times
and Seasons which the Father hath kept in his own Power or rather that will be the Inhabitation of Eternity where is no such thing as the numbering or reckoning of Times and Seasons So that they had better let alone such kind of Imaginations as to what time it shall last But rather purifie our hearts by Faith by believing and always bearing in Mind that these things shall certainly be in the General although we know no more as to the exact Method of procedure How that God and Christ will make that Great Final and Everlasting decision between the Righteous and the Wicked between those who serve God and obey the Gospel and who did not As to the Particulars hereof nor to what exact method of Duration all this shall last for time will then be no longer than Brute Beasts do now know those Rules by which Kings reign and Princes decree Justice But we are to be as wise Stewards to cast up and prepare our Accounts beforehand and to do nothing but what our Lord will approve and like of Such as was in the way of Service and Management but not what will be found fault withal or blamed by him So much sin or evil as hath been committed This shall be a witness against them It is an heaping up Treasure together for the last days Jam. 5.3 It is a treasuring up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 And though already the Pile thereof is fire and much wood Isa 30.33 which is ordained for the punishment of the Devil and his Angels and condemned Sinners Yet here again the more Sin and Transgression which they have committed is an adding more Fuel to that Fire which shall torment but not consume them So on the other and better hand the doing good works is a laying in a foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal Life these works follow them So that to do good works is a storing up to ones self true and solid Comfort in a Dying-day which reaches and extends it self throughout all Eternity Besides that it is sweet and sensible in the greatest time of need So that it will be certainly better for each Man or Woman the more Obedience and Duty Godliness and Good he hath done throughout his foregoing Life Here is a real Argument not to continue in Sin one moment longer for notwithstanding the present pleasure or conveniency hereby he misses of so much more Happiness and Advantage in the future Recompence Again we should not a minute longer neglect obedience and doing good for this would be to lose so much of a full Reward 2 Joh. 8. Thus much is signified from the righteous judgment of God who will render to every one according to his deeds Rom. 2.5 â— And so it is written For the Son of Man shall come in the Glory of his Father with his holy Angels and then he shall reward every man according to his works Mat. 16.27 Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you for great is your reward in Heaven Mat. 5.11 12. Every man shall receive his own Reward according to his own Labour 1 Cor. 3.8 Wo unto their Soul for they have rewarded evil unto themselves Say to the righteous it shall be well with him for they shall eat the fruit of their doings Wo unto the Wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him Isa 3.9 10 11. According to their deeds accordingly he will repay Isa 59.18 The great God that formeth all things both rewardeth the Fool and rewardeth Transgressors Prov. 26.18 As thou hast done it shall be done unto thee thy reward shall return upon thine own head Obad. 1.15 Receiving in themselves that Recompence of their Error that was meet Rom. 1 27. Like as the Lord of Hosts thought to do unto us according to our wayes and according to our doings so hath he dealt with us Zech. 1.6 All the Churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the hearts and reins And I will give unto every one of you according to his works Rev. 2.23 And behold I come quickly and my Reward is with me to give every Man according as his work shall be Rev. 22.12 There are sundry other like places of Scripture which the more they are considered of and looked into they do the more shew how that the future Judgment and Retribution shall be proportioned and measured out Mat. 7.1 and exactly adjusted judgment will I lay to the line and righteousness to the plummet according to the Deeds of Men. As it will be yet more clearly seen at the revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God It shall be openly disclosed and shewed unto every one though it hath been hitherto hidden from some because they would not search the Scriptures for there they might have found it so and accordingly have prepared to have given up their Accounts The Good may be hence Quickened to do more to lay hold of every opportunity to lay up for themselves a greater foundation against the time to come by Good works and seek and do the work of the Lord diligently and to improve every Talent to the utmost And the evil might have presently ceased to do wickedly they should have turned and have been yet more zealous in the other way Like unto Mary Magdalen who loved much because much had been forgiven unto her And Paul because he had been a Persecutor he laboured more abundantly than the other Apostles and yet not He but the Grace of God which was in him And so the same Instruction is to all whether in their foregoing Life they have been sinuers or religious yet to labour more abundanâ—ly for the the time to come than the rest of his Brethren and Fellow-creatures And see well to it that he exceed them in great Seriousness and Holiness Purity and strictness of Life In the time of my late Adversity and Trouble a fond Imagination and vain desire did arise in my mind I would fain have God do more for me than he usually doth for other peeple in like cases But this same kind of Imagination and vain Desire was beaten back answer'd and satisfied again by this inward Reasoning which at the very same time did spring up in my Heart Why should I expect that God should do more for me than for other People when I did not exceed my Brethren and come out from among them and get above them in the Godly and holy Life For though I have been sometimes in the heights all for God and Seriousness and in the Spirit for a little time whilst I was by my self and in Retirement and I resolved what I would do How that I would still keep unto that Strictness yet I was again like the Children of Ephraim who being harnessed and carrying Bows turned themselves back in the day of Battle So though I had Grace and Preparation beforehand to arm