may, with holy assurance, come to God, in their unclothed spirits. The blood of Sprinkling (the Mediator's blood applied to them) will give them happy access to God the judge of all. Nay, they may be assured that they go to him, that died for them; and he that died for them, will take care of them in their death. So that they may, with much truft and confidence, resign their spirits, into the hands of him, on whom they have believed.

VI. Though dark is the vale and passage of death, yet they are affured that heavenly spirits shall attend upon their dismission from the body. The unseen world is strange to them. The passage thither may feem as strange. But their Lord is Governour of Angels: He has innumerable squadrons of them, at his beck and command. They are ministerial spirits to him, for the good of his proselites. And he will give these excellent spirits charge to conduct his dying fervants home to himself.

VII. The dying profelite has assurance of a joyful refurrection from the dead. There is a natural love to the body. The best are, in some measure, loath to part with it. Those that are willing to part with it, are so, because they know, that unless they do so, they cannot be admitted into the higher world. Here they have all the reason and motives imaginable, given them, to drop the body in content and peace. It shall be taken care of, while it lodges in the grave. The foul shall be happy, all that while. And, at last, the body shall be raised in honour and glory, joined in vital union with the foul again, and made partner in glorious immortality. For this corruptible must put on incorruption; and this mortal must put on immortality ; so when this corruptible, shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal, hall have put on immortallity, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. Here's copious relief against the fear and danger of death! Here's encouragement to the believer, to resign mortality with fatisfaction and joy; and bid farewel to the body, and to a disastrous life and world!

SECT

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SECT. XXVI.

In the Chriftian Institution, we have the most awful and congruous account of the conclufion of this world, and of all the affairs of it.

I

T cannot be proved, that this world has been extant from eternity. The Phænomena of the world rather declare that it could not be so. And confidering the state of mankind, we may say, it is pity and unfit, that such a world as this, should have been from eternity. That, from eternity, it should have been so sinful and so miferable. That from eternity, it should be so full of enmity to God and Man. So full of contrariety to all the eternal reasons, relations and aptitudes of things. So full of envy, pride, contention, wars and bloodshed, lusts, rapines, cruelties and unrighteousness. That, from eternity, it should have been fuch a world, as of which the righteous are weary, and from which they are so usually banished to another world. A world, in which the wicked so much domineer, and in which also they meet with so much disquietment and vexation, that they often dispatch themselves to another world. And, as it was not fit, that it should have been thus from eternity, fo nor is it meet, that it should continue thus onward to all eternity : That men should be continually finning against God, and falling under the wrath of God, and be continually going to hell, through all eternity. Why should hell be continually increasing? or the numbers of the damned be made infinite ? or be continually multiplied, by conftant additions throughout all the ages of eternity? It will be mercy to stop the process of mankind, and prevent the rife of men that

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that would plunge themselves into such a dreadful condition, as than which to endure, it were better for them not to be born.

When it is made probable, if not evident, by natural phænomena, that the world is not much older, than the scripture account represents it; the irreligious are apt to wonder at it; it seems strange to them, that the world was made so late; and that infinite ages should run out, before the foundation of it was laid. But they may confider, that whensoever they suppose the world was made, it must, some time or other have been as young as (and younger than) it is now supposed to be. And the great God was not obliged to make it at all. He needed not it, nor any of the services it can do for him. And besides, it is old enough, unless it were better. The law of God, was there soon enough violated; and the majesty of the good Creator was foon enough affronted and offended. And it will continue long enough for such an atheistical, inconfiderate, and ungrateful a race; long enough to produce a vast many vessels of wrath, that will (by their impiety and impenitence) have prepared themselves for destruction. This world was apparently designed for a probatory state. And so it is a temporary station for mortals ; wherein divine providence and government will display themselves, for a season, strange revolutions and transactions are to be permitted and ordered; human powers are to be exercised and tried ; divine laws are to be exhibited and promulged ; and so foundation laid for an univerfal judgment and judiciary process in the conclusion. The end is determined when a period shall be put to the whole scene; and a far different state of things and events, shall commence and fucceed. And such a wife, awful, tuitable conclusion as this that follows, is determined.

I. The end shall be fudden and unexpected. The present affairs of the earth shall be going on in their ufual current. Men shall be bufy in their secular employs, as if the world were to last much longer. As in the days of Noah, before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, till the day that

Noah

Noah entred into the ark; and knew not, till the flood came and took them all away ; so sha'l also the coming of the Son of Man be. And, this is wifely and graciously foretold, to keep the world in awe, and to teach the inhabitants to manage their secular concerns under the conduct of religion ; that they may be safe in so doing, when that day shall overtake them.

II. As it is a moral world, stocked and stored with moral inhabitants, so they shall be called to an account at the last day. The great God did not make the world for nothing, or for small and frivolous designs. He did not give to Man his excellent nature and powers, his habitation and all the fullness and furniture of it, for nothing, or for mean and infignificant purposes. He did not bear with the world so long, and send his laws thither, and administer such a train of mercy and judgment, in his providence, for nothing or for low ends and uses. The great Lord and Ruler of all will not be trifled with. He will not suffer himself and his perfections, his laws and administrations to be insulted, or infolently treated, by the work of his own hands, without any regard, or taking any cognizance thereof. If men will not believe and obey the great God, he will make them one day wish they had. They must not think to abuse the goodness of God, and their own sense and reason, and wit and confcience, and all the creatures of God, and have none to call them to an account at last. They must not think to be tyrants and oppreflors, to be lewd and vicious, and hurtful to all about them, and escape the Divine Vengeance after all. If they will not fee and hear, in time; God will make them fee and hear, in his time; and make them know, that wherein they deal proudly, therein he is above them. If they deny him now, and deny the homage and veneration, that is his due, he will not deny himself, nor deny the vindication of his own majesty, authority, law and government. Man is an accountable being; and to an account he must be brought. And if he will obstinately refuse the eternal God, the eternal life and joy that is to be had with him, he must abide the consequence, and bear it as well as he can.

The

The case of the world calls for a future judgment. Mens own confciences presage a future judgment. Religion has refpect to a future judgment and retribution. And here we find it evidently determined and declared.

III. 'Tis meet this judgment should be confpicuous, public and folemn. As men have been openly good or bad, so it is proper, they should meet with a public retribution. Men have finned in privacy; have covered their lufts, their murders, their rapines, injuftice and cruelties with fecrefy; and have been instigated to their villanies, by hope of impunity. It is meet they should be disappointed, and have their enormities brought to light. The religious have been clandestinely fo. Their prayers and alms, their penitence, humility, faith and patience, has been chiefly known to the father of spirits. Hypocrites have here passed for faints, and the faithful worshippers have been stigmatized as hypocrites and villains. 'Tis meet there be a day of detection. That persons and hearts and actions should be laid open ; and a public difcrimination made betwixt him that ferved God, and him that ferved him not.

IV. The Son of God has come and dwelt in this world of ours ; has come upon the high errand and office of an eternal redemption, in order to an eternal Salvation. Here he was egregiously vilified and flighted; his person and ministry and works, reproached and rejected. Here he was ranked with notorious criminals, fceptred and crowned in scorn. Barbaroufly nailed and hanged on the cross, and ignominioufly difpatched out of the world. And yet at the fame time, he was Lord of Life and Glory : Has purchased the world into his own hand; has died and rose, and lives again to be Lord of the dead and of the living. He is capable of judging the world in righteousness. He knows all perfons, all hearts and minds, and all transactions of the world, from the beginning to the end. Reason then and equity will dictate, that he should be the judge. It is meet, that he should be publickly feen, that was so little known, while he was here. It is fit

the