sponsible for all that we have received. All the blessings we possess, whether natural, our life, our faculties, our endowments, our health and strength; or civil, honor and dignity, riches and reputation; or spiritual, the gospel in its light and power, the graces and assistance of the Holy Ghost, as they are gifts from God's love, so they are talents to be employed for his glory. We are stewards, not proprietaries: for the supreme Lord does not relinquish his right in our blessings, that we may dispose of them at our own pleasure, but hath prescribed rules for our using them in order to his glory, our own good, and the benefit of others. And it is sad to consider, that usually those who enjoy the greatest gifts, render the least acknowledgments, and the most abundant in favors are most barren in thankfulness. Time, that unvaluable treasure, that is due to God and the soul, the price of which arises from the work of salvation to be done in it, how is it squandered away? Conscience would blush at the serious reflection, that every day so much is spent in the business of the world, or pleasures, and so little redeemed for communion with the Holy God: that as in the prophetic dream the lean kine devoured the fat, so unconcerning vanities take up that time that should be employed for our last and blessed end. While time is miserably wasted, the soul lies a bleeding to everlasting death. More particularly, we shall be accountable for all the days of "the Son of man" that we have seen, all the special seasons of grace: these we should improve for our eternal advantage, to prepare us for the divine presence above. But alas, the Lord's day, that is consecrated for the immediate service of God, and should be entirely spent in it, and in things that have a necessary subordination to it, yet neither the enforcement of duty, nor incitations of love prevail upon the most, conscientiously to employ it in spiritual affairs. If they afford their presence at the public worship, it is thought enough; and as if the rest of the day was unsanctified time, they waste it either in complimental visits, or secular business, in recreations, or things impertinent to their salvation.

Riches are an excellent instrument in doing good: gold is the most precious and extensive metal, and by a marvellous art an ounce may be beaten out into some hundred leaves: but it is a more happy art by giving it, to enrich our souls, and supply the necessities of many others. But great estates are often used to foment men's vicious guilty affections, pride and sensuality; and it is called greatness and magnificence to waste them in sumptuous vanities. I instance in these talents, because they are usually abused to the dishonor of the donor. If the slothful servant that hid his single talent in a napkin, and returned it without advantage to his Lord, was "cast into outer darkness, where

* Nullis vitiis desunt pretiosa nomina. Plin. Lib. 73.

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there is weeping and gnashing of teeth;" a fearful image of what will befal all unprofitable persons: how severe will their accounts be, who lavish out their numerous talents to gratify their carnal appetites, and betray the blessings of God to his enemy the devil? Only the wise and good servant, that with prudent contrivance, and zealous endeavors, improves his talents, shall from the gracious Lord, in whom are all attractives and remuneratives of our service, receive an excellent reward.

(5.) Another rule of our acceptance at the last day is, that we must with courage and zeal maintain in our rank and places the cause of Christ. For thus he declares expressly, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him also will I confess before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him also will I deny before my Father which is in heaven, Mat. 10. 33. 34. When the truth, purity, and power of religion, in doctrine, worship and practice, is discountenanced and overborn, our Saviour commands, and will reward our undiscouraged visible constancy in it. He will not only reign in our hearts, but be honored with our lips, and in our conversations, Rom. 10. We usurp the title of christians, unless we adhere to our duty in despite of all opposition. The temptations that usually withdraw men from confessing and glorifying Christ, are such as work upon the passions of fear and shame. And the considerations of the last judgment will fortify us against both.

1. Sometimes religion exposes the professors of it to the loss of all temporal enjoyments, and of life itself. And when the honor of our Saviour requires such a service of us, when that confirmation is necessary to recommend Divine truth to the belief and affections of others, when our cheerful and courageous example in suffering, would animate those that are fearful to constancy and confession, then from cowardice to withdraw our testimony, is to betray him again. When our duty is attended with extreme dangers, then the sincerity and perfection of our love to Christ is brought to the strictest trial. As true carbuncles are discovered in the night, for the darkness redoubles their splendor, so the fidelity of christians is evident in persecutions, that inflame and excite their zeal to magnify the name of Christ in the sight of the world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, 1 John 4. 18. But fearfulness hinders the expressing acts of love to Christ, and betrays to apostacy. For as every passion is a perturbation, so especially earnal fear, that blinds and disturbs the mind, and hinders the serious consideration of the reasons of our duty, and those motives to persevere in it, that are the fountains of our strength. From hence the timorous are often treacherous, and faith lies buried under the cold pale ashes of fear. Now the irregularity of this passion is best cured, by directing it to the most powerful object. As the

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rod of Moses swallowed up the rods of the magicians; so a stronger fear will subdue that which is in a weaker degree. Our Saviour therefore threatens those that for the fear of men (who can but kill the body) dare not own and defend his truth and cause, that he will renounce them before his Father in the great day, the immediate consequence of which will be the destruction of body and soul in hell, Mat. 10. 31. 32. 33. If earthly potentates had a jurisdiction over heaven, if men were to be tried by their laws at the last day, if their power extended to eternity, they might exact unlimited obedience to their wills; but conscience is a more desirable friend and terrible enemy than Cæsar; and all temporal tribunals are subordinate and accountable to the supreme and eternal: there is "one lawgiver and judge, who is able to save, and to destroy forever." It is the worst perdition to secure ourselves by the neglect of our duty, when we ought to perish for the glory of our Saviour. "He that saves his life, shall lose it."

2. Shame wounds deeper the breasts of some than violence. Zedekiah would rather expose his kingdom and life to the fury of the Chaldean armies, than be himself exposed as an object of derision by surrendering it. And Satan, who understands the temper of men's spirits, suits his temptations accordingly. The purity and holiness of religion expressed in the actions of the saints, is by the scurrilous reflections and bitter sarcasms of profane persons made contemptible. This is as foolish and malicious, as if a slave should reproach the son of a king, that he was like his father in his countanance and actions: for by how much the resemblance of God's holiness appears with more evidence and eminence in their lives, their divine relation is more certainly and justly to be acknowledged. Yet how many are ashamed of this glory? And zeal to vindicate the honor of religion is traduced and villified, either as the effect of designing faction, or of the indiscretion and rashness of a weak judgment and strong passions. In every age the faithful servants of God are by scornful titles despised: we are accounted, saith the Apostle, the off-scouring of the world, 1 Cor. 4. 17. But a generous christian looks upon disgrace for the sake of Christ as his honor. The Apostles rejoiced that they were accounted worthy to suffer shame for his name, Acts, 5. 41. It is said of the Baptist, "he was not that light but came to bear witness to that light:" intimating as if that were the next degree of dignity to it. And our Saviour, speaking of the proofs of his divine mission, reckons up the witnesses of such dignity, that it is not possible for sacred ambition to aspire to higher honor, than to be in conjunction with them; They are John the Baptist, his miracles, his Father, and the Scriptures, John 5. 33. 36, 37. 39.

Let us appeal then from the light depraved fancies of carnal men, to the wise and faithful judgment and authority of the Son

of God. He will at the last day, in the presence of his Father, and all the court of heaven, give an incomparable crown to all that have "despised shame" for his sake. But those vile spirits. whose courage of straw is quelled by vain opinion, and the reproaches of fools, and have deserted the cause of Christ shall then be clothed with confusion: for this we are assured by our Judge, that whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels, Mar. 8. 38. If the unnatural brothers were astonished when the governor of Egypt told them, "I am Joseph, whom ye sold;" how much more will false christians, when the Lord of glory shall tell them, I am Jesus, whom for base shame ye denied? How will it confound those abject wretches to be a spectacle of abhorrence and scorn before that universal glorious confluence? They would choose rather to be covered under the ruins of the world. If we value and desire the approbation of the King of angels, if we fear a final rejection from him, to obtain the one and avoid the other, we must entirely adhere to his interest, without any respect to the eyes and esteem of the perverse deceived world.

(6.) A cordial beneficent love to the saints, is a requisite qualification of our acceptance in the Day of Judgment. Then shall the king say to them on his right hand, come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungry, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me, Mat. 25. 34. 35. 36. The union and endearments betwixt Christ and his people, are mutual and reflective; as they are extremely tender of his glory, for he is concerned in all that is done to them. And though the perfection of love consists more in the affections of the heart than 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 depressed 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 the 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 sentenced to be tormented with the apostate angels forever. What indignity is it to the Son of God, that those for whom he shed his most precious 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 be of those, that from the heat of their enmity outrageously persecute the servants of Christ for his sake, in their persons, estates, reputations, that with a worse than barbarous inhumanity seek their ruin? 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 carelessness, the other vain confidence in ourselves; and the consideration of judgment to come, is the greatest motive to them, and the first principle of holiness. This should work more powerful 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 published at the last day. Methinks the terrors of the Lord should engage our souls and senses to a continual preparation for his coming. It 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, Jude 15. Behold he comes in the clouds, and every eye shall see him; Rev. 1. 9. And to call the ear, and make it attentive; The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, 1 Thess. 4. 16. How circumspect should we be in all our ways, since every action shall be reviewed by our Judge? 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? 1 Pet. 3. 11, 12. 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 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