overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne*.

These things being so, instead of amusing ourselves with the speculative consideration of his ascension, and the reasons of it; we should learn from his departure to prepare for his return. To this was the attention of those, who saw it, directed by the angels. Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you, shall so come, in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven †. The present article of our Creed is, that he sitteth at the right hand of God. The next is, that, from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. And what should this very close connexion teach us, but that we all be careful to behave in such manner, that we may be ready to meet our Lord at his coming, and enter with him into his joy§? He hath descended upon earth to procure us a right to future happiness; and instruct us, how to obtain it: he is now ascended up into heaven, to prepare a place for us : there seated in glory, he invites us to him. What then remains, but that we fix our hearts where our treasure is ¶ and set our affections on those things that are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God**? But in vain do we rejoice in a glorified Saviour, unless we become his friends, by doing what he commands us t†: in vain do we lift up our eyes and our wishes to his happy abode; unless, by resembling him now in purity and holiness, we qualify ourselves to partake hereafter the resemblance of his glory. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?

* Rev. iii. 21. Matth. xxv. 21. ** Col. iii. 1.

+ Acts i. 11.

|| John xiv. 2. ++ John xv. 14.

1 Thess. iv. 17 ¶ Matth. vi. 21.

or who shall stand in his holy place? Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life, and doth the thing that is right, and speaketh the truth from his heart. He that hath used no deceit in his tongue, nor done evil to his neighbour, and hath not slandered his neighbour. He that setteth not by himself; but is lowly in his own eyes. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned: but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, and doth not lift up his soul unto vanity. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation*.

Psalm xv. and xxiv.

LECTURE XII.

CREED.

Article VII. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

THIS is the great and awful doctrine, which makes all the preceding ones so important to us: that God hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained* : a truth, the belief of which it infinitely concerns every one of us to settle well in our souls, and be duly affected by it.

The reason of our minds, and even the feelings of our hearts, give us very strong grounds to be persuaded of a future judgement, had we no further evidence. We are all of us, by nature, capable of perceiving what is just and right for us to do, and what is otherwise we are all capable of acting according to this perception: we all see, it is fit we should; and fit we should suffer for it, if we do not. When we behave according to our duty, there springs up a delightful peace and security within our breasts: when we knowingly transgress it, we not only disapprove and accuse ourselves, whether we will or not, but experience a foreboding expectation of just re

compence. For wickedness condemned by her own witness is very timorous: and, being pressed with conscience, always forecasteth grievous things. Nor do these horrors relate only, or chiefly, to what we have deserved to suffer in this world; but when our share in it draws to an end, and death approaches, then our fears grow stronger than ever, concerning somewhat, which is yet to comet. And thus are all men a law unto themselves; and shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness t

That some persons are able to overwhelm these apprehensions under business and pursuits, to drown them in debauchery and intemperance, to divert them by pleasures and amusements, to set up little cavils against them, and even affect to ridicule them; is no objection in the least to their being just and well-grounded. The feeling is plainly natural: every one of these methods to get rid of it, is plainly a force upon nature. Often it returns with double terror, for having been unjustly driven away; and seldom, or never, can the most thoughtless, or most hardened person, lose intirely those fears, which are seated in the very bottom of our souls; and which if we could lose, we should only be the more surely miserable; for still the foundation of them would remain unshaken.

Still it would be true, that there is a God, who made us, and is at all times intimately present with us who therefore with unspeakably more ease perceives all that passes in our very hearts, than we do one another's outward actions: who being perfect in

*Wisd. xvii. 11. + Επειδαν τις εγγυς η του οιεσθαι τελευτησείν, εισέρχεται αυτο φοβος και φροντις περι ὧν EV τω προσθεν ουκ εισηγείο Plot. de Rep. 1. i. Rom. ii. 15.

knowledge, distinguishes, in every case, what is good from what is evil; and being perfect in holiness, approves the one, and abhors the other. Even we are thus affected in some degree; and his infinite purity must therefore be infinitely more so. Now what he hates, he can punish as he pleases; and reward what he loves: for all power is in his hands: all nature depends on the word of his mouth; and he is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever*.

Think then will the righteous and holy king of the whole earth, when he hath planted his laws in our hearts, when he hath made us for the very purpose of obeying them, when he hath filled us with so deep a sense of what will follow if we disobey them; suffer us after this to despise and dishonour him, to injure his creatures, abuse ourselves, and disappoint the great design of forming us; and yet take no notice? Doth he govern the world, to the very least parts of it, with so much wisdom and care, in every other respect and will he be so unwise and negligent, as to overlook the one thing, that deserves his attention above all; and make no distinction between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not†? It cannot be; and the conscience of every one of you, at this moment, tells you it cannot.

If then such a distinction will be made, when and where will it be made? Here, in this world, it plainly is not done, to a degree that the Almighty governor of it can possibly think sufficient. Perpetually we see just men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; and wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous‡. Amidst all this disorder, there are indeed evident marks of a providence: but of a providence, that † Mal. iii. 18. Eccl. viii. 14.

Heb. xiii. 8.