come to the knowledge of men's characters. Human courts or trials are to investigate what men have been guilty of, what their conduct and characters are, that they may be acquitted and rewarded, or condemned .and punished according to law and evidence. God knows every man's character and conduct as well before this general judgment as afterwards, therefore it is not that he should receive any information concerning them either good or bad. Neither is it the intention of this public judgment, to change the fentence which was passed on every one at his death. For every foul which departs from this world is in a private manner judged, and immediately fent to one or the other great receivers of departed fpirits, agreeable to their characters as righteous or wicked, to wit, heaven or hell. And this public judgment will not alter the fentence which was then pronounced upon them.

But the defign of this great and general judgment is to dif play and illuftrate to the univerfe, the perfect righteoufness and juftice of God; and the fair and equal judgment, which has been paffed upon every individual. Every wicked being in earth and hell thinks God to blame; they imagine that he does wrong, in fome way or other, either in permitting fin to enter into the world, fuffering it to continue in it, or he acts wrong in thewing mercy to fome and not to others, in grant. ing gofpel light and privileges to fome, while others are overwhelmed in the thick glooms of pagan darknefs. For thefe and a thousand other reafons, they diflike God and his govern ment and feel him to blame. But in the general judgment it will confpicuously appear to angels and devils, faints and finners, that he is righteous in all his ways and perfectly just and holy in his being, perfections and government, and in all the adminiftrations of his providence and in all his works. In that day the divine character will be cleared of all the falfe afpersions cait upon it, and the whole univerfe of beings will acknowledge, that each one was dealt with and treated in the most fair,

equal, canded and righteous manner. Therefore this judgment is ftiled, "The day of the revelation of the righteous judg "ment of God." Every one will have an open and public trial, before all his conduct and works will be laid to the rule, and the final adjudication will be accordingly. To him that hath done well, his fentence will be eternal life; but to him that hath obeyed unrighteoufnefs, his fentence fhall be indig. nation and wrath. The fairnefs and juftice of the judicial pro ceedings will be unexceptionably evident to every one's con fcience and judgment. So that the mouths of the wicked shall pronounce themfelves guilty; and the righteous fhall cry, "Holy and true, O Lord, art thou when thou judgest."

Alfo the final decifion will be perfectly manifeft to each individual. Though God needs no information refpecting any one's real character, yet there must be evidence given to a perfons felf, and to all others, in order to prove in an explicit manner, his character to be fuch as it really is. Wherefore works in this public judgment will be produced as the grand proof of any one's character, whether it be good or bad. And this leads to the

Second question arifing upon this fubject, to wit: What isthe benefit and advantage of works in this final and folemn judgment? I must take it for granted, that we all understand what is meant by the term-works. They are the productions, fruits and manifeftations of the heart. They are every thing by which the heart is made known. God fees the heart intui tively without works, but this is not the cafe with either angels devils or men. None can immediately behold the heart of another. Man cannot difcern the heart of man, nor angel, of angel. This intuition is the prerogative of God, and is per. haps one of his incommunicable attributes. Wherefore to know the heart, the real character must be known, and this is

only discoverable by works. Man will be diftinguished from man, and angel from angel, only by thefe means.

First, the real state of men will be tried by their works, whe ther it be a state of fin or holinefs.-Then,

Secondly, their works will be proper manifeftations of the progrefs they have made in their states.

First, works in the final judgment will be exhibited as the fole evidence to prove what flat a person is in, whether it be that of the righteous or the wicked. As the righteous will be judged first, fo their good works will be produced in teftimony of the fincerity of their love, faith, repentance, striving against fin, holiness and godly living. Then will the fontence of the judge be, "Come ye bleffed of my Father, inherit the king"dom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; "for 1 was an hungered, and ye gave me meat, I was thirty "and ye gave me drink, I was a firanger and ye took me in "naked and ye cloathed me, I was fick and ye vifited me, I 66 was in prifon and ye came unto me." On the other hand the evil works of the wicked will be exhibited as the undeniable proof of the badnefs of their hearts and state Thefe will prove them workers of iniquity, impenitent, unbelieving, difobedient to the gofpel, and tranfgreffors against the light of nature. And their fentence will be, " Depart from me, ye cur"fed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels; "forI was an hungered and ye gave me no meat, I was thirsty "and ye gave me no drink, I was a firanger and ye took nie "not in, naked and ye cloathed me not, fick and in prifon and "ye vifited me not." Thus all will be judged according to their works, and the characters of all whether good or bad will be manifefted.

Secondly, another ufe and defign of works in the laft judg

ment is, they will ferve to prove the advancements which perfons have made in their general ftates. As fome are vaftly more wicked than others, fo fome are more righteous and ho ly than others. Some have had great and diftinguished talents, enjoyed higher degrees of light and knowledge, and more eminent advantages, and by their wafte and mifimprovement and abufe hereof, have exceedingly aggravated their fins, and therefore will be adjudged to a greater degree of fuffering.--Hence this public judgment will be more tolerable to fome than others." The fervant who knew his master's will and “ did it not shall be beaten with many ftripes." So likewife it will be with the righteous; fome have pre-eminently fuffered for religion, and made abundantly greater advances in virtue, piety and holiness than others, these will be promoted to fuperior degrees of happiness in glory. Therefore we read, that in the heavenly kingdom are many manfions, that the twelve apoftles fhall fit on twelve thrones, and to be exalted on Chrift's right hand and on his left fhall be given unto them for whom it is prepared of the Father. Now all these things will be determined in the exact proportion of men's works. Thus we fee the grand defign of the general judgment, the purpose and use of works in that day, and all thefe things illuftrate the doctrine in our text, that every one will be judged according to his works.

This fubje&t fhall be clofed with a few reflections.

First, we are here taught the great importance and abfolute neceflity of good works. This is an effential article of the goffel, and must be preached by all the minifters of truth. Our Lord fays, "Let your light fo fhine before men, that "others beholding your good works, may glorify your Father "which is in heaven." And St. Paul enjoins, "Walk wor

thy of the Lord, being fruitful in every good work." This he gives in charge to Titus, "That they who have believed in

"God, might be careful to maintain good works, for these "things are good and profitable unto men. Every good "tree will bring forth good fruits." And where there are not good fruits, or good works, it is an infallible evidence that the tree is not good. And thus it will appear in the future judgment when every one will be tried, acquitted or condemned, according to his works.

Secondly, we learn there will be different degrees of punishmeat in hell. And no doubt, of all the miserable there, gospel defpifing finners will receive the fullest measure of tor

Chrift declares, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for Chorazin and Befaida, and that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for the city of Capernaum. Wherefore let finners under the light of the gofpel particularly confider, that above all others while you continue impenitent, you are treafuring up for yourselves wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God. O that you would fpeedily awake from fatal fecurity and attend to the things of your peace. “Awake, O sleeper, arife, call upon thy God, if fo be he may have mercy upon you, that you perish not."

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Thirdly, we are here taught that there will be different degrees or measures of happiness among the bleffed. "They "that are wife thall fhine as the brightnefs of the firmament, "and they that turn many to righteoufnefs as the ftars forever "and ever. As there is one glory of the fun, another glory "of the moon, another glory of the ftars, fo alfo is the refurrec❝tion of the dead." Numerous paffages of fcripture teach us that there will be different degrees of glory among the happy according to their various capacities. As one ftar differs from another ftar in glory, fo alio will it be with the bleffed.

Lastly, let this doctrine be improved by all who are chrifti.