to be great rather than good, who preferr'd the Pomp, and Vanity of this World before their baptifmal Vows; who valu'd the Noife of popular Applause more than the filent Whispers of a good Confcience; then they will fee the Folly of their Choice too late, be defeated in all their Schemes of Ambition, and be mean and miferable for ever. The Unmerciful shall be excluded Mercy, the Intemperate punifh'd in thofe Senfes he has abus'd; and the Impoftor have his Portion with thofe Spirits who lye in wait to deceive. Then fhall the Righteous fhine like the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father, and be fix'd in the Firmament of Honour; all Sorrow fhall be banish'd from their Breafts, all Tears from their Eyes, and all Afperfions from their Name; their Labours and their Fears will end, their Faith have no farther Tryal, and their Hopes expire in the Fruition of thofe inconceivable Pleafures which are at God's Right Hand. This Day of Deliverance will free them from all difagreeable Society; they will be no longer longer forced to dwell with Mezech, with Peevishness and Pride, with Madness and Folly: Their righteous Soul will be vexed no more with the Converfation of the wicked. And as the Apostle fpeaks in another Senfe, They will converfe no longer with Flesh and Blood, with Weaknefs, Ignorance and Paffion; but be tranf lated to the Spirits of juft Men made perfect; to the Wife, the Obliging and the Brave; and be noble Inftances themselves of those Virtues they admire in others. Thus and much more will be done to those whom the King of Glory delights to honour. Indeed, if the Scriptures were filent in the Cafe, if God had not folemnly declar'd his Intentions of rewarding Virtue, and punishing Vice, we might certainly conclude it from the Confideration of his Attributes: For waving the Reason of the Thing, and how agreeable fuch a Distribution is to the Holiness and Rectitude of God's Nature: Waving this, I fay, almost all intelligent Beings, especially those which are generous and kind, are naturally prone to esteem those who who are like themselves. And if they are furnish'd with Ability, they never fail to demonftrate their Affection in the most fenfible and obliging Inftances; for Conformity of Humour and Difpofition is ob ferved to be one of the moft endearing Motives to Friendship and Love. God therefore, we may be fure, will never neglect those who refemble himfelf, who are the Images of his bleffed Nature, and the Offspring not only of his Power, but of his Will. His Inclinations will oblige him to cherish and reward those who are pricked on with a noble and generous Ambition, to rife up to his Perfections as far as their Condition will give them Leave; who ftrive to imitate his Purity, his Mercy and Goodnefs, and adorn their Minds with the most amiable Part of his Character: The righteous Lord loves Righteousness, his Countenance will behold the Thing that is juft. Those who have been eminent for their Patience and Charity, for their firm and immoveable Integrity, will be receiv'd with the highest Marks of Approbation, and distinguish'd proportionably to their Virtues in the Scale of Honour: His Attributes will be all employ'd to reward and dignify their Service; his Goodnefs will defire, his Wisdom contrive, and his Power effect their Happiness. So on the contrary, those who are mean and narrow-spirited, proud and spightful, cruel and implacable, who have defaced all the noble Impreffions of Goodness they were created with: Thefe, as the Pfalmift obferves, fhall not be able to ftand in the Judgment, nor Sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous*. The Contrariety of their Tempers must make every holy and virtuous Mind have an Averfion to them: So that like hated Objects, they will be banish'd from the Prefence of God and Blifs, and be configned over to thofe Apoftate and malicious Spirits, whofe Nature they refemble. From what has been faid, I fhall briefly infer these following Things. * Pfal. i. 5. I. We ought to manage with great Integrity, fince there will come a Day in which the Secrets of all Mens Hearts will be revealed, and that which is Spoken in Closets will be proclaimed upon the Houfe-Tops: When the Paint of Hypocrify will be pull'd off, and every thing appear in its proper Shape and Quality. This Confideration ought to make us careful not to do any thing which is not strictly confcientious, which will not ftand Examination, and bear the Light. We ought to commune with our Hearts, and take an exact Review of our Actions, left there fhould be fome undifcover'd Blemishes in us; fome accurfed Thing hidden, which either Bufinefs, Partiality or Pleasure has made us overlook. 'Tis to no Purpose to wrap ourselves in Difguife, in Reserve and Ambiguity; for tho' here Fraud and Artifice fometimes fucceeds luckily enough among Men, and goes farther than plain dealing: But God is not mocked. Such counterfeit Practices will never pass the last great Enquiry, nor ftand the fiery Tryal. Difhonesty |