A practical discourse concerning a future judgment by William Sherlock ...

CHAP. V. Who are to be Iudged, viz. The World, or all Mankind.

V. LET us consider who are to be judged, and they are the World, or all Mankind: for I shall take no no∣tice of the Judgment of the Devil and the Apostate Angels, which we know no more of, but only that they shall be judged, that the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath re∣served in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day, Jude, v. 6.

Why their Judgment is deferred so long we cannot tell; for it is plain, that the Angels fell from their first Estate before Man, and how long we know not, for it was the Serpent that beguiled Eve; but this we know, that whatever their first A∣postasie was, they have a great deal more to answer for now, and must expect a more terrible Condemnation: All the Sin that is in the World is originally owing to the Temptation of the Devil, who se∣duced

our first Parents in Paradise, and has ever since been the great Tempter to Wickedness and Apostasie from God; and therefore he is in some degree entitled to all the Wickedness of Mankind.

And this is a good reason why the De∣vil and his Angels, and all bad Men should be judged and condemned together, those who tempt, and those who are overcome by Temptations; the Prince of Darkness, and all his Subjects, whether Angels or Men. Hell is the Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels, not for Men; but when he has drawn Mankind into the A∣postasie, it is fit they should share in his Punishments too; and when our Lord comes to Judge Men who have been se∣duced and corrupted by Evil Spirits, there is no reason to think that wicked Spirits should escape, who have seduced and ty∣rannized over Mankind.

But that which we are at present con∣cerned in, is the Judgment of Mankind, That God hath appointed a Day wherein he will Judge the World, or the whole Race of Men, as St. Iohn represents it, I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, 20 Revel. 12.

No Man who believes a Future Judge∣ment, makes any doubt of this, but that

all shall be judged: For if any, why not all? We are all alike God's Creatures, we are all equally accountable to him, and though we have very different Talents, yet we have all some Talent or other to improve for our Master's use: And there∣fore I shall not go about to convince any Man, that he is to be judged as well as the rest of Mankind; but there are some Persons who are apt to forget this, who have yet as much occasion to think of a Future Judgment, as any other Men, and therefore ought to be minded of it: and they are those who are very Rich and Great, or very Poor, or in the Vigour and Gaiety of Youth.

1st, Rich and Great Men, Princes and Potentates, Men of Honour and Fortune, who are exalted above the common Level of Mankind: These must all be judged as well as the meanest Men, though they are not very apt to think of it; great Power and great Riches make them reverenced and adored like so many little Deities in this World; all Men court and flatter them, and make a great distinction be∣tween them and those of a meaner Rank and Fortune; and this is apt to swell their Minds; they look down upon the rest of

the World as very much below them; and think they merit much when ever they look up to God: for such great Men as they are to worship God, and lift up their Eyes sometimes to Heaven, they i∣magine is so great an Honour to God, and Credit to Religion, that a very little mat∣ter will be accepted from them: they see Humane Judicatures very often have great respect for Mens persons in Judgment, and they hope God will consider their Quality too, and deal with them like Prin∣ces, or Nobles, or Gentlemen; as one un∣fortunate Gentleman expressed himself not many Years since at the Gallows; and I fear therein spoke the secret Thoughts and Hopes of many others: so that if these Men believe they shall be judged, yet they perswade themselves, that they shall not be judged like other Men; that God will wink at their Faults, and have respect to their Rank and Quality, and excuse them from the strict Observation of those Laws which were made for meaner Per∣sons.

I suppose you do not expect I should gravely and seriously confute such vain Conceits as these, which few Men dare profess, and own, and defend, though they secretly flatter themselves with such Hopes,

as is too visible in their lives; but since Men are apt to think such things as they dare not speak, it will be useful to sug∣gest some wiser Thoughts to them, which may prevent such Imaginations, and bring the greatest Men living under the Awe and Terrour of the Future Judgment.

For what a vain Imagination is it, That God will have regard to Earthly Great∣ness in judging the World! For what is this World, and all the Greatness and Glo∣ry of it, to him who made it? Great and small are but comparative Terms, and no∣thing is great, when compared with that which is greater: Consider the Glory of our Judge, as I have already represented it to you, when he shall come attended with Myriads of Angels; and then think what little creeping Worms you are to him: We may observe in this World, that every Rank and Degree of Men appears considerable to those below them, but those above use them as Inferiours, and are not afraid to Judge and Correct them for their Faults; and is there not a much greater Distance between GOD and the greatest Emperour, than there is between the greatest Emperour and a petty Con∣stable? Consider the Case of the Apostate Angels, of the Devil himself, who is the

Prince of the Power of the Air, and was a very glorious Spirit; and if as great and glorious as he was, God flung him down from Heaven for Sin, and as pow∣erful as he now is, who is the God of this World, will judge and condemn him at the last Day, why should any Man think that his Power and Greatness, which be it what it will, can neither be compared to what the Devil was, nor to what he is, should excuse him from the Judgment of God.

And since you boast of your Power and Greatness, who made you so? who made you to differ from the meanest Beggar? who advances Princes to the Throne, and cloaths them with Glory and Majesty? is not all power of God? are they not his Ministers and Servants? and is any Mi∣nister too great to be corrected by his Prince, who made him so? are not all Mi∣nisters accountable to their Lord? and the greater their Trust and Power is, have they not a greater account to give? and is this a reason why they should give none? why they should be exempted from Judge∣ment, and from giving an Account?

But it is a wonderful thing to me, that any Man should glory in Power and Great∣ness, or think himself too big to be judged

by God, or that God will have any re∣gard to his Greatness in judging him; for did he but reflect upon his own state and condition in this World, it would convince him what a little inconsiderable Creature he is.

As great as any Man is, he is exposed to every Accident, to all the Changes and Vicissitudes of Fortune: God can and very often does punish him in this World, and then there is no reason to expect tha•• he will not judge him in the next: Pain and Sickness stand in no awe of his Great∣ness, and Death is no more afraid of him than of a Beggar: Those who are Gods 〈◊〉〈◊〉 earth, must die like Men; which is the Curse and Punishment of Sin, and this puts an end to all their Greatness, for af∣ter a little Funeral Pomp is over, and they are laid in their Graves with a little more Ceremony than meaner Men, they are forsaken of all their Guards, and Retinue and Dependants, and are left to be a Prey for Worms: And is this the Creature too great to Reverence and Worship God▪ and too big to be judged, whom Worm•• eat, and Beggars walk over his Grave!

This is the weak and frail State of the greatest Men on Earth; they go naked and unarmed into another World, stripe of

their Power and Fortunes, of Riches and Honours, which dazled the Eyes of Men here; and when they are gone, all Men speak their Minds freely of them, judge t••eir Lives and Actions, arraign their Me∣mories, and revenge their Injuries upon their Graves; and when they are become little enough to be judged by Men, sure∣ly they are not too big for God's Judge∣ment: Then the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, as well as ••very bond-man, and every free-man shall hide themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains; and say to the rocks and mountains, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who sh••ll be able to stand? 6 Revel. 15, 16, 17.

Consider this ye Rich and Great Men, who are so apt to forget God, and a Fu∣ture Judgment: Riches profit not in the D••y of Wrath, they cannot bribe God as they do Men, no power can prevail a∣gainst the Almighty; proud and swelling Titles are meer empty Bubles, which burst and vanish into nothing in the next World: Men ye are, and ye shall die like

Men, and shall be judged like Men, and have much more reason to think of Judg∣ment then other Men have, for ye have a greater Account to give, and are in more danger of giving a very bad Accoun•• if you do not frequently and seriously think of Judgment.

What a mighty Trust, and a mighty Temptation are Riches, and Honour, and Power! How much good, and how much hurt, may such Men do in the World! And what a formidable thing is it, to give an account of all the Good that we might and ought to have done, and have not and of all the Evil we have done by the abuse of those Blessings of Heaven, which we were entrusted with to do good.

Honour and Power always carry some great Duties with them; they are not meerly intended to set some Men above others, to command the Cap and the Knee, and external Respects, but they are for the good Order and Government of the World, to suppress and punish Wicked∣ness, and to protect and incourage Inno∣cence and Vertue; such Men are like the great Lights of Heaven, to direct and che∣rish the World with their Light and In∣fluence; their Examples are visible and conspicuous, and carry great Authority

with them; and if their Motions be irre∣gular and exorbitant, it proves as fatal as for the Sun to forsake the Eclyptick, and wander into unknown Regions of the Hea∣ven, which would confound Summer and Winter, Night and Day, and bring the utmost Disorder upon Humane Affairs: When Princes and Great Men who should support Religion, and punish Wickedness, are the Patrons of Atheism, Prophaneness, and Immorality, and give Countenance and Reputation to it by their Examples, what Multitudes of Converts do they make! How does it give the Reins to Mens ungoverned Lusts, when the Re∣straints of Fear and Shame are gone! How does it corrupt even vertuous and well-disposed Minds, when it is a fashion∣able thing to be wicked, when it quali∣fies them for Preferments, and makes them fit for the best Company; while Vertue and Modesty is the common Sub∣ject of Drollery and Ridicule: when those who should Administer Justice to the World, oppress the Poor and Fatherless, and accept the Pensions of the Rich; when they pervert Judgment for a Re∣ward, and enrich themselves with Bribes: such an Abuse of Power will have a very heavy Account: What a dreadful thing

will it be, when you come to Judgment, to be persued with the Cries of Widows and Orphans, of ruined Families, and which is more dreadful yet, with the Cur∣ses and Execrations of murdered Souls!

The like may be said of Riches, which is but a Stewardship, and we must give an account of it: and if instead of impro∣ving a plentiful Fortune to do good to the World, we spend it upon our Lusts, and make ourselves Beasts; if with the rich Man in the Gospel, we fare delici∣ously every day, and suffer the Poor and Miserable to starve at our Doors, we must expect to hear what Abraham said to him, Son remember thou hadst thy good things i•• thy life-time, and Lazarus his evil things, therefore now thou art tormented and he is comforted.

To whom much is given, of them shall be much required: Our Account encreases as our Riches, and Honour, and Power does; for the more opportunities we have of doing good, the more is expected from us; and the more we have experienced the Divine Bounty and Goodness, the greater Returns we owe of Duty and Gratitude; and therefore rich and great and powerful Men, have more reason to think of Judgment, then other Men, be∣cause

they have a greater Account to give; and yet there is a greater reason than this too▪ that nothing but the fre∣quent and serious Thoughts of Judgment will enable them to make a good Ac∣count.

Our Saviour tells us how hard it is for a rich man to enter into heaven; as hard as for a camel to go through the eye of a needle: For how irresistible are the Tem∣ptations of Riches and Power? which take off all the Restraints of Fear and Shame, and furnish them with all the In∣struments and Opportunities of gratifying their Lusts.

How hard is it for Men to bear Great∣ness without Pride and Insolence? to be Rich without being covetuous or luxuri∣ous? to be devout Worshippers of GOD, when they themselves are adored and flat∣tered by Men? there are very few Ex∣amples of Humility, Piety, and Devotion, Temperance and Chastity in an exalted Fortune. Prosperity is generally a great∣er Tryal of a steddy and confirmed Ver∣tue, than Adversity is; for it scatters our Thoughts, makes our Spirits aery and vo∣latile, gives new Charms to the World, and kindles new Fires within; it leads us through all the various Scenes of Plea∣sures,

and keeps up and tempts our Ap∣petite with Varieties and fresh Delights▪ and entertains us so much abroad, that we can seldom retire into ourselves, and converse with our own thoughts.

But would such Men seriously think of Judgment, it would teach them another use of Riches and Power; it would mind them that they are but Men, as other Men are, all alike to God, and that they shall be judged alike; that their Riches and Power, which distinguishes them from other Men, is not their own, but they are entrusted with it by God, not to domi∣neer over their fellow-Creatures, not to eat and drink and be drunken, and to smite their fellow-servants, but to relieve the Poor, to defend the Injured and Oppres∣sed, to be Eyes to the Blind, and Feet to the Lame, a Father to the Fatherless, and a Husband to the Widows: this is the Ho∣nour God has conferred on them, that he has made them his Ministers and Stewards, Tutelar Angels, and even Gods to Men; and the way to be truly Great, is to im∣prove their Power and Riches, to make themselves very useful to the World: To have Power and Riches is not to be great, but to do a great deal of good with them; this sets them above other Men, and will

prepare glorious Rewards for them: but i•• Power and Riches make them only more wicked then their Neighbours, all that they will get by it will be a hotter Hell.

2dly, Those who are very poor and ca∣lamitous, are very apt to forget a Future Judgment, or to think themselves uncon∣cerned in it: they are too little for Judg∣ment, as the others were too great; what should God judge them for, whom he has intrusted with little or nothing but their Skins. Who can spare no time to worship God, for all the time they have is little enough to get Bread in: who can∣not be blamed, if when they can get a lit∣tle Drink they drink away Sorrow, and forget their Wants and Miseries for some few Moments; or if they pilfer and steal or lye to get Bread, Necessity has no Law, and makes such Actions innocent in them, as are great Crimes in other Men: By such kind of Excuses as these poor Men excuse away all concernment about Religion; Religion is above them, rich and happy People may be at leisure for it; but they have enough to do to live; the Church-door they like very well, where devout and charitable Peo∣ple drop their Alms, but the inside of the

Church does not belong to them, and they have nothing to do there. And thus it is proportionably in less degrees of Poverty; every Condition of L••fe which may be called poor, is apt to tempt Men to be careless of Rel••gion, and unmindful of a Future Judgment.

Now what is to be said to these Men? Shall we prove that poor Men shall be judged as well as rich? I doubt you would think me very impertinent, should I at∣tempt it, for if all Mankind are to be judged, the Poor must be judged too, if they be Men.

Are not poor Men able to give an ac∣count of their Actions, and why then should they not be called to an account for them? Are they not reasonable Crea∣tures, and able to understand, and give a reason for what they do? and why then should not God ask a reason of them? If they have nothing to give an account of, no account shall be demanded; but if they have, why should they not give an account of what they have, be it more or less? Poor Men shall give no account of Riches, because they have them not, but this does not hinder, but that they may give an account of their Poverty, and those Graces which become a poor and low For∣tune.

They shall not be examined about their Charity, when they had nothing to give; but they may for their Thankfulness to God, and to their Benefactors: They shall not be examined how they used their Riches, which they had not; but they may be, how they bore their Poverty; whether external Poverty has taught them true Poverty of Spirit, Humility, Mo∣desty, Patience in Want and Sufferings, Contentment with a little, Submission to the Will of God, and a chearful Depen∣dance on Providence for their daily Bread; whether they have constantly prayed to God for the supply of their Wants, as well as begged an Alms of Men, and im∣plored the Help and Assistance of the Rich: these are Duties and Vertues which Poverty teaches, and which poor Men ought to exercise, and therefore which God may challenge from them, and Judge them for.

It is a very wild Imagination, to think that Poverty will excuse Mens Pride, and Rudeness, and Insolence, unless it be a Vertue to be Proud, when Men have no Temptation to it, when they have no∣thing to be proud of.

Will Poverty excuse Sloth and Idle∣ness? when Men have nothing to live by

but their Hands, is that a Reason why they should not work? When Men are able to work and get their own living, is Pover∣ty an excuse for begging and living idly upon the Charity and Industry of other Men? when they work hard all day to get Bread for themselves and Families, is this a reason to go to the Ale-house and spend it all at night, to make themselves Beasts, and leave their Wives and Children to starve? ought not God and Men to judge them for this?

But above all things, Poverty is the most unreasonable and senseless Excuse for Irreligion, for neglecting the Worship of God; For certainly, if any thing will make us sensible, how much we stand in need of God, Poverty will: Rich Men, whose Coffers are full of Treasure, who have Goods laid up for many Years, are apt to forget God, because they think they have no present need of Him; they know how to live without him: They have no occasion to beg their daily Bread of him, who have enough to last their lives, and to maintain their Posterity in Luxury, when they are gone: But me∣thinks poor Men, who have no Provisi∣ons before hand, and know not where they shall have their Bread the next day,

should be very sensible that they live up∣on Providence, that they have nothing else to trust to; and would not any one reasonably expect, that such Men would be very devout Worshippers of GOD, would pray constantly and heartily to him, to take them into his Care, when they have nothing but the Providence of God to depend on: One would think such Men should above all things take care to please God, and to make him their Friend and Patron, for if he cast them off, they have no other Refuge: that is a prophane irreligious Mind indeed, whom Want and Distress will not drive to God.

But what would you have such poor Men do? They han't time to spare for their Prayers, unless they should spare it from eating or sleeping; they must be up early at work, and have not leisure for their Devotions, as those have who live at ease.

But did they believe the Divine Pro∣dence, it would satisfie them that the time of Prayer is the best spent of any time in the day, and contributes more to make a comfortable Provision for them then their hardest Labour; for the Blessing of God is more then our Diligence and Labour: he can succeed and prosper our Work;

he can raise up unexpected Friends to us, and by some unseen Accident can change the whole Scene of our Lives, for a more easie and prosperous Fortune.

However, want of time for Prayer and Devotion is always a pretence, and no∣thing but a pretence to excuse the Inde∣votion of our Minds: a Man who loves and reverences God, never wants time for Prayer, whatever his state of Life be; a poor labouring Man can't every Day spend an Hour at Church at his Prayers, but if he have a Mind prepared and di∣sposed for it, he can fall upon his Knees, and offer up a short Prayer to God, as soon as he rises, which takes up very lit∣tle time; and though he cannot be long upon his Knees, yet he can raise up his Heart to Heaven in short and pious Eja∣culations; no business can hinder a de∣vout Mind from this, and therefore no business can excuse the not doing it; and this will be accepted by God, when we have no time for more Solemn Prayer.

So that you see Religion is the Business, and ought to be the Care of poor Men as well as of the rich: there are Graces and Vertues for them to exercise, proper for their state of Life, and therefore they shall be judged as well as the Rich, and

ought frequently to think of a Future Judgment, and to live under the constant awe and sence of it.

The constant sence of a Future Judge∣ment is very necessary for all Mankind, to govern their Lives, and to prepare their Accounts; but besides this, it is of the greatest use to poor Men of any other; for it will in a great measure help to cure their Poverty, or to make it easie.

In ordinary cases, a Man who lives un∣der a constant sence of Judgment, cannot be poor to extremity; for the sence of Judgment will make him diligent, and in∣dustrious, and honest, and frugal, and tem∣perate, and a devout Worshipper of God, which are all thriving Vertues, and will not suffer a Man to be miserably poor: The diligent hand maketh rich; and when it does not make Rich, it at least pre∣vents Poverty; inflexible Honesty gives a Man Reputation in the World, brings him into Business and Employment, and that is a way to thrive; Frugality and Temperance save what is got, and en∣crease the Store; and Reverence and De∣votion for God brings down Blessings on them, gives success to their honest La∣bours; and we know it is the Blessing of God which maketh Rich.

The Experience of the World, as well as the Reason of the Thing, proves this: The miserable Poor are generally the most corrupt and profligate part of Mankind, the very Reproach of Humane Nature; and if you make any curious Observati∣ons about it, you will generally find, that it is not their Poverty which makes them wicked, but their Wickedness makes them poor: you shall very rarely see an honest, industrious, sober, pious Man, but makes a very good shift to live comfortably in the World, unless the Times prove very hard, that there is but little Work, and Provisions dear, or that his Family en∣creases so quick upon him that he has a great charge of Children, before any of them are capable of working for their li∣ving; and in this case such industrious Men seldom want Friends, for every one who knows them, is ready to help them: and therefore poor Men ought to think of a Future Judgment, not only to save their Souls, but to teach them to live in the World, to deliver them from the extream pressures of Want. And this is a double Obligation upon poor Men to think fre∣quently of a Future Judgment, that it is necessary to provide a comfortable Sub∣stance for them in this World, and to save their Souls in the next.

But whether this remove their Pover∣ty or no, it will support them under it, make them patient and contented with their Portion here; if they govern their Lives under the sence of a Future Judge∣ment, it will support them under the Meanness and Calamities of their present Fortune, with better Hopes: they will then contemplate Lazarus in Abraham's Bosom, and comfort themselves with the happy Change of their Condition, as soon as they remove into the other World; there they shall hunger no more, nor thirst any more; their Wants and Suffer∣ings in this World, if they bare them well, shall be greatly rewarded; and tho' they grovel in the Dust here, and are Worms and no Men, they shall then shine forth like the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father: it is a miserable condition indeed to remove from a Dung-hill to Hell; but a Dung-hill is a Palace, if it will advance us to Heaven: nothing but these things can make extream Poverty tolerable, but such Hopes as these will make the poorest Man rich and hap∣py.

3dly, None have more reason to be put in mind of a Future Judgment than Young

Men, for none are more apt to forget it: As Solomon intimates in his Counsel to Young Men, 11 Eccl. 9. Rejoyce, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart chear thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: But know, that for all these things GOD will bring thee to judgment. But to make this Discourse as useful as I can, I shall,

1. Perswade Young Men to possess themselves with a serious and hearty Be∣lief, that they shall be judged. 2. Per∣swade them frequently and seriously to think of a Future Judgment.

1. Let me perswade Young Men to possess their Minds with a serious and hearty Belief that they shall be judged: For though they dare not own that they have the least hope of escaping the Judge∣ment of God, more than other Men, yet there is reason to suspect, that they flatter themselves that their Age will excuse their Crimes; that God will take little notice of the Folly and Giddiness of Youth, but will wink at it as he did at the Times of Ignorance.

For though Young Men commonly think themselves the wisest part of Man∣kind, and despite the Experience and Counsels of Age, yet they are contented to plead their Ignorance and Folly, their Rashness and Giddiness, when they hope to escape Judgment by it. They are but lately come into the World, and every thing is new and surprizing to them; they admire before they understand, and are tempted by meer Curiosity to tast forbidden Pleasures. Sense is very strong and vigorous in them, and Reason is weak; their Passions eager and vehement, and yet soft and tender to every Impression; they are led by Examples, and there are more bad then good Examples in the World, and the Examples of the most are most prevalent, especially when they tempt them to Ease, and Softness, and Luxury, which are great Temptations to Youth without Examples: And can we think that God won't make great Allowances for such a weak and deceivable State of Humane Na∣ture?

This is the fairest Plea that can be made for Youth, why God should indulge their Extravagancies, and not exact so strict and severe an Account from them as from those of riper Years. But if we consider

this over again, we shall find as great rea∣son, why God should judge Youth, as why he should judge any other Age of Men:

1. For first, Young Men are account∣able for their Actions as well as the Old; they understand the difference between Good and Evil; they know that there is a God, whose Creatures they are, and whom they ought to Worship and Obey: and this, as I observed before, makes Man an accountable Creature, and that makes it fit for God to call him to an account: and if this be a good Argument to prove that Mankind shall be judged, it proves that all Men must be judged, who are capable of giving an account, and then Young Men must be judged as well as the Old.

Unless we will allow, that Reason and Understanding makes Men liable to be judged, I would desire to know at what Age God must begin to judge Men: No doubt but every Age will find something or other to plead for its Exemption from Judgment, as well as Youth, of which more anon. But if Reason makes Men the Subjects of Laws and Government, then we must begin to be obnoxious to Judgment with the beginnings of Reason, and our Account will encrease as our Rea∣son

does: that is, as far as our Reason ex∣tends, we must give an account; what our Reason and Understanding does not reach, we shall give no account of: This is very just that the degrees of our Know∣ledge, when it bears proportion to our Age, should lessen or encrease our Ac∣count, but it is reasonable too, that Men should give an account of their Actions proportionable to their Knowledge; and this indeed will make a difference in the Account of young and older Men, though it will not wholly excuse Young Men from giving an Account. This may ex∣cuse a great many Follies, Indiscretions, and Mistakes of Youth, but it can excuse no known and wilful Sin.

There is a certain Age indeed before Humane Laws will take cognizance of the Actions of Children, as not looking on them as reasonable Agents; they must be governed by the Rod, and kept under Discipline, but have not Understanding enough to govern themselves by Laws; but Humane Laws will Judge and Punish those who hope to plead their Youth as an Exemption from the Judgment of God: But why should Young Men expect that God will not judge them for those Crimes for which Men will judge, and condemn,

and execute them too? This is either un∣just in Men, or very just in God: before they flatter themselves that God will ex∣cuse the Lewdness, and Extravagancies, and Frenzies of their Youth, let them try whether this Plea will pass in Humane Courts; and not think it unreasonable that God should judge and punish Youth, when the Wisdom of all Nations has thought it just and reasonable.

2. Consider farther, whether you can think it fitting, that God should suffer Young Men to live as they list, without judging them for it? that he should lay the Reins on their Necks, and let them indulge their Lusts and Appetites, and take their fill of sensual Pleasures, and commit all manner of Villanies without restraint?

For can it become a Wise and Holy God to grant Indulgence to Vice? Are Adulteries, Fornications, Drunkenness, Gluttony, Prophaneness, Irreligion no Sins, when committed by Young Men? Can any one give a reason why these Sins should damn a Man of Forty or Fifty, and be indulged in one of Twenty?

Does it become the Wise and Holy Go∣vernour of the World to contribute so much to the debauching Mankind, as to

indulge their youthful Lusts? to suffer their render Minds to be corrupted with the love and practise of Vice? to be pre∣possessed and prejudiced against the Se∣verities of a Holy Life? when Men by indulging their Lusts are grown fond of this World, and of bodily Pleasures, when are they likely to grow wise? when will they think it time to submit to God's Go∣vernment, and to obey his Laws? How seldom is it seen, that Men who contract Habits of Wickedness in their Youth, e∣ver get a perfect mastery of them, or prove seriously Religious? and those who do, with what infinite difficulty do they do it?

So that should God give liberty to Men, to be as wicked as they please, while they are young, it would be to lit∣tle purpose to give Laws to riper Years; the Seeds of Vertue or Vice are sown in tender Minds, and grow up with them, and are very difficulty rooted out: if God intends we should worship and obey him, when we are Men, he must lay early Restraints upon us, and fashion our Minds betimes: And that is a reason why he should judge Youth, and Antidote them against the flattering Temptations of this Life, with the Hopes and Fears of ano∣ther

World. If you think it hard, that God should judge you for the Lewdness and Extravagancies of Youth, consider whether it would not be much harder, to suffer you to be corrupted when you are young, and to damn you for continuing wicked when you are old: The fears of Judgment may restrain and govern your youthful Passions, and season you with the Principles of an early Piety, which will grow up into confirmed Habits of Ver∣tue, which will direct and govern your Lives in this World, and carry you safe to Heaven; but if Young Men might sin securely without fear of Judgment, in all likelihood t••ey would sin on, till they were old enough to be damned.

3. I must add this also; that there is as little reason to expect, that Young Men should be excused from being judg∣ed, and from giving an account of their Actions, as that any other Men whatsoe∣ver should be excused; every Age has its peculiar Temptations and Difficulties, and if this were a reason why they should not be judged, no Men must be judged: But Youth, before it is corrupted and grown ungovernable, has the fewest Temptati∣ons, and the greatest Restraints and Pre∣servatives of any Age, and therefore is the least excusable.

Youth indeed is rash, and giddy, and inconsiderate, but then it is, or ought to be under the Direction and Government of Parents, Masters, and Tutors; it is a great Misfortune to them when they are not, and a great and fatal Miscarriage in Parents and Masters when they neglect the prudent Government of them: But this is the Provision God has made for their Government, and therefore has im∣planted in them a natural Awe and Reve∣rence for their Parents and Superiours, which makes their Counsels and Examples sacred; which is a mighty advantge a∣bove what those Men have, who have no Body to govern them, and have no Go∣vernment of themselves.

Their Reason indeed is weak, but it is not corrupted as a great many others have corrupted their Reason, by Principles of Atheism and Irreligion; they have a Na∣tural Sence of God, and a Natural Awe and Reverence for his Justice and Provi∣dence, and a Natural Belief of another World, especially if any care has been ta∣ken to instruct them in the Principles of Christianity: and this gives them a great Dread and Horror of Sin, which they be∣lieve will bring the Judgments of God up∣on them in this World, and in the next.

They have little Experience of the World, and a great Curiosity to tast the Pleasures of it; but they are not yet ac∣quainted with the sinful Pleasures of it; they have not contracted a Fondness for them; and the Fear of God will more ea∣sily check and restrain a Curiosity, then conquer a Habit; and therefore they have a more easie Task to keep themselves in∣nocent, then old Sinners have to conquer their vicious Habits, who must pluck out a right Eye, and cut off a right Hand to enter into Heaven.

And the Natural Modesty of Youth is a mighty Restraint which makes them blush at the Thoughts of any Wickedness, and so afraid of a Discovery, when they think of committing it, that it deprives them of the Opportunities of committing it: and while Men retain their natural Modesty, a thousand thoughts give check to them, and a thousand Accidents disap∣point them; but when they have sinned away their Reputation, and their Shame with it, when they are hardened against Reproach and Infamy, or have lost all sence of the difference between Good and Evil, they have nothing to stop them till they come to Hell.

This is the Original State of Youth, which was made for Piety and Vertue, and all Men must acknowledge, that they are in a much nearer disposition for it, than old Sinners: there is almost as much difficulty at first to debauch an innocent Mind, as there is to reclaim an old Sin∣ner; to make the one conquer Shame as there is to make the other blush: And why then should we think; that Young Men shall not be judged by God for break∣ing through all these Restraints? when it is as hard a thing for them to be bad, as it is for others to be good, why should they hope to escape in those Sins for which o∣••hers shall be judged and condemned?

This is sufficient to convince Young Men, that God will judge them as well as others: As young as they are they know when they do their Duty, and when they transgress it, and therefore may be called to an account for it. It never becomes a holy God, nor the wise Governour of the World to indulge Men in Sin, and as little to indulge Young Men as any others; for if he should indulge them in contracting vicious Habits when they are young, he has less reason to judge and condemn them for it, when they are old: And indeed Young Men have least reason to expec••

such an Indulgence; for whatever their Temptations are, it is much easier for them to keep themselves innocent, then it is for other Men to conquer the Habits of Vice.

2. Let me now perswade Young Men frequently to think of a Future Judgment: There is great reason for this Exhortati∣on, because they are very apt to forget it, and yet they have very great occasion for it.

1. They are very apt to forget it: Their Spirits are gay and brisk, and they meet with such variety of Entertainments, as will not admit of such melancholy Thoughts as a Future Judgment: they are so lately come into the World, and are big it may be with such great designs of advancing their Fortunes in it, that they cannot think of going out of it very quickly again: they look upon Judgment as they do upon the other World, as a great way off, and therefore it is not of a present concernment, but may be thought of time enough some Years hence: These are all very foolish Reasonings, but yet these, or such like Fallacies serve to im∣pose upon Young Men; or whatever their pretence be, Experience tells us, that it is

true in Fact, that they think very little of a Judgment to come.

It is easie enough to shew, that these are no Reasons why they should not think frequently of a Future Judgment: How gay and pleasant soever they be, and what∣ever their designs are for this World; the thoughts of Judgment will not allay nor interrupt their Pleasures, while they pre∣serve their Innocence: nothing can make the thoughts of Judgment uneasie to them, unless they resolve to take such Liberties, and persue such Designs as they are afraid to be called to an account for; and the reason why they should think of Judge∣ment is to prevent this; for if once they distract their Minds with Guilt, the thoughts of Judgment will ever after be very uneasie to them, and they must ne∣ver think of it, if they can help it. The best way is to accustom our Minds to the thoughts of Judgment while we are inno∣cent, before we begin to be afraid to think of Judgment, and that will preserve our Innocence, and then the thoughts of Judge∣ment will never interrupt our Pleasures.

But if we cast off the thoughts of Judge∣ment in Youth, which is the surest Guard and Preservative we have, we shall by de∣grees cast off the belief of it too: When

we lay aside the thoughts of Judgment, to take the greater Liberties, to walk in the ways of our hearts, and in the sight of our eyes, we contract such Guilt as makes us afraid of Judgment, and very willing to believe that we shall never be judged; and then we shall easily find some little argu∣ment or other to perswade us that there is no Judgment; that either there is no God, or that he takes no notice of Hu∣mane Actions.

The thoughts of Judgment are never uneasie and troublesome, till Men have scared and terrified their Consciences with Guilt; and therefore the certain way ne∣ver to have the thoughts of Judgment troublesome, is to begin betimes to make it familliar to us; and if we do so, the thoughts of it will not prove melancholy, and then we shall have no reason to lay them aside.

And it is a great Mistake to imagine, that there is no need to think of Judge∣ment but when it is near; that we may securely lay aside the thoughts of it, when it is at a distance; for neither its being near, nor its being at distance is a∣ny reason either to think or not to think of Judgment; but the true reason is, to govern our Lives under the sence of a Fu∣ture

Account, and that is a good reason, equally good, whether Judgment be nigh at hand or a great way off: For if we must give an account of what we do at seventeen or twenty Years old, and of what we do at fifty or sixty, there is the same reason to think of Judgment, and to govern our Lives under the sence of it when we are but twenty, as when we are threescore Years old.

2. Young Men have great and con∣stant occasion for the thoughts of Judge∣ment; and that is a good reason why they should think frequently and seriously of it.

What but this can reduce that giddy Age within Bounds, and make them live by Rule? But if they would consider, that they must be judged by Rule, by the Laws of the Everlasting Gospel, this would do it: This would convince them that they are not their own Masters, that they are not at liberty to live as they list, and to pursue every wild and roving Fancy; they may indeed do this, if they please, but they shall be judged for it, if they do.

What but this can cool the Heats of Youth, and conquer all the Charms of Flesh and Sence? But know, saith the wise

man, that for all these things God will call thee to judgment. And a Man who is a∣fraid of Judgment, who is afraid of Lakes of Fire and Brimstone, who has the ter∣rible prospect of eternal Miseries before him▪ will have no great Appetite to the choicest Sensualities: He will freez in the Embraces of the most beloved Mistress, and will tremble in the midst of his Cups, as Bel••shazzar did, when he saw the Hand∣writing upon the Wall: For who can bear the thoughts of being miserable for ever? Who with these thoughts about him can relish such fatal Pleasures? Pleasures, which will cost him his Soul? short and dying and vanishing Pleasures, which will end in eternal Pain? who would not be contented to endure the pain of denying an Appetite, of subduing a domineering Passion, of plucking out a right Eye, and cutting off a right Hand, rather than to be miserable for ever? And when it is so impossible for Young Men to resist these flattering Temptations without a present and awful Sence of Judgment, can any thing more concern them then frequently to repeat these Thoughts, and to possess their Imaginations with the lasting Impres∣sions and Images of it; that it may be al∣ways at hand, and ready for use.

But this is necessary for all Men, as well as those who are young; whoever takes care of his Soul, ought to keep his Eye upon a Future Judgment; I grant it is so, but there are some peculiar Advant∣ages, which Young Men will reap by this, if they begin this Practise betimes:

1st, For this will preserve their Inno∣cence and Vertue, and prevent the Ter∣rours and Agonies of a late Repentance: All the kindness the Thoughts of Judge∣ment can do to old Sinners, is to put a stop to them, and to bring them to Re∣pentance: and this is a very great kind∣ness, if it makes them true Penitents, be∣cause it will save their Souls. And this is that which most Sinners desire, to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin as long as they can, and to repent before they die: and thus they think they adjust all Interests, gra∣tifie the Flesh, and save their Souls at last.

But if these Men ever prove true Peni∣tents, they become very sensible of their Mistake: They wish then when it is too late, that they had remembred their Crea∣tor in the days of their youth; that they had preserved themselves from the Pollu∣tions of Flesh and Sence; they feel by sad

Experience, what an evil and a bitter thing it is to sin against God: How ama∣zing the Shame, how sharp the Sorrow of Repentance is: It is a very melancholy and disconsolate Work, when Men draw near their end, to look back upon a vici∣ous and profligate Life, to have their whole Lives to unlive again; to abhor themselves for what they have done, and to look forward with trembling into the other World: for such late Penitents ge∣nerally carry the Marks of their Repen∣tance in Shame and Sorrow to the Grave with them.

All this Young Men may prevent, if they will but think of Judgment in their Youth, and govern their Lives under a sence of it: This will make them remem∣ber their Creator in the days of their youth, and consecrate their tender Age to his Service: it will preserve them from youthful Lusts, from all enormous Crimes, and give them the humble Assurance and Confidence of dutiful Children in their Addresses to God: when they draw near a conclusion of their Lives, they review their past Victories over the World and the Flesh with the securest Triumphs: The little Follies, and Indiscretions, and Miscarriages which the best Men are sub∣ject

to, will keep them humble, and teach them to trust only in the Merits and In∣tercession of Christ; but when they have made it the whole business of their Lives to please God, though with the common Weaknesses and Infirmities of Humane Na∣ture, they feel great Peace of Mind, and assurance of the Love of God; and the nearer their Work is to an end, the more securely they triumph.

What a happy State shall we think this, when Death and Judgment are in view! to feel so swe•••••• Calm in our Breasts! to have so joyful a Prospect before us! And who would not think of Judgment when he is young, that the hope and expectati∣on of it may be the Comfort and Support of Age; that then he may review his past Life not to undo what he has done, but to tast the Pleasures, and to reap the Re∣wards of it in present Peace of Mind, and great Hopes.

2ly, There is another Advantage which Young Men may make of the early thoughts of Judgment, which old Sinners have lost, and can never retrieve by all their Repentance, viz. To make great Advances and Attainments in Piety and Vertue, which will greatly augment their

Reward. Men who sin on till old Age, though they prove true Penitents at last, can never recover this; for their time is past, and their youthful Strength and Vi∣gour spent, and the Scene of Action o∣ver; they can never re-call thirty or for∣ty Years past, in which if they had impro∣ved their time well, they might have done great Service to God and to Religion, and great good to Men; but those who are beginning their Lives, if they start right at first, and pursue an even and steady Course of Piety and Vert•••• if they keep the Future Judgment, and the next World always in their Eye, what Improvements will they make! what rich Treasures and glorious Rewards may they expect from that Righteous Judge, who will render to every Man according to his Works!

The most that a Penitent can expect after a long Life spent in Wickedness and Folly, is to get to Heaven, and it is infinite Mercy in God to accept of such Penitents; but the bright and dazling Crowns are re∣served for those who have spent their Lives well, and glorified God on Earth, and finished the Work he gave them to do: such Men will triumph at the Con∣clusion of their Race and Warfare, as St. Paul did, I have fought a good fight, I

have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.

I know this will not affect those Men now who love their Sins, and desire to keep them as long as they can; they will be very well satisfied if they can but get to Heaven at last, how mean soever their Station be there; for they are not so de∣sirous to go to Heaven, as to escape Hell; and if they can but keep out of Hell, it is all they hope for: but Men must have a greater Spirit, a more Divine and Gene∣rous. Temper of Soul, before they can get to Heaven: If ever they prove true Pe∣nitents, the loss of so many opportunities of doing Good, and the loss of any degrees of Glory, they might have had, will both shame and afflict them. I am sure the greater Rewards we expect in the other World, the greater degrees of Glory and Happiness, the greater will our Joy and Triumph be.

Are not Men in this World as fond of Happiness, as they are afraid of Misery? Does not a great Mind despise little things, and aim at what is great? And is there not as much reason to aim at the highest Happiness we are capable of in the next World, as well as in this?

This is the noble Prize I would propo••e to Young Men: You are now beginning your Race, your Day is but in its Dawn; if you rise with the Sun, and work hard all day, and spend your whole Lives in God's Service, what a great deal of work will you do, and what a proportionably great Reward will you have? This you will do, if you make the Thoughts of Judgment familiar to you; this will keep a constant Guard upon your Actions, this will excite and quicken your Industry, this will make you stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, as knowing, that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord.