Give me leave a little to enlarge upon these words, No sooner Christ begins the sentence, "Depart from me," but methinks I imagine the teprobates to reply, How? Depart from thee? Why, O Christ, thou art all things; and therefore the loss of thee is the loss of all things; thou art the greatest good, and therefore to be deprived of thee is the greatest evil; thou art the very centre, and perfect rest of the soul, and therefore to be pulled from thee is the most cruel separation. We were made by thee, and for thee, O let us never be divided from thec! We were made according to thy image; O never drive us from our glorious pattern! Away, away, (saith Christ) ye have no part in me, or in my merits; never speak or entreat me any more, but depart from me. But secondly, They may reply again, if we must depart, and depart from thee, at least, give us thy blessing before we go; thou hast great stores of blessings to give, and we hope thou hast one yet in store for us, we crave but a small thing, but a blessing, O it is a little one; thou art our Father, (witness our creation,} and it is a chief property of a father to bless his children. "No, depart from me ye cursed, in place of a blessing take the full curse of your fa ther; you have been most prodigal and disobedient children, you have followed him who had my first curse, and now share ye curses with him; cursed be you in your souls, and in your bodies, and in your thoughts, and in your words, and in the heinousness of your sins, and in the grievousness of your punishment." But, Thirdly, if we must depart from thee, and depart accursed, yet appoint us some meet and convenient place to go into; create a fruitful piece of ground, and let a goodly sun daily shine it: let it have a sweet and wholesome air, and be stored with fruits upon and flowers of all forms and colors; give us the variety of creatures for our uses: O if we must go from thee, the source and fountain of heavenly sweetness, afford us some plenty of earthly pleasures, which may in some sort recompense our pain of loss, speak but the word, and such a place will presently start up and show itself. "No, depart from me ye cursed into fire; though fire naturally burns not spirits, yet I will lift and elevate this fire above its nature; you have sinned against nature, and I will punish you above nature." Fire? Alas, that ever we were born! Who is able Of all the creato rest in fire? The very thought of it already burns us.

tures appointed by God to be the instruments of revenge, fire and water have the least mercy. But, Fourthly, If we must into fire, let the sentence stand but a very short time: quench the fire quickly, half an hour will seem a great while there. "No, depart from me ye cursed into ev erlasting fire, it was kindled by my breath, and it hath this property, among other strange qualities, that it is an unquenchable fire: as long as I am God it shall endure, and ye broil in it: and when I cease to be happy, then shall ye cease to be miserable.” O wo is us! What, to live in a fire perpetually, without all end, or hope of end?-Yet, Fifthly, Allot us then some comforters, whose smooth and gentle words may sweeten our tor ments, or somewhat dull the most keen edge of our extremity: O let the angels recreate us with songs and hymns of thee, and of thy blessedness; that we may hear that sweetly delivered which others fully enjoy! "No, no, depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil' and his angels; and they shall be your comforters, they that will triumph in your miseries, they that are your daily desperate enemies: they that will tell you by what deceits and by-ways they led you from me, and that will give you every hour new names of scorn and horrible reproach." sentence not to be endured, and yet never, never must it be reversed! O my brethren, I tremble at the very mentioning of this sentence! and O

what will they do on whom it must pass! I beseech you before we pass from it, will you ask but your souls this one question, What, can you dwell with everlasting fire? If you can, you may go on in sin, but if you cannot, why then stop here, and repent of sin: O now say, "If this be the effect of sin, Lord pardon what is past, and O give me grace that I may sin no more, as sometimes I have done." Methinks, if a temptation should come again for ordinary entertainment, you should fright it away with the remembrance of these powerful words, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels."

2. The saints shall judge the very self-same judgment, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" 1 Cor. 6:2. That they, as well as Christ, shall judge the world, is without controversy, " And judgment was given to the saints of the most High," Dan. 7:22. "Ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel, Matth, 19:28. Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judg ment upon all,” Jude 14,15. "Know ye not that we shall judge the angels?" 1 Cor. 6:5. Not only shall we judge the world, but the god of the world; the principalities and powers that lead captive wicked men at their pleasure; even they must be judged by those whom they formerly foiled: so then there is no question but they shall judge.

Only how the saints shall judge together with Christ, is a very deep question; for my part I am apt to think, that it shall not be directly known, ere it be seen and done. I shall only relate what others say to this point, and so leave you to your liberty of judging what is right.

1. Some say, That the saints shall judge the world by presenting their persons and actions, by compairing their good examples with the evil ex< amples of all the reprobates; and so they shall convince and condemn the world, "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them," Jude 15. This I conceive to be a truth; yet surely this is not all

truth.

2. Others say, That the saints shall judge the world by way of indicting, impleading, accusing, witnessing, &c. And I conceive it may be thus too; the saints of the law more especially accusing the breakers of the law, by the law, "Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father, there is one that accuseth you, even Moses in whom you trust," John 5:45. And the saints of the gospel more especially judging the profaners of the gospel, by the gospel, "In that day, when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel," Rom. 2:16. This likewise is truth; but I believe as yet we have not the whole truth.

3. Others say, That the saints shall judge the world after the manner of exultation, glorying, and rejoicing to see the vengeance, "The right. eous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance, he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked," Psalm 58:10. But this their exulting being a constant and perpetual act, not for a time, but for eternity, methinks this present act should be yet somewhat more.

4. Others say, That the saints shall judge the world by way of assession, assent, vote, suffrage, comprobation, and the like subordinate and conformable acts; "And I heard another out of the altar, say, even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments, Rev. 16:17. And after these things, I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluja, salvation, and glory, and honor, and power unto the Lord our God! for true and righteous are his judgments," Rev. 19:1,2. This certainly is truth, and commonly so received; yet neither is this all truth.

5. Others say, That the saints shall judge the world, i. e. Christ in the saints, and the saints in Christ. He in them, by those infallible principles of divine justice, which are imprest in them: and they in him, by those inseparable bonds of union, whereby they wholly relate to him; or he and they together as head and members, the act of the head imputed to the members, and the act of the members acknowledged by the head; his ju diciary act (especially as from his mediatorship and manhood) having a peculiar influence upon them: and their judiciary act (in a perfect con formity, though not any absolute proportion) having a peculiar reference to him. And methinks those texts of Matthew, 19:28. Jude 14,15. speak there of Christ's and of the saints' judgment, as of one joint act.

Oh, what terror will it be to all wicked men! when not only Christ, but all the saints shall say of them, "Away with them, away with them, let them be damned." You that are fathers, it may be your children will thus sentence you: I remember when the Jews told Christ, "That he cast out devils by Beelzebub, prince of devils;" he answered, "if I through Beelzebub, cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out! Therefore they shall be your judges," Matth. 12:24-27. They liked well enough of the miracles of their children who were disciples of Christ, but they could not endure them in Christ, and therefore he tells them, that their children whom God had converted, and to whom he had given pow. er to do the same works that he did, even they should be their judges to condemn them. And so it may be with you, if any of your children be converted to the Lord, and you remain still in a natural state, your very children shall be your judges, and condemn you to hell. But of that anon.

6. In this doom which Christ and his saints shall pass on reprobates, our Saviour tells us of some reasonings betwixt him and them, "I was an hungred, (saith Christ) and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink," &c. Then shall they answer, "Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? And then shall be answer them, Verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me." As if Christ should have said, Time was that I was un. der reproach, misery, calamity, necessity; I lay at your doors like Lazarus full of sores, and as I thought nothing too much for you, so I expected also something from you, but, Oh! cruelty, to see thy Christ an hungred, and not to feed him! to see thy Christ athirst, and not to cool or quench his thirst! to see thy Christ a stranger, and not to give him a night's lodging! to see thy Christ naked, and not cover him with a garment, who would gladly have covered thee with the robe of righteousness, the garment of salvation! O monstrous inhuman heart! O prodigious wretch! who amongst the heathens ever dealt thus with their idols! Have any of the nations starved their gods, turned them out of doors? And must I only be slighted: Away, reprobates! you had no mercy on me, and now I laugh at your calamity: surely "he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy.' They stand wondering at this, and cannot remember that ever they saw Christ in such a condition, "Why Lord, (say they) when saw we thee an hungred, or thirsty, or naked? art not thou he that rose again from the dead, and ascended on high, and ever since hast been exalted above the highest cherubims, a name being given thee abovo 'every name; at which name to this day, but especially now on this day, every knee doth bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth,” Phil. 2:9,10. How then could we see thee in such a condition? Is not this thy second coming in glory? And were we alive

at thy first coming in humility? How can this be? Oh! why shouldest thou charge us with unkindness to thyself? Sure, if we had known thee in need, we would have given thee of thy own; thou shouldest never have wanted, what things we enjoyed, but thou shouldest have commanded both us and them. To which our Saviour replies, "O deceitful, ignorant, and stupid souls! Have you no better learned Christ than so? Am not I Head of the church, and can the head be without members? Verily, if you had loved, relieved, or done good to them, you had done so to me; but in being uncharitable to them, you were no less unto me." Never say you would have been thus and thus kind to Christ, whilst you were unkind to Christians! herein lies the deceitfulness of your hearts, "O! they are deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, Who can know them? But I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give to every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings," Jer. 17:9,10. In as much as ye did it not to one of the least of my members, ye did it not to me; and therefore get ye down to hell, get you out of my presence; take them devils, away with them, angels, to the devil and his angels for ever.

These are the reasonings betwixt Christ and reprobates; and if so, may we not imagine the like betwixt saints and reprobates? Is there not the same reason of reasoning betwixt them and the inferior judges, as betwixt them and the Supreme Judge? For my part I cannot conceive, but if we admit of such disputes betwixt Christ and them, well may there be the like disputes, arguings, and reasonings betwixt saints and them; for they had on earth more familiarity, converse, and communion together. Some of them, it may be, were in near and dear relations to each other; and now that the one shall judge the other to eternal flames. Oh! what pas sages will be betwixt them! I shall instance in our nearest relations upon earth, as of masters and servants, parents and children, husbands and wives, ministers and people; no question but in these very relations some shall judge, and others be judged. Our Saviour tells us, "There shall be two men in one bed, the one shall be taken, the other shall be left; two women shall be grinding at one mill, the one shall be taken, and the other left; two men shall be together in one field, the one shall be taken, and the other left," Luke 17:34,35,36. Wherein the Lord seems to shew, that God's election doth extend itself to all sorts of persons, and separates the most. They shall not be saved by families, as in Noah's time; but one friend shall be taken by Christ into heaven, and another left for the devil to carry into hell. Give me leave but to enlarge on those reasonings or discourses, that we may imagine will be now betwixt these several relations. As,

1. Betwixt master and servant. If the master be the saint, and his servant the reprobate, then shall the master say, O! thou wicked servant, how many a time did I call on thee to duty? How often have I told thee, that I would have thee to be God's servant as well as mine? How often came that word to thy ears, "Servants obey your masters in all things, according to the flesh, not with eye-service, as man pleasers, but in singleness of heart fearing God?" Col. 3:22. How often was that precious word laid close to thy conscience," He that doeth wrong shall receive for wrong which he doeth; but in doing service to me, as to the Lord, thou ahouldst of the Lord receive the reward of thy inheritance, for in such service thou didst serve the Lord Christ," Col. 3:23,24,25. But thou wouldst not be warned, and now thon art justly condemned; I say, Amen to Christ's sentence, get thee down to hell and there serve Satan, and re

ceive his wages in fire and brimstone forever.-Or, if the servant be the saint, and his master the reprobate, Then shall the servant say, O my quondam master, how many a time hast thou tyrannized it over me? How didst thou use me or abuse me, to serve thy own lusts or corruptions? Many a time I have had strong desires to wait upon God in the use of public and private ordinances; this morning, and that evening, I would have served my master the Lord Jesus Christ, but thou wouldst not spare me one hour's time for prayer, reading, meditation, &c. I was ever faithful in thy service, going to bed late, and rising early: "The drought consumed me by day, and the frost by night, and my sleep many a time departed from mine eyes; surely God hath seen my affliction, and the labor of my hands, and now he hath rebuked thee," Gen. 31:40.42. Dost thou not observe that admirable justice and righteousness of Christ in the sen tences passed on us both? Remember that thou in thy lifetime receiv edst thy good things, and I received evil things; but now I am comforted, and thou must be tormented. I now serve a better master; after my week's work with thee, I shall keep a perpetual sabbath with God: but go thou with thy old companions from thy glorious mansion, to a loathsome dungeon; from thy table of surfeit, to a table of vengeance; from thy faithful servants, to afflicted spirits; from thy bed of down, to a bed of fire; from soft linen and silken coverings, to wish a rock for thy pillow, and a mountain for thy coverlet.

2. Betwixt parent and child. If the parent be the saint, and the child the reprobate; then shall the parent say, O thou wicked, rebellious, son! or, O! thou wicked, rebellious, and disobedient daughter, it is I that begot thee, or brought thee forth; that during thy infancy laid thee in my bosom, and dandled thee on my knee, and carried thee in my arms, and set thee as a seal upon my heart; that during thy minority fed thee, and apparelled thee, and trained thee up in manners, learning, a particular calling, and especially in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; and then, when I saw thy untowardness of spirit, and thy breaki: gs out into things forbidden by God and man, O! the admonitions, reprehensions, corrections! O the many thousands of warnings that I gave thee of this day! und of the wrath to come! and yet thou wentest on in thy stubbornness, till thou be camest many and many a time a grief of mind, a bitterness of spirit nato me: and then, how often did I mind thee of thy duty? "Children obey your parents in all things, Col. 3:20. Honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandinent with promise, Eph. 2:6. The eye that mocketh his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it," Prov. 30:17. But alas! all these expressions made no saving impression on thy hardened heart, thy brow was brass, and thy sinews of iron, thou wast very stiff-necked, and now thou art justly damned; I cannot but approve of Christ's judgment upon thee, though thou camest out of my bowels, yet now I have no pity, no bowels of compassion towards thee; the glory of God hath so swallowed up all my natural affections, that I cannot but laugh at thy calamity, and joy in thy damnation; I gave thee a body, and God himself gave thee a soul; but now let devils have both, and torment them in hell: begone, I shall never see thee again. Or, if the child be the saint, and the parent the reprobate; then shall the child say, O unworthy parent! unworthy of eternal life! I had my natural being from thee, but my spiritual being was from the Lord: if I had followed thy steps, I had been everlastingly dainned; did not I know thy ignorance, thy unbelief, thy worldliness, thy covetousness, thy pride, thy malice, thy lust, thy lukewarmness, thy im