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of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for you. xi. 22. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. xii. 36. But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

John, v. 22, 25. For the Father judgeth no mar, but hath committed all judgment to the Son. Verily, verily, I unto you, say The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. Acts, xvii. 31. Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man, whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. Rom. ii. 5, &c. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest thou up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds. 2 Pet. ii. 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. iii. 7. But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men. Heb. vi. 2. Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

ix. 27. It is appointed unto men once to die, but after that the judgment. 1 John, iv. 17. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment. Jude, 6. And the angels, which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

b

"Wherein, first, the angels shall sound the trumpet; at the voice of which, all that are in the graves shall arise, and come forth, and be gathered together into one certain place: then our Saviour shall come down in the clouds of heaven, with power, and great glory; and the books shall be opened and the judgment sit; and every man be judged out of the things which are written in those books, according to his works. See Matt. xxv. 31, &c. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.- Matt. xxiv. 31. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

1 Thess. iv. 16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

b Dan. vii. 9, 10. I beheld, till the thrones were cast down, and the ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousands, thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thou

sand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. John, v. 27, 28, 29. The father hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. Acts, i. 11. Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner, as ye have seen him go into heaven. x. 42. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he, which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead. 2 Tim. iv. 1, 8. I charge thee, therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day. 1 Peter, iv. 5. Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. Rev. xx. 4, 11, 12. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the

book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works..

4. Q. After what manner shall this judgment be transacted?

A. The particular manner is unknown to us: yet this we are told, that we shall then be called to an account for all that we have done in the whole course of our lives, here on earth. Every evil work; every foolish and wicked word; every secret thought shall be brought to light. Nothing, that we now covet the most to hide, but shall be then disclosed. And we shall be either acquitted or condemned, according to what we shall have done, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Eccles. xii. 14. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. 1 Cor. iv. 5. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts. 2 Cor. v. 10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Matt. xii. 36. But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. Rom. ii. 6. Who will render to every man according to his deeds. Rev. xx. 12. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

5. Q. Shall there be any particular method observed in the proceedings of this Judgment?

a

d

A. Yes, there shall: for, first, the just shall be raised, and judged, and acquitted, and caught up into the air at some convenient distance from the earth, where, with the holy angels, they shall fill up the retinue of our Blessed Saviour. Then the wicked shall be raised, and brought to judgment; and being condemned, not only by Christ and his saints, but by the sentence of their own consciences, they shall, together with the devils, be driven away by the angels thereunto appointed, into their place of torments. Which being done, our Saviour shall, together with all his saints, return triumphantly to heaven, and there reign in glory at the head of them, for ever and ever. Luke, i. 33. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever: and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Heb. i. 8. Compare Psalm xlv. 6. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Psalm. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. lxxxix. 37. His seed shall endure for ever; and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Dan. vii. 14, 27. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which -shall not be destroyed. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints

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