A c T. xvii. 31.

Because He bath appointed a Day in the which He will judge the World in Righteoufnefs, by that Man whom He bath ordain'd, whereof He hath given Affurance unto all Men, in that He hath rais'd Him from the Dead.

OD will judge the World.

LGOD

1. What World?

1. Not the Material.

2. Nor the Spiritual, which is judg'd already, S. Jude 6. 2 S. Pet. ii. 4.

3. But the mixt World, Mankind, S. Job. iii. 16. 1 Tim. ii. 4. All Men, S. Matth. XXV. 32. 2 Cor. v. 10.

2. What is meant by judging the World? 1.All Men fhall appear perfonally before Him, 2 Cor. v. IO.

2. Every Man's Life upon Earth fhall be review'd and examin'd, what he hath, and what he hath not done.

a

3. It will then be confider'd how each Man's Life hath agreed with, or been contrary to, the reveal'd Will of GOD, S. Fam. ii. 12. Rom. ii, 14. for which end the Books fhall be open'd, Rev. xx. 12.

1.

2.

The Book of GOD's Word.

of His Omniscience, Mal.iii. 16.
of Mens Confciences, Jer. xvii. 1.
Cc.2
4. Sen-

4.

Sentence will accordingly be pass'd upon every Man; either,

1. Of Abfolution, S. Matth. xxv. 34.

2. Or of Condemnation, S. Matth. xxv.

41.

II. He will judge the World in Righteousness ; that is,

1. Without refpect of Perfons, Rom. ii. 11. 2. Exactly according to every Man's Life. 1. His Thoughts, 1 Cor. iv. 5. 2 S. Pet. ii. 1. Words, S. Matth. xii. 36. Actions, Ecclef. xii. 14.

2.

3.

4.

Circumftances, S. Joh. iii. 19. S. Luk. xii. 46, 47. S. Matth. xi. 21, 22, 24. 3. In Righteousness and Faithfulness to His Promises, 1 S. Joh. i. 9. Ezek. xviii. 30, 22. Phil. iii. 9.

III. He will judge the World by Chrift, who then will fit as Judge, S. Joh. v. 22, 27. Rom. xiv. 10. Alt. X. 42. 2 Cor. V. 10.

1. That fo He may judge them which judg'd Him, S. Matth. xxvi. 64. Phil. ii. 9, 10, 11.

2. That fo we may fee our Judge, S. Joh. v. 27. Job xix. 25, 26, 27.

3. That we may the more readily consent to what is done, feeing it is done by our own Nature in Christ.

IV. The Day when Chrift fhall judge the World, is appointed.

1. There is a private Judgment upon the Day of a Man's Death, Ecclef. xii. 7. Hebr.ix. 27. S. Luk. xvi. 22, 23. and xxiii. 43. Phil.i. 23.

2. There will be a general Judgment, which is here meant, the. Day appointed, Rom. ii. 5. the

great

great Day, S. Jude 6. the great and notable Day of the Lord, Act. ii. 20. the Day of the Lord, I Theff. v. 2, 4. the Day of Chrift, 2 Thess. ii. 2.

This Day is known only to the Father, S. Matt. xxiv. 36.

V. GOD having rais'd Chrift from the Dead, hath thereby given Afsurance unto all Men, that He will judge the World.

1. By Chrift's Refurrection, we are affur'd that we shall rife again, I Cor. XV. 12, 21, 22. Rom. viii. 11.

Ἐκείνα ν αναςάνθ καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐλπίζομαμ αναςήσαπς, Theod.

Kepaλñs àvasdons μs én, S. Chryfoft.

2. By our Refurrection, we are affured that we fhall be judg'd, that being the End of the Refurrection, 1 Theff. i. 10. S. Matt. XXV. 31, 32.

USE.

Seeing GOD hath appointed a Day, wherein He will judge the World by Jefus Chrift, we ought to repent; for,

1. Unless we repent, we fhall then, most certainly, be caft and undone for ever, 2 Theff. i. 8, 9, 10. S. Matt. xxv. 46. S. Luk. xiii. 3.

2. If we do repent, we fhall then be abfolv'd and crown'd, S. Matt, xxv. 46. 2 Tim. iv, 7, 8. immediate3.. This Repentance must be now, ly, Pfal. xcv. 7, 8. S. Matt. xxiv. 44. S. Luk. xxi. 34, 35, 36.

ACT. xxii. 20.

And when the Blood of thy Martyr Ste sphen was shed, I also was standing by, and confented to his Death, and kept the Raiment of them that flew him.

1.

WHAT is it properly to be a Martyr i

Maglus, teftis, one that by Suffering for

it, bears Witness to the Truth.

1. There must be Suffering.

1. In Name, by Reproach, Cor, iv. 12,

13.

2. In Estate, Phil. iii. 8.

3.

In Health, 1 Cor. iv. 11. 2 Cor. xi. 241 1 27:

4. In Liberty, Hebr. xi. 36.

5. In Life, Hebr. xi. 37, 38. Alt. vii. 59. 2. It must be for Righteousness-fake, for the Confeffion, and in Defence of the Truth, S. Pet. iii. 14, 17. and iv. 14, 15, 16. He that fuffers for Herefy or Error, is the Devil's Martyr, and not GOD's, I S. Pet. ii. 19, 20.

Martyrii mater fides Catholica, S. Ambrof.
Caufa facit Martyrem.

3. The End and Intention must be right too. Not for Humour and Faction, not out of VainGlory and Ambition, but out of true Love to GOD and His Truth; otherwife, a Man may fuffer much, and yet be no Martyr, 1 Cor. xiii. 3.

All thefe Requifites of true Martyrdom, concurr'd in the Death of our Sovereign King Charles I

1. He fuffer'd much, too much!
2. In a good Caufe, in Defence of the true
Catholick-Church, against the novel In-
ventions both of Papifts and Sectaries.
3. He could not poffibly have any other De
fign in Suffering fo chearfully, as He
did, but only to bear Witness to the
Truth of GOD.

II. How may a Man be faid to confent to the Death or Martyrdom of another, tho? He had no actual Hand in it?

1. He that does not prevent it, as far as he is able, or do what he can towards the preventing of it.

2. He that any ways encourageth or affifteth them that do it, Act. vii. 58. S. Matt. xxvii. 22, 25. 3. He that is not forry or troubled for it when it is done, S. Matt. xxvii. 39, 40, 41.

USE.

Hence obferve,

1. The Happiness of this glorious Saint and Martyr.

Seculi homines infeliciter fœlices funt, martyres autem fœliciter infelices erant, S. Auguft.

Erant enim ad tempus infelices, fed in eternum felices, Idem.

2. The Mifery that this Nation is subject to, by reafon of His Death.

Abel's Blood cry'd to Heaven, Gen. iv, 10. The Martyrs themfelves cry in Heaven, Rev. vi. io.

To prevent this,

1. Be liberal to the Poor, Dan. ¡y. 27.

2. Be ferions and conftant in Prayer and Fafting, Deut. xxi. 7, 8.

C. C 4

Аст