BY those who know God's Name, are meant those who know God himself and his Na­ture. Those who by Studying his Word, and his Works, and the Footsteps of his Power, and Wisdom, and Love to his Creatures, have possest their Minds with Right and Honour­able Thoughts of God, and are sensible how Great and Glorious a being he is, such Persons as those will not be afraid to put their Trust in him: though the things they have heard of him in times past, are wonderful: And though they are as great which they expect from him in times to come, they will consider who it is that is to perform them, and what marvelous works he hath done before, and then Faith will be an easy Virtue to them, for they will never fear, but that he who can fetch Water out of a stony Rock, will be able to give Bread also.

[Page 2]This seems the natural meaning of the words, That those who know God, will Trust him: but this is general, and may be apply'd different waies.

It may be understood of those publick Delive­rances which Religious Governments may expect in their difficulties, and dangers.

Or, it may be used for the support of virtuous men, with respect to the course of their own lives, and affairs in particular.

Or lastly, It may be applyed to God's Decrees, and Dealings, and Government of our Human Race in general, and may serve to strengthen our Belief, and expectation of those happy things which make up our common Faith.

And it is this last which I intend (by the assistance of God) to discourse upon.

For when we view in our minds the course of our Race, from its first rise, and beginning upon Earth, through the strange States it hath gone tho­rough, and cast in our minds what seems most like­ly to be the conclusion and end of such a sort of Race, after such a kind of life: and when we speak that Common Faith, and Belief in this matter, which we have not devised our selves, but received from our Fathers, and which seems to us to be grounded upon very good Reason: That this Scene is to pass off, and a just Judgment, and Review of [Page 3] all that hath past in it, and a Heaven, and a Hell are to follow in its place; the minds of many, that are Ingenious enough otherwise, are overset with the strangeness, and greatness of the things, so that instead of believing of them heartily, they think Religious Men are Credulous, and vain in raising their thoughts to such high expectations.

It happens to Prophets, and Religious Men, and Preachers of these things, from these unbelievers, as it happens to Philosophers, and Learned Men, from the ignorant multitude. For let the Gravest and Wisest Men speak before Common People, what Demonstrations they have made concerning the System of the World, and the magnitudes and distances of the Stars, and the other reasonable pro­bable suspicions of things; because the Accounts are above the Report that sence makes, they think much Learning hath made them mad, and do more than smile to think how Credulous Schollars are.

And this is almost more than a Comparison, it is so very near akin to the real Nature of the case before us: for as Cosmography is the Philosophy of the World; Divinity is the Philosophy of God, and its Inhabitants. One laies before us, the Nature, and Condition of the Earth; the other laies before us, the Fate and Fortune of that Race which God hath put into it. The same thing that oversets men's minds in the Belief of one, oversets them in the other, and that is, the greatness and strangeness of them: For it is with difficulty, & slowly that we [Page 4] raise our minds to the Majesty of God in either. And Men must be let into the Belief of one, by the same way that they are let into the Belief of the other. To convince a Man of the Greatness and Majesty of Nature, and the World, there is no way but to Demonstrate its Greatness in some particu­lar parts, and by that he will guess of himself that the rest must be proportionable. And to give Men Reason for expecting great Revolutions in God's Government, and great Rewards and Punishments in times to come; there seems no way so likely, as to lay before them, things as strange and astonishing which God hath done in times past, and most of which are now before our Faces: And if we can do that, they will Believe without difficulty, because they will see that such wondrous matters are common things with him. They will see them proportiona­ble and even with those that are past, so that instead of thinking it strange God's dispensations to come should be great, they will think it strange if they should not, for why should not God's works be all of a piece, and answerable to one another.

This is what I aim at in this Discourse, and I think it will not be improper from these Words. For trusting in God, does very naturally take in, all the expectations we have of what he hath Promised; and knowing God's Name, is a raising our minds to a just Sence of his Nature by the Contemplation of his works of Creation, and Providence: and having thus opened my way to my design, I shall apply it particularly to these three points: The Immortality [Page 5] of Man, and the Rewards, and Punishments of the other Life, that is Heaven and Hell.

Only this I must premise, that I propose not in this Discourse to make the direct and proper proof we have of these points, for that rests upon the plain promise of God, and the Resurrection of our Saviour: But since there are a sort of Men, who, rather than Believe that God ever made such Pro­mise, will deny the Faith of History, break through all the Arguments which they allow themselves in other cases, and call all Men Lyars, as if the Gra­vest and Soberest part of our Race was so very vain, and false, that we could depend upon nothing that came through their hands: and since they do this, chiefly, because the things revealed seem stranger and greater than they know how to Believe of God Almighty; therefore I propose these Considerations of God, and his works, as a proper Answer and Remedy for their perverseness.

1. The First Point then that I shall Discourse on is the Immortality of Man. That our weak Race which is made up of perishing materials, that are almost dead while they are alive, and are hasting to a change that hath all the appearance of ending, should not dye really for all that when they seem to do so, but live on, and have their share in all the Revolutions which the World is to undergo, as long as God himself shall have his being:

[Page 6]This is a great thing no doubt of it, and shocks Mens minds; but let us consider what we have in the Knowledge of God, and his Works which may further us in the Belief of it.

And First, We are to Consider, that tho' it be a wonderful thing that frail Man should continue for ever, yet the eternal duration it self must really be. Whether we shall be alive in it, or be dead things, That must run its endless course.

And as there must, of necessity, be an eternity of time, and duration; so through it all, God Al­mighty must, as necessarily, have his being, and be perfect as he is now, in Wisdom, Power, and Goodness.

And tho' we may not say it is necessary, yet I dare say, any Man will grant it a thousand times more likely, that thorough all that Eternity, God will preserve a World, and Creatures in being, that, as there are now, so there may alwaies be be­fore him, Creatures who shall feel themselves hap­py out of his stores, and Praise his bounty.

We may not say God will have it so, because it will be any accession to his own Happiness, and yet, to a beneficent, good being, the communicat­ing his Happiness to Creatures who should be able to know the giver, looks so very like to a true plea­sure, and satisfaction, that it is one of the things men wonder at, why God began so late as six thou­sand [Page 7] Years since to Create; and some, rather than suppose that God would ever be without a World, and such sensible Creatures before him, they ven­ture to say, That there must have been other Worlds before this of ours. Now not to speak of this, be­cause it is one of those many Points we are not able to Fathom, we Learn so much from it certainly, that the common Sence of Mankind is so far from thinking it unlikely that God should have a World, and Creatures before him alwaies in being, that they are for believing elder, and more, in the times that are past.

But this is only by the way. We see that since Eternity must be: and since God Almighty must of necessity be through it all, it is easy to grant that God will also have Creatures alwaies before him. The Point then comes to this: Whether is most likely, that God should chuse to continue Creatures before him, by giving Eternity to the Souls of Men: or by letting them dye, and end as they do in ap­pearance, and by raising up other new ones in their places.

And for this point— If the Souls of Men are really Abolished, and end at Death, I do not know but we may say, that they are the only Substances in the whole compass of beings that are so.

The Reason why I speak thus is that Principle in Philosophy, which I suppose is uncontroverted, that the Destruction of all Material Beings is not a real [Page 8] end, or abolition of their Substance, and Being, but a change into something else, and through all their Transmutations, there is not a Particle of their real Substance lost. But if the Souls of Men do not live in their proper Persons, they are abolished, and are extinct: For no body ever Dreamt of their being Changed into any other Forms that should preserve their Substance.

I do not lay much weight upon this, but it does not seem probable, that the most Excellent Sub­stance that God hath made, should be less fixt in Nature, and Being, than the meanest and most contemtible: and if it be not, then it follows strongly, that the Soul does not end at Death, but only suffers a natural periodical change, and conti­nues in such a State, and way as God hath prepared for it.

But let this be as it will: I build not upon it. The Point I shall argue from is what the Text offers us, the Mind of God towards his Creatures, that is, which seems most likely, that God should preserve Creatures before him by continuing these, or that he should suffer these to fall back out of being, and raise up new ones in their stead for ever.

And if the Question was put concerning meer A­nimals, whose dissolution is made without any grief, or sorrow, or reflections of their own Minds about it; we should not need to look far for an Answer. Or if it was put concerning an inanimate God, i. e. [Page 9] concerning dead nature, and a chain of causes that were supposed to have circulated Mankind into Life, the causes themselves not knowing how, A short Answer would have serv'd that also; For, no doubt, but as Nature, and Causes had put Man together without knowing what they did, they would have let us fall again into pieces, as soon as our ingre­dients moved that way.

But the question is put concerning a very living God, and Beings that God hath raised to a high degree of Life, and Communication with himself. For we were made by that Wise Creator whom we dayly Worship. He hath lay'd in our Natures the Grounds of such Understanding and Knowledge of himself, and works, as inables us for a Divine in­tercourse, and Love, and all the happy Passions which follow from an humble Worship, and reason­able service of himself. He hath given us to taste a Thousand Pleasures with Judgment, and Refle­ction: and added clear Notions of a higher happi­ness, and of the vast difference of enjoying of it, for the short Term of threescore Years and ten, and of enjoying of it alwaies. And after this I need not add it as another Gift, for there must, of necessity, follow from these, strong desires to continue al­waies, if it may be, in Life and Happiness: For no Creature can be so temperately indifferent to its own Happiness, as to see Life, and God, and his Works, and not desire, if it be possible, to conti­nue in Life amongst them, and be Happy with them. And therefore the whole Reasonable Crea­tion [Page 10] groans and travels with desires of Life. Even Nature, in all of us, makes vehement Prayers, and many have added excellent Virtues and Service, and Obedience, and even voluntary Deaths and Martyr­doms for God's Honour, in hopes to move God by them that they might not dye indeed. And since God will have Creatures ever before him, is it im­possible to be thought that these should be they? I wo' not say, on the other side, that, in a Moral Sence, it is necessary they should: but I will say, that, one single Miracle, and Promise of God should be sufficient to Satisfy all Mankind that they will. For, after God hath raised Creatures to such an in­tercourse with himself, and Sence of things, and and vehement necessary desires of living, a turning of them out of Being when he can continue them with a word, looks like a severe Act. If indeed God had not Created us, not being had been no affli­ction: but to bring such an excellent Creature so near to Happiness, that he might tear away his longing Eyes from enjoying it: To bring him into Being, that he might have a sorrowful exit: We must speak indeed with humility as becomes us: but the thing would put a strong Expostulation, and Plea, into the Creatures Mouth. I need not speak the Plea at large, for such destruction of Virtuous Men is not the Mind of God, and they who know God rightly, would hardly ask for a Sign or Mira­cle to convince them that it is not.

But if the Eternal Duration be granted, there is

[Page 11] Secondly, The greatness of the Glory and Re­wards seems hard to be thought true. For our Re­ligion does speak glorious, and happy things, both of the place of Heaven, and the Inhabitants that dwell in it: And it lets us know moreover, that even those great descriptions, are but borrowed ex­pressions from such things as we understand, but that the Happiness it self is something that is grea­ter, than we can yet conceive.

And for the furthering of us in our Belief of this, I will only oppose, this present World, and work of God which we are sure God hath made, and gi­ven us for a dwelling-place.

Let us cast then our Thoughts, and Minds through the vast stretch of space in which it stands. Consider how it is fill'd with Sun, and Moon, and Thousand Stars. Think of their Mystick Dance, so just, so strange. Their Motions swifter than Bullets fly, yet punctual to their time and place: Their magnitudes above what Thought can reach, yet steady, and even in their violent carreer: All things vast, every thing rapid, yet beautiful, and unconfused, and regular as an Army marches. Our Globe of Earth makes one amongst them, and bears its part: this pondrous Mass, half Land, half Wa­ter, with so many Lakes, Deserts, Forests, burning Hills, Isles, and habitable Lands, with our strange Race that dwells upon it, We either swim or hang, together with our Earth, amongst those Stars, like an enchanted thing: And tho' we see, and feel our [Page 12] Earth to be a dead lumpish heap of matter, yet it keeps its time and place, as steadily as if it was all Thought, and Eye. And of those who cannot be­lieve there shall be a Heaven, I would ask, Would they have believed there should have been such a World as this is if it had been told them? If these unbelieving Men had been Created before it, and it had been lay'd before them, by some Messenger from God, That God was about to Build such a glorious piece of work for their Habitation, Would they not have believed it less, and thought it more unlikely, than the new Heavens and Earth which we expect now?

And yet this Fabrick of the World is really a Thousand times greater, and more wonderful in it self, than it is in our Thoughts: For we only be­hold the Creation, as a Travaller should admire some Illustrious Palace, through a Prospective, from some distant Hill: And tho we are indeed dwellers in a little Angle of it, We do no more understand the Beauty, and Uses, and Greatness, and Wisdom of God's World, than such a distant Observer could Judge of the Contrivance, and Convenience of such a House that he views so far off. And if, instead of being such remote Spectators, we could see it at a nearer view: If, instead of being chained to our little spot, we could leave our Earth, and raise our selves till we were amongst those Celestial Bodies: And, with enlarged Minds, could comprehend that deep Contrivance by which our Earth and they, have made their mysterious course, by a perpetual [Page 13] motion: And as God hath not made an Herb upon our Earth but for some good end, could we see the true, and proper end for which God Created those, for he did not make such mighty works, only to afford that little Light that guides our nights: And could we see those great bodies, and their true uses, as a Stranger views some Noble House, from room to room, and side to side; there would be no more Spirit left in us. We should Believe any thing that the Maker of such a World hath Promised: And as for Seats of Bliss for Virtuous Souls, and Glorious Mansions for those whom this great Creator should delight to Honour, instead of objecting the strange­ness, and difficulty of the thing, we should be ta­ken up with humble wonder, how great, and glo­rious those Mansions should be. This shall suffice for the Second Point.

Thirdly, The Third is the Punishments of the other World.

And under this Head I shall not offer at any de­termination, how much of the Descriptions we have of them is Literal, and how much Methapho­rical, and Popular: let there be as much Metaphor as there will, yet since they will be what is suitable, and fit for false and impious Men: And since they be Eternal, for so, no doubt, the Souls of all Men are, both good and bad: And since, in the case of pain and misery, the feeling does alwaies greatly exceed the imagination, I doubt not but the con­cern and apprehension we should really have of [Page 14] them, ought, in reason, to be ten times greater, than what the generality of Men have, when they hear the most Tragical Representations.

But to the fears of this sort, unbelieving Men oppose the great goodness of God. They think the Text I am speaking of is on their side, and that they know not God who represent him so Ter­rible.

And I Confess the Superlative Descriptions of in­finite indulgence, and longing for our Happiness, and a severity in tormenting us, as infinitly inexora­ble, do seem to stand at a wide distance from one another: And I believe many expressions of this sort have something ad hominem. But whatever allow­ance may be made to such waies of speaking in other places, in this Auditory, even upon this Point, we must endeavour to speak with just expressions.

I make not this Preface as if I had any thing to follow it, that should lessen the Divine Goodness: that would be Blasphemy in the highest. God's Goodness is Perfect, and so tempered with Wisdom and Justice as makes a fairer, and more perfect Cha­racter of the Judge of all the Earth, than an infinite indulgence would do. And as his Goodness in ge­neral is perfect, his Philanthropy, and Love of our Race is sincere, and designs our Happiness if we hinder it not our selves: He hath given us instan­ces of that in abundance, and especially in his send­ing to us our Saviour, and his Gospel, for our Sal­vation. [Page 15] But then he hath let us know as effectually, that his Love of our Race is not so great, as his Love of True Excellency and Virtue, and hatred of base qualities. He hath given us abundant proof, that his indulgence of our Persons is not so infinite but he can very easily make us miserable and shame­full, if we make ourselves deserving to be so: And tho' great pains, and sufferings be included in such a state; He hath given us very satisfactory proof, that it is not contrary to his goodness, but very well agreable with his Nature, to suffer base, and wicked Creatures to endure them.

And that we might not flatter, and deceive our selves in a matter, where all we have lies at stake, if we look about into the works of God, he hath written this part of his Mind, in as clear Characters as he hath his Goodness.

And let the Judgment of God upon the faln An­gels be our first Example in this case. Amongst us, it is no Dispute, but that there are Myriads, infinite numbers of glorious Spirits banish'd by God, from the Regions of Bliss. When by an unjust, and un­grateful Rebellion, they made themselves unworthy of the Glory, and Happiness he gave them, he would not dishonour his Government by maintain­ing, or suffering them to be happy in their disobe­dience, but condemned them to such Conditions as they deserved. Now by his punishing them, let us weigh our Arguments against his punishing our Race. Let us imagine we see so many glorious Be­ings, falling under God's Justice, from the blessed­ness [Page 16] of Heaven, to the miseries they endure. Let us set before our Minds, the Torments they have gone thorough, in so many long Ages, as have past since that righteous Sentence: And then let us urge our Arguments for the impossibility of God's pu­nishing wickedness. But there is no disputing against matter of Fact, and whatever Arguments might be plausibly urged before the experiment, as perhaps they were such as deceived the new Created Angels, yet after the experiment, they ought not to deceive Children: For it is a plain Argument, what hath been, may be. And what God hath done once, He may do again, if the case be the same, because he is the same, and being alwaies infinitly good, he must be alwaies infinitly, and equally an Enemy to unjust, and unreasonable Creatures, and Actions.

But because Men who are willing to deceive them­selves will urge all the differences they can find out betwixt Angels and us, we will therefore consider God's Providences, and Righteous Judgments upon us Men.

The Psalmist, Meditating upon these Punish­ments, in the 46. Ps. 8. v. calls upon Men to be­hold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the Earth.

At first when he had Created the World good, and every way fitted for a happy Life, He Cursed it because of sin, and half spoiled such a glorious piece of Workmanship, because Man did not de­serve [Page 17] a happyer to live in. For let Men call these Pains and Sorrows, and Deaths that are upon us, Natural Calamities, that is only cheating our selves with a word, and with a very improper one for those evils that are lay'd upon us by a living and thinking, and governing God. If they had hap­pened by a train of unthinking causes, and a fatal course of dead Nature, Natural Calamities had been their proper Name: but coming from a perfect Mind who does all things with Design, and Judg­ment, and Justice, they are Punishments; and show us very effectually, that it is not contrary to his Na­ture to punish wickedness, and disobedience.

For the wickedness again of Man, God brought a Flood of Waters upon the World, and except­ing Eight Persons, drowned every Soul that breath­ed upon the Earth. Millions that knew not their Right Hand from their Left, were drowned in their Mothers Arms, and Fathers and Children were swept away together. Men would not believe that: And though God sent a Preacher to give them warn­ing while the Ark was preparing, yet still it could not enter into their Minds, but that God would be more Merciful. But they argued so vainly, till the Flood was upon them.

Now these Examples are as so many Monuments set up to Teach us, that we ought not to argue, that God's Goodness will not suffer him to punish, because he hath shown us he will, and our Forefa­thers have found it.

[Page 18]To come still nearer, even to our own Age and Sight, and there will be no uncertainty. If we take but the present Face of things, and place before our Thoughts, the Sorrows, Pains, and Deaths, of our own, or of any Generation, we have Example sufficient, as much as we need; for, abating for the different way, and the commonness which lessens our Sence of it, allowing for that, we have the Fall and the Flood both, acted over again, in every Generation.

For in what, I pray, does the multitude of sor­rowful Deaths that destroys every Age, fall short of a Deluge? They differ indeed in the way, and time of destroying, but there is no difference in the desolation, this one thing excepted, that whereas the Deluge left Eight Persons, this takes the Eight also, and leaves not so much as one.

And for the Pains, and Diseases, and Sorrows, and Griefs, that alwaies lye upon Mankind, and are hasting some towards their end, and actually killing others, what can be a more sad prospect than this if we see it rightly? So many Afflictions and Crosses, such numbers of Desolate Widows, and Fatherless Children, such great poverty, and want as many feel. The sinking Hearts of Slaves, and Captives, and Oppressed, and weary Servants. The terrors of those places where they hide themselves in the Dens, and Caves of the Earth, for fear of their Neighbours Swords. The languishing decays, or the torturing pains of Mens Bodies, while their [Page 19] Eyes fail to see their certain Deaths a coming: Or the still deeper Griefs of wounded Spirits, and trou­bled Minds where the unseen Arrows of God stick fastest and deepest of all others, and even drive on many to hasten their own Deaths, in hopes, that way, to lay down that Burden which is greater than they can bear. It is a Blessing to us that the com­monness of these things does, in some measure, har­den us from the true Thoughts that this case seems to require, for otherwise the multitude of Sorrows that are in the World, and their nearness to our selves, would draw too dark a Cloud over our lives. But as this mighty Army of Afflicted, Suffering, Dying Men, are alwaies under God's Eye, and Hand, let us place them, at this time, before our Minds: And if we add to the Thought, how many of these are Righteous, Pious Persons, who have endeavoured in the course of their Lives, both to bear, and to do the will of God, we shall hardly forbear applying our Saviour's Speech, If these things be done in the green Tree, what shall be done in the dry? If God laies such Judgments upon mixt multitudes, what Punishments will he make use of when he shall have separated the Goats from the Sheep, and set the Wicked by themselves? If such Afflictions, and Sorrows as these, are for Medi­cines, for Government, and good uses, under the time of tryal, what greater Miseries must there be in store against that time, when the Judge of all the Earth shall distribute Justice amongst all his Sub­jects? His Punishments indeed will not be greater than Mens evil works deserve, for he will do wrong [Page 20] to none; but what their sins do deserve, he hath given us sufficient Assurance, that it is not against his Nature to inflict them.

And thus I have Discoursed those Three Points I proposed; I am sensible how far below the Dignity of so great a Subject: for which way can we raise our Thoughts to the Majesty of God's Works. But since the Revelation, and Promise of these things is clear (as it is most certainly, unless our Race be so degenerate a brood that we can be sure of nothing that comes to us through one anothers Hands) I perswade my self that even this Discourse, such as it is, must make it very reasonable for us to expect them.

For, to urge those several Arguments now to­gether in the Conclusion. We who are the present living Generation, we stand upon our present time, as upon a Mountain betwixt two Gulfs, betwixt two Eternities, one past and gone, the other as long in coming. God Almighty shall have his Be­ing thorough both: And wherefore may not God show forth his Power in as wondrous works in one, as he hath done in the other? Let unbelieving Men sit down, and think, and answer that, what Assu­rances they have that God will not be as marvel­lous in his Dealings with his Creatures in times to come, as he hath been in times past: And since in the past Eternity, there hath been a Creation, a Fall, a Flood, the coming of the Son of God, and his Ascension into Heaven: Why, in the Eternity [Page 21] to come, may there not be a Conflagration, a Re­surrection, a Day of Judgment, and a Heaven and Hell? They will say, I know, that the things are strange, and great, and wonderful. But then I An­swer, We live in a World of Wonders. It is a Wonder that there should be such a World as this is, which God hath given us for a Dwelling-place. It is a Wonder there should be in it such a sort of Creatures as we are, and in such a manner of life as we live. And indeed, tho' I have hitherto only spoken of the past, and present works of God as great to such a degree as to make it easy to believe that God may do others though greater, yet I am verily perswaded, That if we could raise our Minds to a true View, and Thought of things, we should Confess, that, for real Wonder, and strange­ness, this present World exceeds, and goes beyond the other.

The Reason why I speak thus is this: That mat­ters which are full of Glory, and Goodness, and Happiness, and Justice, and Majesty, such as we expect in Heaven, they are such as we naturally look for from a being of infinite Wisdom, Power, and Goodness who can Create perfect, and happy Creatures with as much case as imperfect; And those things, to considering Men, seem strangest, where there are mixtures of evil, that seem to ar­gue weakness, and disapointment, and the disho­nour of God, and seem as if not good, such as this World abounds with: They are such as puz­zle Wise Men most, why, and wherefore God [Page 23] should suffer them, when he can prevent them with such ease.

And, for Conclusion, let us try, in our Thoughts, to View, as in a Map, or Landskip, all the Glo­rious Works of God, from first to last, the rising World, its time of Tryal, and then a glorious Scene of Saints, with God, in Joy, for ever; and of all these, the last, the Heaven is easiest to our Thoughts.

The new made World, at first call'd out of dark­ness, and with a word commanded out of nothing, that is what no Heart could ever have Thought. But when that was past and over, of our selves then we should frame a Scene of happy things, Creatures praising, loving God, and Blest, and Happy in his Love, such as we expect in Heaven: In our own Thoughts we should run to that, and not easily be brought back to see a stranger face of things before it. To see the Creatures God had made, Blaspheming, Cursing him that brought them into being: To see a Scene of Rapine, Blood, and Falshood: Wickedness in Prosperity: Virtue under Foot: Rebellion against God, under his own Go­vernment, and yet in Triumph: and Duty to him and Obedience, before his Face, yet low, and trod on: And this, not for a short space as one would think, but long, and mournful Ages, till the Hearts of Righteous Men do almost fail, down to our own unhappy Age, in which we see the graceless Actours: It is this, this is the wondrous part of all God's [Page 22] Works, and the strangest Scene, so strange, and posing that nothing can unriddle it but a Heaven, and Hell to come.

And therefore, for Conclusion of all. It is so far from being unlikely that there should be a Hea­ven and a Hell, that one can hardly forbear saying that there must be such, if the Scene of the World be lay'd with Wisdom, and proportion: and the conclusion of its course be answerable, and of a piece with its beginning: But I will speak with re­verence, and with all the humility that may be, we may safely say, That since God hath Reveal'd it to us, that in the order of his Government there is one great Revolution to come, which will bring in with it a Heaven and a Hell, we are sure, we know they will certainly be: and those who are afraid they should not, and find it hard to Trust him, they do not know him, nor have any right or wor­thy Notions of him.

Now to this King Immortal, from whom we ex­pect these things, together with his Son, and Blessed Spirit, be ascribed of us, and of all Creatures, in Heaven and Earth, All possible Praise, Honour, and Thanksgiving, now and evermore. Amen.