Religion & morality > Human nature in its four-fold state ... in several practical discourses

Head IV. general Judgment proven. 46 7
Secondly, The re&oral Juftice and Goodnefs of
God the fovereign Ruler of the World, do necef-
farily require it, inafmuch as they require its being
well with the Righteous, and ill with the Wicked.
Howbeit, we often now fee Wickednefs exalted,
while Truth and Rightcoufnefs fall in the Streets ;
Piety opprelfed, while Prophanity and Irreiigion do
triumph. This is fo very ordinary, that every one,
who fincerely embraceth the Way of Holinefs, muft
and doth lay his Account with the Lofs of all he
has, which the World can take away from him,
Luke xiv. 26. If any Man come to me, and hate
not his Father, and Mother, and IVife, and Children,
and Brethren, and Sifters, yea, and his own Life al-
fo, he cannot be my Lifciple, But ’tis inconliftent
with the Juftice and Goodnefs of God, that the Af¬
fairs of Men fhould always continue in this Stare,
which they appear in, from one Generation to ano¬
ther ; but that every Man be rewarded according
to his Works: And fince that is not done in this
Life, there muft be a Judgment to come; Seeing it
is a righteous 'Thing with God to recommence Tribu¬
lation to them that trouble you : And to you who are
troubled, reft with us, when the Lord Jefus Jhall
be revealed from Heaven, 2 Thef. i. 6, 7. There
will be a Day, in which the Tables will be turned j
and the Wicked (hall be called to an Account for
all their Sins, and fuffer the due Punilhmcnt of them;
and the Pious fhall be the profperous: For, as the A-
poftle argues for the happy Refurredtion of the Saints,
If in this Life only we have Hope in Chrift, we are
of all Men mo ft miferable, 1 Cor. xv. 19. ’Tis true,
God fometimes puniftieth the Wicked, in this Life;
that Men may know, he is a God thatjudgeth in the
Earth: But yet much Wickednefs remains unpu-
G g 3 nilhed.