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charged upon us, how fhall we fink under a Weight of Shame and Confufion of Face?

Indeed the Power of Imagination it felf can now scarce reprefent to us that Piercing Senfe of Shame, which, in Proportion to our Guilt, will wound our Souls, in that Great and Solemn Day, when all our Actions and Circumstances shall be Unvailed by the God of Knowledge, and Obferved by the General Affembly of Angels and Men. It is not Evident from the Scripture, that even Thofe perfons fhall efcape the Shame of their Sins in the Judgment, who may efcape Condemnation to the Eternal Punishment of them. 'Tis not eafy to conceive, how Their Sins fhall be fo Particularly Examin'd, as the Scripture represents, without having all those Sins Exposed and laid Open in the Judgment, or, how the Mercy of God fhall be fo illuftriously displayed in the Forgiveness of their Sins, without the Manifeftation and View of thofe Sins, which are to be Examin'd, before they are Forgiven. And when Infinite Knowledge is to account

for

for our Iniquities; the Occafions and Degrees of our Shame must be much Greater, than we our Selves could Before Apprehend.

sly, and Laftly; The Omniscience of God yields Proper matter of Comfort to all Good men. They are from This Principle Affured, that All their Duties, whether Open or Secret, are now Punctually Obferved and Regarded by the moft High, and will therefore be Undoubtedly followed with an Abundant and Eternal Reward. And they are, upon This Principle, Cheer'd and Refreshed with the Thoughts, that all Mifreprefentations and Sufpicions of their Virtue and Goodness, which are now as Difficult to be Born as to be Avoided, will, in due Time, be taken off, and their Sincerity fet in its Proper Light.

Their Scrupulous and Confcientious Discharge of their Offices and Employments; Their Serious and Conftant Endeavours to avoid all Appearance of Evil; Their Faithful expreffions of

Zeal

Zeal and of Charity; Their Conftancy and Fervency in Prayer, and all their other Actions and Demeanour, which are now wont to be Charged with the Imputations of Pretence and Singularity, fhall then be clear'd up, and their Outward Actions and Appearances will be plainly found to have been the True Representations, and Effects of Real, Inward Goodness. Therefore at Prefent, their Proper Business is a Patient waiting for the Time, when these Blemishes fhall be taken off, and the Man, who was Truly Good, fhall Undeniably appear to have been So.

Because we are exhorted to Beware

of Wolves coming in Sheeps clothing, Therefore in fome Mens Candid way of Thinking, every one, who Appears to be Good, must be concluded to be Evil. There are Perfons in the World fo Intirely Corrupted, that they are under an Utter Indifpofition and Averfion to Goodness; And this their Indifpofition makes them think, that all Evidences of Goodness in Others must be

Coun

Counterfeit, because they have no notion of Any Man's being Really fo very Good, as fome Men Appear to be. Hence it is, that Good men have fo many Severe Cenfures paffed upon Them. But, in the Laft Judgment, all these Points will be Adjusted by the All-Seeing God, who hath all along Obfer→ ved and Approved his Faithful Servants in Secret, and fhall Then Juftify, and Reward them Openly. And how can we conceive this to be done, without a Particular Manifeftation of that Real Goodness, which had all along Be fore been Mifrepresented and Traduced?

Welcome the Day, when this Hard Fate fhall be Finally Superfeded and Over-ruled; when the Beauties of that In nocence, which Before had been Condemned or Suspected, fhall be made Manifest as the Light: And Blessed the Man, whofe Cafe will bear fo Full a Light, as it muft Then Appear in; who, after all the Discoveries which Omniscience it felf can make, fhall be Crowned with S Appro

Approbation, and Honour, and Eternal Life.

To God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghoft, be all Honour, Praife, and Thanksgiving, both Now, and for Evermore.

Amen.

SERMON

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