Sentence according to what we have done in the Body, then our only Time of Trial and Working, is while we live in thefe Bodies; for the future Judgment relates only to what is done in the Body.

The Gospel of Chrift is the Rule whereby we must be judged, even that Gospel which St. Paul preached, Rom. ii. 16. And all the Laws and Precepts of the Gospel, concern the Government of our Converfation in this World; and therefore if we be judged by the Gofpel, we must be judged only for what we have done in this World.

This Life, throughout the Scripture, is reprefented as the Time of Working; as a Race, a Warfare, a labouring in the Vineyard; the other World, as a Place of Recompence, of Rewards or Punishments. And if there be fuch a Relation between this World and the next, as between fighting and conquering and receiving the Crown, as between running a Race, and obtaining a Prize, as between the Work and the Reward; then we must fight and conquer, run our Race, and finish our Work in this World, if we expect the Rewards of the next.

Many of thofe Graces and Virtues, which our Saviour has promised to reward with eternal Life, can be exercised only in this World: Faith and Hope are peculiar only to this Life, while the other World is abfent and unfeen. And thefe are the great Principles and Graces of the Chriftian Life, to believe what we do not fee, and to live and act upon the Hopes of future Rewards: The Government of our bodily Appetites and Paffions, by the Rules of Temperance, Sobriety and Chastity, neceffarily fuppofes that we have Bodies, and bodily Appetites and Paffions to govern; and therefore thefe Virtues can be exercised only

while we live in thefe Bodies, which follicit and tempt us to fenfual Exceffes. To live above this World, to defpife the tempting Glories of it, is a Virtue only while we live in it, and are tempted by it: To have our Converfation in Heaven, which is the moft divine Temper of Mind, is a Gofpel-Grace only while we live in this World, at a great Distance from Heaven: To be contented in all Conditions, to truft God in the greatest Dangers, to fuffer patiently for Righteoufnefs Sake,

c. I need not tell you, are Virtues proper only for this World; for there can be no Exercise for them in Heaven, unless we can think it a Virtue to be patient and contented with the Happiness and Glory of that bleffed Place.

Thus moft of the Sins which the Gospel forbids under the Penalty of eternal Damnation, can be committed by us only in this World, and in these Bodies; fuch as Fornication, Adultery, Uncleannefs, Rioting, Drunkenness, Injuftice, Murder, Theft, Oppreffion of the Poor and Fatherless, earthly Pride and Ambition, Covetousness, a fond Idolatry of this World, Difobedience to Parents and Governors, &c. Now if these be the Things for which Men fhall be faved or damned, it is certain that Men must be faved or damned only for what they do in this Life.

Bad Men, who are fond of this World, and of bodily Pleasures, which makes them impatient of the fevere Restraints of Religion, complain very much of this; that their eternal Happiness or Mifery depends upon fuch a short and uncertainLife: That they must spend this Life under the Awe and Terror of the next: That fome few momentary Pleasures must be punished with endless Mifery; and that if they outflip their Time of Repentance,

if they venture to fin on too long, or die a little too foon, there is no Remedy for them for ever.

But let bad Men look to this, and confider the Folly of their Choice: I am fure, how hard foever it may be thought to be eternally damned for the fhort Pleafures of Sin, no Man can reasonably think it a hard Condition of eternal Salvation, to fpend a fhort Life in the Service of God. And if we will allow, that God may juftly require our Services and Obedience for fo great a Reward as Heaven is; where can we do him this Service but on Earth? If a corrupt Nature must be cleanfed and purified; if an earthly Nature must be fpiritualized and refined, before it can be fit to live in Heaven Where can this be done but on Earth, while we live in thefe Bodies of Flesh, and are encompaffed with fenfible Objects? This is the Time for a divine Soul, which afpires after Immortality, to raise itself above the Body, to conquer this prefent World, by the Belief and Hope of unfeen Things; to awaken and exercise its fpiritual Powers and Faculties, and to adorn itfelf with those Graces and Virtues which come down from Heaven, and by the Mercies of God, and the Merits of our Saviour, will carry us up thither. There is no middle State, between living in this Body, and out of it; and therefore whatever Habits and Difpofitions of Mind are neceffary to make a Spirit happy when it goes out of this Body, must be formed and exercifed while it is in it. Earth and Heaven are two Extremes, and oppofite States of Life, and therefore it is impoffible immediately to pafs from one to t'other: A Soul which is wholly fenfualized by living in the Body, if it be turned out of the Body without any Change, cannot afcend into Heaven, which is a State of perfect Purity; for

in

in all Reafon, the Place and State of Life muft be fitted to the Nature of Things: And therefore a Life of Holinefs, while we live in these Bodies, is a kind of middle State between Earth and Heaven; fuch a Man belongs to both Worlds, he is united to this World by his Body, which is made of Earth, and feels the Impreffion of fenfible Objects, but his Heart and Affections are in Heaven: By Faith he contemplates thofe invifible Glories, and feels and relishes the Pleafures of a heavenly Life. And he who has his Converfation in Heaven while he lives in this Body, is ready prepared and fitted to afcend thither, when he goes out of it; he paffeth from Earth to Heaven through the middle Region (if I may fo fpeak) of a holy and divine Life.

Befides this, it was neceffary to the Happiness and good Government of this prefent World, that future Rewards or Punishments fhould have Relation to the Good or Evil which we do in this Life. This in many Cafes lays Restraints upon the Lufts and Paffions of Men, when the Rods and Axes of Princes cannot reach them; it over-awes them with invifible Terrors, and makes a guilty Confcience its own Judge and Tormentor: It fowres all the Pleasures of Sin, ftuffs the Adulterer's Pillow with Thorns, and mingles Gall and Wormwood with the Drunkard's Cups. It governs those who are under no other Government; whofe boundless and uncontroulable Power gives them Opportunity of doing what Mischief they pleafe,. and gives them Impunity in doing it. But the moft lawlefs Tyrants, who fear no other Power, yet feel the invifible Restraints of Confcience, and thofe fecret and fevere Rebukes which make them tremble. Nay, many times the Fear of the other

World

World governs thofe, whom no prefent Evil or Punishment could govern: Men who would venture whatever they could fuffer in this Life by their Sins, are yet afraid of Hell, and dare not venture that: Those who would venture being fick after a Debauch; who would venture to facrifice their Bodies, their Eftates, their Reputation, in the Service of their Lufts; who are contented to take their Fortune at the Gallows, or at the Whippingpoft; yet dare not venture Lakes of Fire and Brimftone, the Worm that never dieth, and the Fire that never goeth out.

Thus on the other Hand, How much is it for the prefent Happinefs of the World, that Men fhould live in the Practice of thofe Chriftian Graces and Virtues, which no human Laws command, and the Neglect of which no human Laws will punish? As to inftance only in the Love of Enemies, and Forgiveness of Injuries, and fuch an univerfal Charity, as does all the Good it can to all Men: I need not prove that the Exercise of thefe Virtues is for the Good of the World; or that no human Laws require the Exercife of them, in fuch noble Meafures and Degrees, as the Gofpel does.

The Laws of the Land allow Scope enough to fatisfy the moft revengeful Man, who will ufe all the Extremities, and all the vexatious Arts of Profecution, unless nothing will fatisfy his Revenge, but Blood and a fpeedy Execution: For the Laws ought to punish thofe Injuries which a good Chriftian ought to forgive, and then fome Men may be undone by legal Revenge, and others damned for taking it. If no Man fhould do any good Offices for others, but what the Law commands, there would be very little Good done in the World; for

Laws