The four last things viz. death, judgment, heaven, hell, practically considered and applied in…

2. The Consideration of Eternal Judgment will vindicate the Proceedings of Divine Providence, and the honour of God's governing this World, from the imputations of Unrighteousness. God is provoked every day, yet spares the Wicked, and heaps an abundance of Favours on them. His Patience and Goodness they profanely abuse, and become more obdurate and inflexible.¹ They are apt to blaspheme the Excellency of his Nature in their Hearts, thinking that he is ignorant or careless, impotent or unjust. They implicitly deny his Providence and Judgment, that he does not observe their Sins, and will not require an account for them: Or else they interpret his Permission to be an Approbation of their Sins. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; ²thou thoughtest I was such an one as thy self. Thus the Heathens transplanted the Vices of Earth to Heaven, and represented their Gods ⟨p. 221⟩to be sensual, jealous, furious as Men, and accordingly expected an easy Absolution for their Sins. Or else the distance of Judgment to come so hardens them, that they hear God's Thunder with less fear, than Boys do their Squibs and Crackers. Because Sentence against an evil Work is not speedily executed, ³therefore the hearts of the Sons of Men are fully set in them to do evil. But how desperate is the madness of Sinners?⁴ God now seems to wink at their Sins, but hath appointed a day of Accounts. He suffers them to live in prosperity, but they are reserved to the day of Judgment to be punished, ⁵and possibly sooner: for sometimes they are cut off by visible Vengeance, to convince the World that the supreme Judg does not bear the Sword in vain. But though 'tis delayed for a time, yet he declares,⁶ that their Sins are laid up in store with him, and sealed up among his Treasures. To him belongs Vengeance and Recompense. He is a mild Judge now, and his Clemency suspends their Punishment; but