of gazing mortals. When he defcends to judg ment, he will come in a cloud, furrounded with the glory of his Father, and attended with an innumerable host of angels; he will feat himself on his throne, and call the nations before him; he will feparate the righteous from the wicked with as much exactnefs, as a fhepherd divides his sheep from the goats; the former he will admit to the kingdom prepared for them, and will doom the latter to the place of punishment originally defigned for the devil and his angels.

The final judgment of the world is the most folemn and momentous event, that we have ever heard of, as paft, or to come. Nothing has yet occurred fince the world began, and nothing ever will occur, while time fhall last, which can in any measure equal this, in grandeur or importance. The reality of fuch an event the fcripture has affirmed on divine authority, and proved by ungainfayable arguments. The majefty of the scene. it has defcribed, not with the ftudied figures of rhetoric, but with the most natural and affecting fimplicity of plain language. Description can borrow no images from nature to exalt the fcene for in all nature there is nothing fo grand and folemn, as the fcene itself. The plaineft and fimpleft defcription is the moft impreffive; and it is this kind of defcription, which the fcripture has chofen.

If you would raise in your minds the most affecting and influential apprehenfions, of the judgment, go, read your bible; and attend to what you read. When you have closed the book and laid it by, compofe your minds to contemplate and apply what you have read. Think on the majefty of the judge from heaven, the fplendor of his throne in the fky, the myriads of at

tending angels, the opening of the graves on every fide, and the rifing of the dead all around you-Think on the amazing affembly which will be gathered before the throne-an affembly confifting of all who have ever lived, and shall have lived on earth, from the first to the last step in the human fucceffion. Conceive in your minds the ferene pleasure, which will fmile in the faces of fome; and the horror and aftonishment, which will be depicted in the countenances of others. Contemplate the ftrictnefs and equity with which the characters of men will be examined, and the juftice and impartiality with which the different fues will be decided. Attend to the folemn fentence by which fome will be called up to eternal glory, and others doomed to blacknefs of darknefs for ever. Hear the triumphant fongs of the former, and the hideous lamentations of the lat ter. View the heavens paffing away with dreadful noise, the elements melting with fervent heat, the earth all in flames, and nature rafhing to fi nal diffolution. And will you not be amazed at the fcene?-But after all that you can imagine, the most affecting circumstance ftill remains to be fuggefted; you yourfelves will be perfonally prefent, and deeply concerned in the judgment; and you will then hear your everlafting condition. determined.

"Seeing, then, we look for fuch things, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy converfation and godlinefs, looking for, and hafting unto the coming of the day of the Lord? Let us be diligent, that we may be found of him in peace, without fpot and blamelefs."

Our fubject teaches us with what meditations and affections we should approach the table of the Lord, which is now fpread before us."

Here is exhibited to us that wonderful Saviour, who once dwelt on earth-fuffered death for our fins-was laid in the grave-rose from thence and afcended to glory-lives to make interceffion for us, and to dispense supplies of grace to us-and will hereafter come to judge the world in righteousness, to punish the wicked with everlafting de ftruction from his prefence, but to be glorified in the faints, and to be admired in all them who be lieve.

When we come to this table, we are not mere. ly to gaze at the scene exhibited before us, or to partake of the elements prefented to us. This will be no better, than if the difciples had stood gazing up into heaven, without thinking of the ends, for which their Lord had afcended thither. While we fit at the table, we are to exercise faith and love toward the Saviour, who is here reprefented to us. His death muft imprefs us with a fense of the evil of our fins, and awaken in us new refolutions against them. His afcenfion must raise our affections to that world whither he is gone. His interceffion muft encourage us to draw near to God in his name. His promises of the fpirit muft animate us in all the labours and conflicts of the chriftian life. His coming to judgment must excite our diligence in every good work, that we may be found to honour and glory, when he comes.

What benefit could the difciples derive from gazing into heaven, unless by faith they looked to Jefus, who was there? As little benefit shall we derive from fitting at this table, unless we here behold by faith a dying, rifing, afcending, and interceding Saviour. Looking at the table and eating the bread and drinking the wine upon it, without any spiritual views of Chrift, and friendly affec

tions to one another, is no better than gazing at the fky. Let us therefore, in the ordinance before us, draw near to Chrift with true hearts in the full affurance of faith, keep the feast with fincerity and truth, eat and drink together with brotherly love, and walk worthy of him, who has called us to his kingdom and glory.

SERMON XV.

The Rainbow around the Throne.

A Communion Sermon.

REVELATION iv. 3

And there was a Rainbow round about the Throne, in fight like unto ag

GOD

emerald.

is a spirit pure and immenfe, invifi ble to human eye, and incomprehenfible to human thought. But he condefcends to exhibit himself to us by fuch figurative expreffions and fenfible emblems, as may give us fome faint apprehenfions of his perfections and glories, and awaken in us fuch fentiments and regards, as are correfpondent to his character. To denote his knowledge, wisdom, power and goodness, the fcripture afcribes to him human faculties and affections. To denote his fovereign dominion, it represents him as feated on a throne, and there attended by his ministers of state. To denote the glory of his dominion, it defcribes this throne as placed in the heavens, and encompaffed with a