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immortal radiance; while joy illumines the eye with living splen dour, and glory surrounds the head with its crown of stars. In this manner will be arrayed, in this manner adorned, a multitude, which no man can number, of all nations, kindreds, and tongues. How delightful, how astonishing, must it be, to behold this vast assembly rising from the tomb, throughout every part of the habitable world; and ascending, as by one instinctive impulse, to meet their Divine Redeemer, and to be welcomed to the seat of approbation and honour at his right hand! Trace them one step further. How magnificent, how sublime, how enrapturing must be the prospect of these glorified beings, surrounding, after the Judgment is terminated, the Lord of all things and rising in his train, as a cloud of splendour, to the mansions of eternal joy! This will be that manifestation of the sons of God, so earnestly expected, as St. Paul informs us, by the whole creation; the jubilee of the virtuous universe; the dawn of everlasting day.

7. With all these solemn considerations in full view, let me exhort this audience to consider what manner of persons, they ought to be, in all holy conversation and godliness.

This is the practical use, made of the same subject by the Apostle Peter; and certainly the best, which can be made. Every Christian is most deeply interested in the exhortation. The most powerful of all motives here summon you, my Brethren, to the great work of spiritual improvement. Lukewarm indeed must you be, sunk in sloth, and buried in sleep, if you do not feel yourselves roused by these awful things, to diligence and vigour in the Christian life. Let me press upon you the indispensable duties of watching, striving, and praying, alway. Let me solemnly urge you with all diligence to make your calling and election sure; to resist temptation, and to overcome iniquity; to fight the good fight, and to keep the faith; that you may finish your course with joy. Look steadily for the blessed hope, and glorious appearing of the great God, even our Saviour Jesus Christ; that when he, who is the believer's life shall appear, you may all appear with him in Glory.

But there are multitudes in this house, whose lives furnish no testimony, that they are children of God. How much more VOL. V.

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deeply still are these persons interested in this exhortation! When the blessed Redeemer of mankind came preaching the kingdom of God, he commanded all men every where to repent, and believe the Gospel. A thousand times has he repeated this command to you. Without faith in him, without repentance, without holiness, you cannot abide in this awful Day. Remember then, while life lasts, that this is all, for which you live. How invaluable is this golden season; this accepted time; in which, if you hasten to the employment, you may work out your salvation. Far downward have you advanced in the broad and crooked way, which leads to destruction; but the night of death has not overtaken you. Look upward; and you will see, the Sun of Righteousness still shines, to illumine your path back to life. Seize the inestimable moment; and flee for your lives. as Lot escaped from the cities of the plain.

To these all-important duties, Christ knew, that your hearts would be, as you know they are, utterly opposed. That you might overcome this opposition, he has given you all the means of grace, to become, under the blessing of his good Spirit, the means of your salvation. Feel, then, their immense importance; and seize, and employ, them with all possible earnestness and anxiety. Let no Sabbath pass, until it shall have blessed you. When the sanctuary opens its doors; let your souls long, yea, even faint, for the courts of the Lord. Let no sermon escape, without enlightening your minds, and amending your hearts. Every morning, and every evening, bow your knees in secret, before the Father of all mercies; and send up your cries to Heaven for the salvation of your souls. Prize the word of life more than the most fine gold; and relish it more than honey, and the honey-comb. Seek for wisdom as for silver, and for understanding as for hidden treasure.

To rouse yourselves, every day, to every effort for the attainment of eternal life, keep in perpetual view these amazing events. Of all the astonishing scenes, which have been recited, you will be witnesses. You will hear the call of the Archangel, and rise from the grave. You will see the Judge descend; the Judgment set; and the books opened. You will hear the sentence pronounced on the Righteous, and on the wicked. You

will ascend with your glorious Redeemer to the Heaven of Heavens; or be sent down, with evil men, and evil angels, to the world of perdition.

Does not your heart tremble at this? Is it not moved out of its place? When the mountains quake at the approach of their Creator, and the hills melt; and the earth is burnt at his presence; the world, and all that is therein; who can stand before his indignation; who abide in the fierceness of his anger? What emotions will then be felt by every impenitent sinner! With what agonies will he sigh for the return of the accepted time! With what delirious ecstacy would his heart heave, to hear another day of grace, another opportunity of repentance, proclaimed by his Judge! But no day of grace will ever return to him. No voice of mercy will again announce the birth of a Saviour. The doors of Heaven will be opened no more. The smiles of a forgiving God will never dawn on the regions of sin and sorrow. Season will hasten, after season, and age roll on, after age, the melancholy round of darkness and despair, and not a beam of hope glimmer through the cheerless void, to revive the wearied and dying eye. Oh, that ye were wise; that ye understood these things; that ye would consider your latter end.

SERMON CLXVII.

THE REMOTER CONSEQUENCES OF DEATH.

THE PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED,

ITS DURATION.

MATTHEW Xxv. 46.

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment.

In the last discourse, I gave an account of the final Judgment, and of the sentences pronounced upon the Righteous and the Wicked. The next subjects of consideration are their future Allotments. I shall first consider that of the Wicked. This subject naturally divides itself into two parts; its Nature, and its Duration. The latter of these will be the subject of discourse at the present time.

In the text it is asserted, that impenitent sinners shall go away into everlasting punishment. Christians have very generally regarded this declaration of Christ as intending in the strict sense a punishment without end. But there have been multitudes of persons, styling themselves Christians, particularly in modern times, who have decided otherwise; and insisted, either that there will be no punishment beyond the grave, or that it will be temporary. In support of this opinion, and in opposition to that, which has been generally received, they have advanced va

rious arguments, and objections, which they professedly consider as having great weight, and to which, apparently, they yield their own assent. A teacher of systematical Theology seems obliged, therefore, to examine this subject; to meet such objections and arguments; and either to refute them, or to acknowledge that he is unable to answer them.

As the abettors of this scheme blend their objections and their direct arguments together: and as they are too numerous to be examined, in every instance separately, in a single sermon; I shall not feel myself obliged to discriminate very solicitously in this respect; but shall take the liberty to follow, in some measure, the path, which my opposers have trodden.

Before I begin the investigation of this subject, I shall make a few observations, for the purpose of removing, or, if that cannot be done, of lessening, a prejudice, (the strongest, perhaps, cherished by the human mind,) against the doctrine in question. The subject is immeasurably awful, and beyond all others affecting. Few persons can behold it in near vision with a steady eye. The very preacher, who teaches the doctrine to others, cannot but know, unless certainly assured of his own salvation, (a case undoubtedly very rare,) that he may, at that very time, be alleging arguments, which are to affect himself, and to evince his own final destruction, as well as that of others. If his heart is not made of stone; he cannot contemplate the subject, as it respects his fellow-men, without overwhelming amazement. The destiny of one immortal mind is an object, whose importance no finite thought can conceive, no numbers estimate. How vast must be this object, when the number of such minds becomes so great, as to reach the lowest limit, to which the most enlarged charity will be compelled to extend it! How entirely overwhelmed must he be who contemplates it, when he remembers, and beholds a melancholy experience verify, the declaration of our Saviour, that, Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be who go in thereat!

At the same time, the subject is unquestionably perplexing, as well as distressing. There are, I know, persons, who speak concerning it with an air of cool self-complacency, as being, in

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