watch, that we, who think we stand, take heed lest we fall! not to be satisfied with a lukewarm service, with a few outward forms, but to give up our whole heart and will unto God; not to build false security in our own imperfect righteousness, but to give all the glory to God, for the possibility of our salvation, through the atonement of the Redeemer; at the same time that we strive for more grace, and labour to make our calling and election sure; lest the harlots go into the kingdom of heaven before us: that is, lest the worst of sinners who have truly repented, and reformed their lives, and ascribe all to the powerful aid and tender mercy of God, prove finally accepted and we cast out, because we have denied the faith; that is, neither called, nor depended upon Jesus Christ the SAVIOUR, for our support; and lest, though we have been called, we prove by our misconduct, we have not been CHOSEN.

The very form of this tremendous scene is enough to fill the soul with humble fear. For, first, the innumerable host of angels shall sound the trumpet. At this signal of power almighty, all that are in the graves shall arise and come forth. They shall gather together the elect from the four winds; from one end of heaven to the other, myriads of creatures shall be assembled: then shall the Son descend in power and great glory, attended by the majesty

of heaven, What words can paint the feelings of the sinner, when the books are OPENED? The first foretaste of misery will be to view the person of his offended Judge. If the righteous shall scarcely be able to stand before the purity of his presence, where shall the blasphemer of his holy name, the unmerciful, the unjust, the hardened, wilful, and impenitent appear? Alas for the fate and feelings of those long-lived, desperate contemners of the blessed Jesus! those execrable abusers of the word philosophy. Those WOULD-BE infidels, in despite of their own natural reason, and inward conviction of the truth! the profane and profligate emissaries of the prince of darkness, and all the hopeless, wretched crew of daring, doubting, and condemned unbelievers! No excuse-no evasionno further trial will be admitted: nay, either the cowardly exit of some, and the hardened exit of others, perverters of their fellow-creatures, decided their tremendous sentence even on their death-beds. They, and all such, shall then be judged out of the things that are written in the books, according to their works. Surely, my friends, it is well worth our while, with such a certain awful prospect before us, to take heed to our ways; to be wise now in the accepted time; to judge ourselves, that we be not judged of the Lord.

As to the particular manner in which this

final judgment shall be transacted, we can only speak of it according to what is revealed as needful for us to know. It is enough, both for our present improvement, and as a gracious warning to escape the condemnation of the ungodly, that we are told we shall be accountable for all that we have done in the whole course of our lives, as agents that had a choice held out to us by evangelical revelation, and assisted with an inward light of conscience to check us in our evil courses, and direct us in the safe path to life. Every evil work, every wicked word, every secret thought, shall then be brought to light. If the guilty did but weigh the consequence, how earnest would it make them to cry, O Lord, what shall we do to be saved? If one wicked action, unrepented of, is enough to separate us from the presence of our immaculate Judge, how shall we stand under the burden of our iniquities, wilfully and wantonly transacted, from the earliest capacity of offending to the present hour? And yet we must be judged for whatever is done in the body, whether it be good or bad: and, if not only our actions, but every wicked word, will arise up against us, how does the account increase in terror? Yet the Judge declares, Every idle (i. e. every wilfully wicked) word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment; for, by thy WORDS thou shalt be JUSTIFIED, and by thy

may

WORDS thou shalt be CONDEMNED: i. e. where thou hast spoken to honour God, thou shalt be accepted; for, Whoso offereth me thanks and praise, he honoureth me (saith God); and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I show my salvation; but whoso speaketh evil, him will God destroy. What, then, will become of the common swearer, all profane persons, and filthy talkers? And if we take into consideration that even our very thoughts are capable of adding to our condemnation, well may we exclaim, O Lord, if thou shouldest be extreme to mark what is done amiss, WHO, WHO shall abide it? We well petition Heaven to pardon all our secret sins, when what is in private shall be declared on the house-top. Thoughts and actions that many would blush that even a child should know, will then be openly shown to all the world. How must the guilty tremble to have their numerous undivulged crimes exposed! with what confusion will the hypocrite appear, when the mask of his deceit is totally removed, and the native baseness of his soul renders him an object of universal scorn and just reproach? Let this plain but serious view of the awful period warn you, my brethren, from trifling with your fate. Your eternal portion, in a manner, hangs upon a thread-the thread of life, which is in the hand of God alone, and a matter of the greatest uncertainty as to its continuance. Let neither youth,

nor bad example, nor power of passion, tempt you to walk in the ways of an evil heart, or in the sight of your own fond eyes; for know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment; but, rather haste to repent and reform. O, rejoice in the glorious prospect, that all your transgressions MAY be blotted out, and your sins as a thick cloud. Reflect upon your ingratitude hitherto to the God of all goodness, and with humble contrition meet the gracious mercy held out to all who call upon him faithfully reflect, that He whom you offend, is the mighty Being, who has given us life, who has given us reason, who nourishes, preserves, and prospers us, and would direct us in the safe way, if our own perverseness did not withstand his love. It is to HIM we are indebted for all the gifts of nature, fortune, and grace-for our redemption, regeneration, and knowledge of the truth and what should affect us most of all, for the saving calls of escaping the corruption that is in the world, through lust. How deeply are we indebted to him for the repetition of these calls-for the continuing to repeat them times without number-for his forbearance and long-suffering-his tender patience after the foulest provocations upon many occasions, for so many years, and even to the present moment! Surely, these are powerful motives to urge a change of life to serve the Lord with fear, and to rejoice with trembling.

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