to receive a body at the resurrection counsels of all hearts" (1 Cor. iv. beyond expression glorious and 1-3); the perfect recollection, beautiful, and as much superior to and full conviction, which every these bodies of our humiliation, as one will then have of all his the heavens are above the earth. thoughts, words, actions, motives, They will be liable to none of the intentions, &c., however they had wants, decays, disorders, or gross-previously been mistaken or forgotness of our present animal frame; ten; the judgment to be made of no longer will they retard our mo- the whole by the perfect rule of the tions, or impede us in contemplation divine command; and the final conand devotion: but they will be suited demnation of all, "whose names to assist and increase the most sub-were not found written in the book lime and rapturous joys of our im- of life," implies, that none can abide mortal souls to all eternity. And, the severity of this judgment, however it may appear to us at pre-except those who are interested in sent, we shall doubtless find the the new covenant mediated by the resurrection of our bodies to be an Son of God. Whilst we are taught, immense accession to our happiness, by "death and hell being cast into and to our capacity of enjoying and the lake of fire," that all the saints glorifying God. will be finally delivered from death, Whilst the Scripture states the suffering, and every consequence of order of the resurrection, and inti- sin, which will from that period be mates that the final justification of wholly destroyed, or confined to believers shall precede the resur-those who perish in their sins, St. rection of the wicked, that they may Paul declares, that "we must all be assessors with Christ in judging appear," or be made manifest in men and angels (1 Cor. vi. 2, 3), our true character," before the it also speaks more fully on the judgment-seat of Christ; that every grounds of their admission to their one may receive the things done in glorious inheritance, in language his body, according to that he hath which implies, that the whole as-done, whether it be good or bad" sembled world shall be made ac-(2 Cor. v. 10). The same interquainted with them. Nothing can esting truth is exhibited under be more august than the description various parables or similitudes: given of this tremendous day of" Every tree that bringeth not forth God. The apostle, in vision, "saw a good fruit, shall be hewn down and great white throne, and him that sat cast into the fire:"" the tares shall thereon, from whose face the heaven be separated from the wheat;" "the and the earth fled away, and there corn from the chaff:" and "the was no place left for them" (Rev. man without the wedding garment xx. 11-15). No words can more from the welcome guests,' " at the emphatically declare the sovereign end of the world; when the angels authority and infinite power, justice, shall come forth and sever the and holiness of the Judge. "He wicked from among the just, and saw the dead also, both small and shall cast them into the furnace of great, stand before God; and the fire; there shall be wailing and books were opened," &c. This de- gnashing of teeth" (Matt. xiii. 41clares the discoveries that will be 43, 49, 50). Indeed all the demade, when omniscience shall scriptions which are given us of this "bring to light the hidden things grand event, apply especially to the of darkness, and make manifest the case of those who have the benefit

of revelation: but we are expressly | fluences; a new character was told, that "when the Son of Man formed in them, and their subseshall come in his glory, and all the quent good works evince their union holy angels with him, then shall he with Christ, show their title to the sit upon the throne of his glory; eternal inheritance, and constitute and before him shall be gathered all the measure by which their gracious nations, and he shall separate them recompense is ascertained. For, one from another, as a shepherd as all their former sins have been divideth his sheep from the goats" blotted out, and all the defects, defile(Matt. xxv. 31—46). This he ments, and failures of their subsewill do with perfect ease, certaintyquent obedience were repented of, and impartiality: he will pronounce and washed away through the daily the final sentence with absolute exercise of faith in Christ; so noauthority, from which there can thing will be found written concernbe no appeal; execute it with a ling them but the account of the power to which all resistance will good works which they did from be vain; and display the propriety evangelical principles, and by the of it so clearly, as to silence grace of the Holy Spirit; whether every objection. These things are they have been spared to produce suited to give us the most exalted these good fruits for a longer or a apprehensions of the Judge himself, shorter time. Then all their conwho "shall come in his own glory," scientious self denial, their secret as Mediator," and in the glory of piety and charity, their heavenly the Father," exercising all Divine meditations and affections, their perfections through the medium of pure disinterested motives, their the human nature; so that this will edifying converse, their zeal, gratibe "the appearing of the glory of tude, self-abasement, godly sorrow, the great God and our Saviour Jesus patience, meekness, perseverance Christ" (Tit. ii. 13). Then "every in doing good against evil, constancy eye shall see him, and they also in the midst of opposition; with all which pierced him, and all the kin- they have renounced, ventured, dreds of the earth shall wail because laboured, or suffered for Christ's of him" (Rev. i. 7; Jude 14, 15.) sake, will be brought to light and When the books shall be made manifest before men and opened," it will appear, that many angels. Every calumny and maliciof those who had been guilty of nu-ous charge of hypocrisy, affectation, merous and heinons crimes, for a &c., will be refuted; their whole great part of their lives, had at conduct shall appear in its true length truly repented, and believed light, and it will be undeniably in Christ with a living faith: being manifest, that they were the upright "then justified by faith, they had worshippers and servants of God, peace with God:" "their sins were the disciples and friends of Christ, cast into the depths of the sea, never and decidedly on his part in this more to be mentioned against them" evil world: then it will be seen, (Ezek. xviii. 22; Micah vii. 19). that it is a righteous thing with Their repentance having been evi-God to recompense with his headenced by newness of life, their venly rest," those who willingly enfaith having worked by love to dured tribulation for his sake, whilst Christ, his cause, and his people, they lived among his enemies (2 and the Spirit of adoption having Thess. i. 4-12). And no one sealed them by his sanctifying in- shall be able to object to the deci

of men,

sion of the Judge, when he shall" they who sin without law shall say, Come, ye blessed of my Fa- perish without law;" they that ther, inherit the kingdom prepared transgress the law (having had for you from the beginning of the the benefit of revelation), will be world." judged and condemned according On the other hand, many who to it: but, if they claim the benefit call Christ, Lord, Lord, will be ex- of the gospel, their professed faith posed as hypocrites, and workers in Christ will be tried by its fruits of iniquity (Matt. vii. 22, 23; xxv. and effects; so that none will even1-11; Luke xiii. 25-28): for it tually stand in judgment, except will then be proved, that their pro- the true believer, who hath shown fession or preaching of the gospel, his faith by his works. Yet the attendance on ordinances, and out- doom of benighted heathens, howward services, sprang from corrupt ever vile their conduct hath been, and selfish motives; that their will be far less dreadful than that transient convictions and affections of wicked Christians: so that hyponever issued in an inward change; critical professors of the gospel will that they secretly "loved the wa- not only be more severely punished ges of unrighteousness," or the than the inhabitants of Tyre and pleasures of sin; that they were Zidon, but it will even be more tolethe slaves of avarice, ambition, sen- rable for Sodom than for them. suality, or malignant passions; that Let it be here observed, that very they did all their works to be seen dangerous conclusions have been and were strangers to con- drawn from our Lord's words, resstant, fervent, secret religion; and, pecting the day of judgment (Matt. in short, that they did not love xxv.): as if any humane and benefiChrist and his cause, were deceived cent actions would ensure a man's by a dead faith, a presumptuous acceptance at that solemn season: hope, and a false repentance, were but every reflecting person must not interested in the new covenant, perceive, that nothing will then be and therefore remained under the favourably noticed, which has been curse of the law, with the aggravation done by impenitent despisers of of having also abused and disgraced the gospel from ostentation, or phathe gospel. This will not only be risaical pride, or a mere instinctive the case with those who have propensity; for this supposition secretly committed gross immorali-contradicts and disannuls the whole ties, and cloaked them with a religi-system of Christianity. In fact, ous profession; but to all who have kindness to believers, as the brethnot shown their love to Christ, by a ren of Christ, from love to his name, disposition to love and do good to truth, cause, and image, as the his people for his sake: and what- genuine effect of living faith, is alone ever they may now urge in excuse mentioned in this description. No for their conduct, they will be doubt, however, but love to our felsilenced at last; and with all other low-sinners and enemies, from evanunbelievers be doomed "to depart gelical motives, will be graciously accursed into everlasting fire, pre-accepted; but active, liberal love pared for the devil and his an-to true Christians, whom we are gels." naturally disposed to scorn and The several Scriptural represen-hate, is selected, as the most unetations of this decisive event concur quivocal proof of our love to Christ; in establishing these conclusions: nor can this ever be separated from

66

other instances of humble obedi- this be, if the persons thus conence, in the habitual tenour of our demned do not exist for ever in a conduct. It may easily be con- state of punishment? Or what proof ceived what discoveries will be have we of the eternity of happiness made "when the books shall be intended for the righteous, if the opened," in respect of the different same word in the same verse in one descriptions of unbelievers; which place do not mean eternal? We will suffice to " stop every mouth, need not enlarge-if the ideas" of and bring in the whole world as a never-dying worm," " an unexguilty before God;" and to illustrate tinguishable fire," "the blackness the Divine justice in the condemna- of darkness for ever," and "the tion of all those, who shall then company of the devil and his ango away into everlasting punish-gels," do not warn men to "flee ment." Every one, who seriously from the wrath to come," none reflects on his own conduct, during else can; for these only fail, because the whole of his past life; and com- they are not believed. On the pares his thoughts, words, and other hand, "a kingdom that canworks with the holy commandments not be moved," "an incorruptiof God, will gradually more and ble, undefiled, and unfading inheritmore find his own heart to con-ance," " an exceeding and eternal demn him and if this be the case weight of glory," pleasures at with the most moral of the human God's right hand for evermore," are race, where will the blasphemous, expressions so energetic, that did the profligate, the fraudulent, the we truly believe and attend to oppressor, and the murderer ap- them, we could not but be influenced pear? Whatever may now be ob-by them in all our conduct. Here, jected, or excused, the discovery of then, we pause-" beloved, we the Divine glory, of the holy and know not what we shall be; but perfect law, of man's obligations, this we know, that when Jesus and of the whole behaviour of every shall appear, we shall be like him, individual towards God and man, for we shall see him as he is ;" and will then leave the most specious the countless ages of eternity will unbelievers speechless, and make but serve to enhance our unutterable them feel the justice of their own joys. With what words, then, can condemnation. But what words we more properly close this Essay, can express the consequence of and the present compendious publithis definitive sentence? Or who cation, than those of the apostle? does not see that the language of" Wherefore, beloved, seeing that Scripture is selected to mark out we look for such things, let us be the most tremendous effects of al- diligent that we may be found of mighty indignation? "These shall him in peace, without spot, and go away into everlasting" (or eter-blameless." nal) "punishment;" but how can

a

SERMONS ON SELECT SUBJECTS.

PREFACE.

THE sacred Scriptures speak of be known from all that is counter"dead works," and of a "dead feit, or greatly debased with alloy. faith;" of a "form of godliness, and The texts selected for these "form of knowledge:" and in sermons are generally very plain whatever way these may be com- and comprehensive; and the evident bined together, the whole, as well meaning of them, as they stand in as each of its constituent parts, the Scriptures, has been carefully must be widely different from "liv-investigated and adhered to: SO ing faith," the " power of godli-that the reader, who hesitates conness," and a "new creation to good cerning the doctrine, or the conworks." So that there is often far clusions deduced from it, may, by more coincidence in this respect, diligently examining the context, betwen men of discordant senti- perceive how far these are warments on speculative points, than is ranted by the authority of the sacred generally supposed. writers.

To show the absolute necessity The Author, since he first circuof evangelical principles in order to lated his proposals, has been deterholy practice; and their never-fail-mined, by the advice and reasons ing efficacy in sanctifying the heart, of his friends, to omit the short when cordially received; and to prayers, which he intended to add exhibit, according to the best of the at the end of each sermon; but he Author's ability, the nature and hopes, that, as in other respects he effects of genuine Christianity, as has exceeded the proposals, he distinguished from every species of shall escape censure in this particufalse religion, without going far out lar; and be credited in saying, that of his way to combat any of them; he had no motive in the alteration, is the special design of this publica-but to avoid every obstacle to the tion. But he has, at the same time, usefulness of the publication. endeavoured to explain, establish,| To the special blessing and proand enforce his views of the gospel vidential disposal of the only wise in that manner, which was deemed God our Saviour, he would commost likely to inform the mind and mend this feeble endeavour to gloaffect the heart of the attentive and rify him and promote the cause of teachable reader. the gospel: and whatever reception

:

The doctrinal part of the aposto- it may meet with from the public lical epistles is always stamped in general; he shall deem himself practically; and the holy tendency abundantly recompensed, if any of every divine truth is clearly persons should, by means of it, be shown on the other hand, the brought to the saving knowledge of practical exhortations are constantly the Father, the Sou, and the Holy enforced by evangelical motives and Ghost, into whose name all Chrisencouragements. This may there-tians are baptized. fore be considered as a good test of sterling divinity, by which it may

May 12, 1796.