DISCOURSE XIII.

CHARITY TO THE BRETHREN OF CHRIST.

MATT. XXV. 40.

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye bave done it unto me.

Y

ET once again, by the favour of DISC. the Almighty, we have lived to fee

the return of this holy season; again we are assembled in the house of God, to turn our thoughts towards the second Advent of our Lord. The church by her services on this day directs us to do so, and we will obey her. In the portion of Scripture selected for the Gofpel, his appearance and

the

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DISC. the forerunners of it are marked out for our contemplation; signs above, and terrors beneath: the earth distressed and perplexed, the powers of heaven shaken, men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming-the trumpet sounds through all the regions of the grave, "Arife, ye dead, and come to " judgment:" the everlasting doors are unfolded: the King of glory, triumphant Meffiah, Lord of men and angels, appears in the resplendent robes of celestial majesty: the armies in heaven follow him, in proceffion, down to this lower world: the throne is set; the books are opened: the dead are judged; and that sentence is passed, from which there lies no appeal.

Is all this true? Most assuredly it is. No person who hears me at this moment dares even to think it is not. A monitor within bears a faithful teftimony to what I fay, and will not fuffer infidelity or doubt to intrude.

And

ΧΙΙΙ.

And are we-you and I-concerned in DISC. it all? As certainly as we are now met together in this place: no man or woman who ever has been, or ever will be born, can claim exemption - " We must all ap

pear before the judgment-feat of Chrift."

Some little degree of curiofity I should therefore hope may have been excited, to enquire into the grounds upon which will be passed an irreversible sentence either to everlasting happiness, or everlasting misery: for there is no middle condition; of one or the other we must inevitably partake. The Scripture, from whence my text is taken, will afford us confiderable afsistance in the enquiry, and enable us to form some fort of opinion beforehand, where our lot is likely to fall.

Our Lord, according to St. Matthew's account, being at the eve of his sufferings, the history of which commences at the next (the xxvith) chapter, closes his divine instructions to his disciples with a reprefen

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DISC. representation of his future proceedings on the great and awful day. "When the son of " man," says he, "shall come in his glory, " and all the holy angels with him, then shall " he fit upon the throne of his glory; and be"fore him shall be gathered all nations; and " he shall separate them one from another, " as a shepherd [in the evening] divideth "his sheep from the goats. And he shall "set the sheep on his right hand, but the "goats on the left." To the former he first addresses that inexpressibly sweet invitation, mercy to the last rejoicing against judgment, and delighting to give the inheritance which it had spared no pains to purchase - " Come, ye blessed of my Fa"ther, inherit the kingdom prepared for

you from the foundation of the world." Now be pleased to observe the reason upon which this invitation is founded. " For," faith Christ, " I was an hungred, and ye

gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave " me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took " me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was

"fick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, " and