The wicked have no certain punishment, nor the righteous any adequate reward On the contrary, they often riot in ease, affluence, and honour, while these languish in pain, want, and infamy b. The notices also, which are on the consciences of men, afford, reason to expect a future day of retribution-] Some will be exalted to a state of unspeakable felicity [They will be delivered from the corruption which here cleaved to them— They will be admitted to the blissful regions of paradiseThe capacity of comprehension and enjoyment will be greatly enlarged They will join an assembly of most pure and blessed spiritsAbove all, they will behold their God and Saviour d They will receive public testimonies of his approbation --An unfading crown of righteousness will be given to them1- They will be seated with him on his throne of glory-They will praise and adore him with all their powers-Nor shall their happiness know either intermission or endh--] Others will be cast down to a state of inconceivable misery [They will not be permitted to stand in the congregation of the righteous1—— The Judge will banish them with indignation from his presencek Shame and contempt shall be poured upon them before all They will be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone"- God himself will pour out upon them the vials of his wrath" Their own consciences also will bitterly reproach them°— They will have a distant view of the happiness they have lostp And an enlarged capacity to endure the torment inflicted on them Nor shall they have any thing to assuage their anguish Not one moment's intermission of pain will be granted them Nor shall millions of ages terminate their misery'- There will be no intermediate state between these [The idea of a purgatory is an absurd fiction-Punishment, in this world does not change the nature of man- Pharaoh was more and more hardened under ten successive plagues'- And in hell, so far from repenting, they blaspheme God' The Scripture assures us that no change shall take place after death" If Judas ever were brought to heaven, our Lord's assertion would be false Nor have the dead any prospect of annihilation Not the remotest period shall determine the existence of one single soul-] II. These states will be fixed according to men's acceptance or rejection of the gospel It is certainly true that our works will be the criterion whereby we shall be judged in the last day [This is frequently asserted in the Holy Scriptures— Our Lord has declared it in his account of the judicial pro cess1 Nor can the smallest doubt be entertained respecting it-] But a due reception of the gospel is a very important work [God has given it as his special command that we believe on his Son And this command is as important as any in the decalogue Cognizance therefore will be taken of our violations of this, as well as of any other, duty-] Indeed this work must be performed before we can do any other with acceptance [Without faith in Christ we cannot do any thing that is good Nor can we derive any thing from him unless we be united to him But faith is the only bond by which that union can be effected Till we believe therefore, we can be only as withered branches • Exod. viii. 32. Rev. xvi. 9. u Eccl. ix. 10. Rev. xxii. 11. * Mark xiv. 21. y Luke xx. 36. 38. z Eccl. xii. 14. 2 Cor. v. 10. Matt. xxv. 34-45. d Ver. 4. ↑ John xv. 6. • John xv. 5. b 1 John iii. 23. Hence that striking and positive declaration of the apostle-] There is an inseparable connection between our faith and our works [We may distinguish between them as between the cause and effect But we cannot possibly separate them in our practice— Our works are the fruits and evidences of our faith1——— God, who searcheth the heart, might indeed decide upon our faith as it is seated there— But man can judge of it only by the fruit it producesThe day of judgment is for the purpose of displaying to the whole creation the equity of the divine procedure — On this account our works will be brought forth as the ground of God's decision But, as he who judges of the fruit of a tree, judges of the tree itself, so God, in deciding in the fruits of our faith, decides eventually on the faith that produced them-] Nor shall this connection be forgotten in the day of judgment [Our Lord will surely not forget his own repeated decla rationsk In enquiring into our works he will never overlook that which is the root and principle of all other works In considering how we acted towards each other, he will not be indifferent about our conduct towards himself— We may be sure, therefore, that the text shall be fulfilled in that day And that while the rejecters of his gospel shall perish, the true believer alone shall be saved-] INFER 1. The folly of neglecting the gospel [Men usually respect the sanctions of human lawsWhat effect then should not the sactions of the gospel have upon us? When the sentence shall be passed, can we reverse it?1If not, it must be madness to neglect this warningSuch folly degrades us below the beasts that perishTM— Let the past time suffice for such base and fatal conduct—] INFER 2. The wisdom of embracing it with our whole hearts [It is wisdom to regard things in proportion to their importance But what so important as the declarations of the gospel? Heb. xi. 6. John iii. 18. 36. h Jam. ii. 18. i Rom. ii. 5. 1 Isai. x. 3. 1 Cor. x. 22. m Isai. i. 3. Temporal things are nothing in comparison of heaven and hell- Every temporal consideration therefore should be as nothing in our eyes”— We should "buy the truth, and not part with it" at any price_ This is true wisdom, however it may be accounted follyAnd "wisdom ere long, shall be justified of all her children"-] "Luke ix. 25. and xii. 4. • Prov. xxiii. 23. Mark xvi. 15, 16. DISCUSSION BY PERPETUAL APPLICATION. INCESSANT was our Lord's attention to the welfare of his church Regardless both of his own sufferings and glory, he was ever occupied in that one concern On the very eve of his crucifixion he instituted the memorials of his dying love And, at the moment of his ascension, provided for the instruction of the world to the remotest period of time He had an eye to us, no less than to those of his own age and nation Shall we not then pay attention to his parting words? Shall we not consider them in reference to ourselves? The most important truths contained in them are obvious and acknowledged Let us then consider them in a way of practical enquiry I. What knowledge have we of the gospel? The gospel is a most stupendous display of the divine mercy [It reveals salvation to a ruined worlda It discovers God himself as manifest in the flesh, and dying for sinb a 1 Tim. i. 15. b 1 Tim. iii. 16. Acts xx. 28. It offers, and intreats us to accept, redemption through his blood It requires nothing to be done on our part to merit his favourd But teaches us to improve carefully what we receive freely-] But its true nature and design are not generally understood [Some take up prejudices against it as a licentious systemNor will they be at any pains to acquire just views of its doctrines Others adulterate it with a mixture of human inventionsf Or destroy its efficacy by a self-righteous dependences—] Let us however enquire what are our views respecting it [Do we indeed see it to be "worthy of all acceptation?" Does the remedy it proposes appear suited to our necessities? Is it considered by us as "the power of God and the wisdom of God?"h Do we count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of it?"____ Has God shined in our hearts to give us these views?k Or does Satan yet blind our eyes that we cannot see them? Let us search whether the veil be yet taken from our hearts-] II. What effect have its sanctions produced upon us? We are astonished to see how little the sanctions of the gospel are regarded [We can form very little idea of the felicity of heavenNor have we any adequate conceptions of the torments of hell But there is nothing grand which is not used to represent the one Or terrible which does not serve to describe the otherYet, awful as they are, few are suitably affected with themMotives taken from temporal and visible things have weight But eternal things, because invisible, engage no attention e 2 Cor. v. 19, 20. f 2 Cor. ii. 17. i Phil. iii. 8. d Isai. Iv. 1. g Gal. v. 2. 4. 2 Cor. iv. 6. 2 Cor. iii. 14. e. Tit. ii. 11, 12. b 1 Cor. i. 24. Rom. i. 16. 1 Ib. ver. 4. |