"that have done good to the resurrection of life, "and they that have done evil to the resurrection "of damnation." Believers will rise first, and then such of the saints as shall be alive on the earth at that time, will be changed; that "death may "be swallowed up in victory." Afterwards the multitudes of the wicked will "awake to shame "and everlasting contempt."-The bodies of the unnumbered millions, who through succeeding ages have inhabited the globe, wherever laid, or however consumed, will be restored to life, and reunited to their immortal souls, that they may participate their happiness or misery. "Then the dead, small "and great, shall stand before God. The sea shall give up the dead that were in it; and death and "hell shall deliver up the dead which were in "them."" At this important crisis, the earth and all its works, yea, the visible heavens also, shall become one general conflagration: "The heavens and "earth, which now are, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire, against the day of judg"ment and perdition of ungodly men." "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, " in which the heavens shall pass away with a great 66 noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent "heat; the earth also, and all the works which are 1 Thess. iv. 16, 1 Cor. xv. 51, 52. John, v, 28, 29. "therein shall be burned up."" Yea, "heaven and "earth shall flee away, and there shall be found "no place for them." In vain should we attempt a description of this sublime and awful scene: our faculties labour, and our tongues as it were faulter, when we would think or speak of such subjects.-What then will be the feelings of the immense multitudes assembled on this occasion! What the astonishment, terror, and despair of the impenitent! of such as have idolized those things, which are the prey of all-devouring flames! of those who have blasphemed that Saviour, who appears to be their Judge! or ridiculed the divine testimony concerning the place of torment, and those evil spirits which are ready to seize upon them! Let us then recollect, that we shall be present, not as mere spectators, but as cited "to give account to him "that is ready to judge the quick and the dead." For we must all appear before the judgment-seat "of Christ, that every one may receive the things "done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” Our pre 66 sent conduct is voluntary; we choose whether wẹ will serve the Lord, or no: but we shall not be allowed to choose, whether we will stand before his tribunal, or decline the awful decision. It is extremely frivolous to start objections against the doctrines of revelation, taken from our '2 Pet. iii. 7, 10-12. ? 2 Cor. v. 10. low apprehensions, or levelled against the misinterpretations of injudicious believers. "Ye do 66 err, not knowing the scriptures nor the power of "God." He hath declared these things in his authenticated word: "his testimony is sure and giveth wisdom unto the simple:" and "he that "believed not hath made him a liar.' Will any man presume to say, that it is impossible for God to raise the dead? That human nature should be capable of such daring absurdity, ought to cover us with shame, and cause us to tremble. Let us, my friends, imitate the old patriarch, who "by faith, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, was moved with fear and prepared an ark." Let us prepare to meet our God, and seriously enquire, Who may abide the ❝ day of his coming? Or who may stand when he "appeareth?" 66 Neither ought we to regard those "scoffers," who, according to the prediction of the apostle, are come in these last days, walking after their "own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of "his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning "of the creation." We know not indeed the precise time when the Lord shall come; but we should not be ignorant that, "one day is with the Lord "as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one "day:" and we are assured that "the day of the "Lord so cometh as a thief in the night; for when 66 they shall say, peace and safety, then sudden de"struction cometh upon them, as travail upon a "woman with child, and they shall not escape.' Death is very near, and judgment follows. In this sense "The Judge standeth at the door:" and "the "end of all things is at hand." Be ye therefore ready; for ye know not what hour your Lord "doth come." The intervening space will soon elapse let us then, "account his long suffering "to be salvation:" and "seeing we look for "such things, let us be diligent, that we may be "found of him in peace without spot and blame"less."-We proceed therefore, II. To consider the discoveries which will then be made." The Lord shall come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and "will make manifest the counsels of the hearts." 66 "When the Son of man shall come in his glory "and all his holy angels with him, then shall he "sit upon the throne of his glory; and before him "shall be gathered all nations: and he shall sepa→ "rate them one from another, as a shepherd di"videth the sheep from the goats;" that is, with perfect ease, and infallible certainty. Then shall he be seated on "the great white throne," the emblem of his awful justice and spotless purity, "and the * 1 Thess. v. 2, 3. "books shall be opened." This expression, referring to the affairs of men, leads our thoughts to the discoveries of that solemn season. The book of the divine law shall be opened, as the perfect standard of good and evil; the book of Providence, stating the talents committed to the stewardship of each individual, with the advantages or disadvantages of his situation; the book of omniscience, developing all the particulars of every man's conduct, and all the motives and thoughts of his heart; and the book of conscience or memory, answering to every charge or discovery, however before buried in oblivion. But another book shall also be opened, or no flesh could be saved; even the book of life, in which all the elect of God, all true believers, are registered, with the evidences of their repentance, faith, and love. Then, all "men will "be judged out of those things, which are written "in the books, according to their works. And "whosoever shall not be found written in the book "of life, shall be cast into the lake of fire." We know but little of the real characters even of those with whom we are most intimately acquainted; and far less of other men's. A vast proportion of their outward conduct is concealed from us: what strangers then must we be to the dispositions and counsels of their hearts! Perhaps a tenth part of the actions of our nearest relatives or X Rev. xx. 12-15, |