that " every one of us must give account of himself to Him *." With all seriousness and diligence, let us prepare to meet our God +." Let us dwell upon the awful fubject, that it may leave a deeper impreffion upon our minds. This judgment will be univerfal, as extending to the whole rational creation. The holy Angels will be interested, but we prefume not to explain in what particular manner. They will be gathered together, fo as to become one body in Chrift with all his faints, perfectly reunited under Him, and, probably, confirmed and fecured in their happy and glorious ftate for ever ‡. The fallen fpirits will be brought forth for public trial and condemnation. They are "referved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day §." The bafeness of their character, and particularly their malignant oppofition to Chrift and his people, will then be manifefted; and they will be configned, on the cleareft grounds of equity, to thofe manfions of horror and despair, where "there fhall be weeping, wailing, and gnathing of teeth." But the proceedings of that day are defcribed, as having a peculiar reference to our world: and it is a confideration of the utmost moment to ourselves, that every individual of the human race will be fummoned. "We must all appear before the judgment feat of Christ." What an immenfe concourfe! It must baffle our calculations. Adam, and his numerous progeny, even to his latest descendant, must stand together at the tribunal; nor will any one in that vast affembly pass unnoticed. How awful the thought! Each perfon will be examined with the fame ftrictnefs and attention, as if no other were prefent, and feel himself not less interefted, than if his own were the only cafe to be determined. This judgment, then, will be particular, as extending to the minuteft circumftance of our lives. The accuracy of fuch an investigation may justly excite the moft ferious apprehenfions. Who can endure it? The whole of our actions will come under a close infpection: Yes, even thofe, which were carefully concealed from the obfervation of our fellow creatures upon earth, hall then be publicly expofed. For "God fhall bring every work into judgment, with every fecret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." It fhould be remembered, alfo, that the intercourse, we have had with each other in converfation, will be fcrutinized with the fame exactness. "Every idle word that men fhall fpeak, they fhall give account thereof in the day of judgment +. Nay further, Jefus, who fearcheth the reins, takes notice of the thoughts, affections, defires, plans, and purposes, which have never appeared in outward effects. He declares, "There is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that (hall not be known .' Confidering, then, "with whom we have to do," let us not content ourselves with mere regularity, or an external decency of conduct. Can we bear to have all our imaginations, wishes, and fchemes, unfolded to the view of the affembled world? Does not the very apprehenfion of it cover us with confufion; efpecially as the event of the trial is fo momentous? This judgment is final. The eternal states of all mankind will be decided beyond the poffibility of a change. There can lie no appeal to any other tribunal. It is the defect of human judicatories, that they frequently find it neceffary or expedient to reverse the fentence, which they have paffed. But reasons of policy or mere compaffion, which arise from our ignorance and weakness, cannot influence the proceed Ecclef. xii. 14. † Matt. xii. 36. ‡ x. 26. ings of the court of heaven. No pardon, no mitigation of the doom, can be obtained for impenitent finners, who fhall be condemned by the righteous Judge of all. When he fhall fay to his redeemed people, "Come, ye bleffed children of my Father," they will have no reason to dread an alteration in his difpofitions, or a diminution of their happiness. No further probation will be appointed: but, the day of grace being closed, all mankind will be configned to a state of blifs or mifery, and that for ever. The great gulf will be fixed, fo that it will be impoffible to pafs from one to the other *. Ah! where fhall we dwell? It remains only that we enquire briefly, what shall follow the folemn tranfactions of the last day; and this fubject will conclude our obfervations on the character of Jefus. "Then cometh the end, when he fhall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority, and power: for he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet +." The important work, which he undertook, will be completed; his people being brought home, and placed in full poffeffion of the inheritance prepared for them, and all the oppofers of his government being entirely confounded and vanquished. There will, therefore, be no further occafion for the offices of Mediator, Advocate, and Interceffor; becaufe the grand purposes, for which they were first affumed, will then be accomplished: and accordingly they will cease. The peculiar dominion, which is now vested in the hands of Jefus, shall be again delivered to the Godhead, in the person of the Father. The kingdom, which we call imediatorial, fhall be refigned: the truft, being discharged, fhall be given up. The people of Chrift, who are the objects of his care, fhall poffefs fuch a perfection of purity, that his *Luke xvi. 26. + 1 Cor. xv. 24, 25. gracious gracious agency, in representing them before the throne, will be no longer neceffary. In this life, we look to the Father, and he to us, only through the interpofition of the Redeemer. But in heaven there will be this grand difference: we fhall come to God, as it were immediately, like the bleffed Angels, who stand in no need of one to introduce or plead for them. Thus "all things being fubdued unto him, then fhall the Son alfo himself be subject unto Him, that put all things under him, that God may be all in all*." Jefus, as Mediator, fhall retire, acknowledging that his authority had been delegated the glory of the Deity fhall be feen without a veil; all worship and honour fhall be afcribed to Jehovah ; and the univerfal abfolute dominion be maintained by Him alone for ever. This is confeffed to be a myfterious subject; but the difficulty arifes from our inability to form clear and fuitable conceptions of the divine effence, and of that union of the two natures, which subsists in the perfon of Jefus Chrift. "We cannot order our fpeech by reason of darkness +" but let us wait awhile, and the day will declare, what we prefume not to explain. No argument can properly be drawn from the refignation of the Redeemer's kingdom, to disprove his Godhead, or original equality with the Father.. As well might we maintain, that the Father is at prefent fubordinate, becaufe "He hath committed all judgment unto the Sont." This furrender of Chrift's power refers to the truft, invested in him as Mediator; and in that capacity, it is allowed, he not only will be, but is even now, fubject. It has appeared, through the confideration of his whole character, that he poffeffes all the glories and perfections, which we can poffibly ascribe to Deity. These he cannot deliver * 1 Cor. xv. 28. † Job xxxvii. 19. ↑ John v. 22. up ;; up; and therefore, as God, he together with the Father and the Holy Ghoft, the one felf-exiftent Je hovah, fhall reign for ever and ever; "and of his kingdom there fhall be no end* *. He will, likewife, continue to enjoy throughout eternity a peculiar honour, even in his human nature. He will still be diftinguished as " Immanuel," though not as Mediator. He will remain the head of his people, and they will be confidered as in Him, ftanding before God only by virtue of his blood, and his obedience unto death. The throne of the Lamb, as well as of the Lord God, fhall be in the new Jerufalem, and his fervants shall serve himt. "The Lamb,, which is in the midst of the throne, fhall feed them,. and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters ‡. Thus "his name shall endure for ever §." The very man of Nazareth, who was crucified on mount Cal-vary, fhall possess a state of glorious exaltation, even when the plan of redemption is completed,. and shall be the object of everlasting admiration, love, and praise, amongst all the hosts of heaven.. Do we not burn with eager defire to participate of their blifs, and join in their song? Then let us acquaint ourselves with the character of Jefus ; for "no man cometh unto the Father but by Him." Let us pray, that we may have clearer and more enlarged conceptions of his worth and excellency: for how fmall a part do we yet perceive! Indeed, in our highest ftate of advancement upon earth, our views will be obfcure and contracted. O! what rich discoveries are referved for the eternal world, to which we are haftening! Do we not exult in the confidence, that the veil will be foon removed, and we fhall fee the King in his beauty?" Then fhall we cry out, with holy transport, as the queen of Sheba, "Behold, the half was Luke i. 33. + Rev. xxii. 3. ‡ vii. 17. § Pfal..Ixxii. 17 not |