parts: (1.) That Christ, at the end of the world, will return from heaven, where he is now seated, to intercede for us. (2.) The design of his coming is declared in these words: He will come to JUDGMENT. And (3.) the objects of his judgment are all mankind; He will judge both quick and dead-those who are alive on earth on the great day of account, and those that are raised from the dead, to receive their final sentence.

The truth of this declaration is abundantly set forth in Holy Scripture. The Apostle (Acts, iii. 21) informs us, that the heavens must receive him till the times of the restitution of all things; (Acts, i. 11,) and then this same Jesus which was taken up into heaven, shall so come, in like manner as he was seen to go into heaven. In Matthew, xvi. 27, Christ himself acquaints his disciples, that the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then shall he rewand every man according to his works. And this final part of his office he declares to belong peculiarly to HIMSELF (John, v. 22): For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the SoN. And the same doctrine, St. Paul assures his hearers, he · had been commanded to preach to the people, that it is He who was ordained of God to be judge of quick and dead. (Acts, x. 42.)

That the Apostle built every religious consequence upon the assurance of this fact, we learn

from the solemn introduction of his admonition to Timothy, to attend to his duty with all dili gence. I charge thee therefore, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and dead at his appearing, and his kingdom. (2 Tim. iv. 1.) And St. Peter upholds his doctrine by the same serious motive, when, in his first General Epistle, he exhorts men to live no longer (the rest of their time) to the flesh, i. e. to the lusts of men, but to the will of God; nor to regard what they who run in all excess of riot, may think of them, because they have made so happy a choice, or change; and that for this most essential reason, that they should always keep in mind, that they were to give account to HIM who is ready to JUDGE THE QUICK

AND DEAD.

As Christians, we might rest fully satisfied with what our Lord himself did promise and assure us of, his second coming. But to give every due weight and dignity to the expectation of this event, as the Scriptures, do often speak of Christ's second advent, or coming again in the flesh, it will be sufficient for your present satisfaction, to produce the testimony of St. Jude, 14; and the Prophet Daniel, who writes, that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of this advent, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints. But the Prophet Daniel had a positive vision of Christ's

power and glory, as Judge of all men: I saw in the night (says he) a vision: and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days; and there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, that shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. (Dan. vii. 13, 14.) To this fact the testimony of angels hath been given; and that further promise of our Lord (John, xiv. 3, 28) is very expressive, If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself. You have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again to you.

As matter of comfort to those who continue patient in well-doing, the Apostle reminds them, Yet a little while, and He that shall come will come. (Heb. x. 37.) Our Redeemer, then, shall come; and not only so, but exactly as the Messiah was foretold, and as repeated in St. Matthew (xxiv. 30), as the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. This expression of the clouds, you must know, was interpreted by the Jews of old, to signify the glorious host or attendance of angels waiting upon the Son of man; and it is a figure of speech we use to this day, to describe a very great and innumerable body. To close the

proof of this doctrine, and the first portion of the article; it is recorded in the Revelation of St. John (i. 7), Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him.

Concerning the particular place from whence our blessed Redeemer will come, there is no necessity to enlarge to you at this time, since, in the explanation of the foregoing article, we so fully proved what place that was. One text will suffice as well as a hundred, to refresh your memory on that subject. In the Apostle's description the declaration runs thus: For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God (1 Thess. iv. 16): and hence the Apostle argues, in another place, for the expediency of our conversation being in heaven, because, says he, from THENCE we look for our Saviour, the Lord Jesus.

I proceed now to the second consideration I promised to speak to, which is the design of Christ's coming, and that is, the act of his judging. FROM THENCE

JUDGE.

HE SHALL COME TO

That there will be a general day of judgment to the whole world, and consequently that it will be the most solemn and terrible day the world ever saw, is a truth that most concerns us of any other whatever.

I will adduce the Scripture accounts of it, and endeavour, as I go along, to bring the reflection home to ourselves, by such pointed applications as the importance of the action naturally suggests to every true believer.

Now, there is no view in which the last judgment can be painted, that more equally affects all men, than the threatened sentence of the Judge himself, against all who abuse the means of grace; who slight their day of visitation; who do not profit by the gracious trial appointed them-Verily, I say (saith the Judge), it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for these. The wickedest of people, you see, will have a lighter sentence passed upon them, than those who turn their backs on God's ordinances; and who are wilfully blind and deaf to the calls of the Gospel, Now the reason of this judgment is founded in justice, because the other had not equal opportunities of conviction and reformation; for our Lord expressly says, If the works had been done among THEM, which you have seen, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. How should this urge us (my dear brethren) to redeem the time, to neglect no op portunity of learning our duty, to be diligent in working out our salvation, with fear and trembling, lest we finally partake of such a dreadful judgment How should it keep us on continual