caufe their behaviour is inoffenfive; and they may not be undeceived, till they are called to give up their accounts. But then, no one will be excufed, merely because he has done no harm, even if that were true. It will be enquired, how much real and pofitive good has been effected. Do any dare to hope, that the great difficulties of a religious life, for which their ftrength is unequal, will justify their indolence? They fhould be reminded, that the more arduous their work appears, the more ftrenuous exertions are neceffary, and that the weakness, of which they complain, is not to be charged upon God, as it is no other than their own extreme depravity, a confirmed hatred of God and holinefs. Their notions that the obedience, which God requires, is unpleafant, impracticable, and a tyrannical impofition, are false, and evince a deep malignity of mind. Thefe, therefore, will be produced against them to their entire confufion. Even on their own principles, their conduct fhould be far different; and, whatever they may talk of their inability, they will be condemned for their negligence. To be "flothful," in the language of the parable, is to be "wicked;" and those who are "unprofitable," ufelefs in their place and generation, fhall be finally excluded from God and happiness, and configned to everlafting torment and defpair; where they may for ever bewail their folly, but muft continue to feel its effects in a ftate of unutterable anguish.

The proper conclufion, then, is, that the prefent life is not a time for loitering. You must expect the return of your Lord to reckon with you; and, therefore, you must not only wait for him, but diligently apply to his work. It is not enough, that you avoid grofs and fcandalous offences, or be harmlefs in fociety. If no fruits of righteoufnefs are produced, no glory brought to God, no benefit accrue to his Church, through your labours of faith and love, you must hear

that

that tremendous fentence," Caft ye the unprofitable fervant into outer darkness: there fhall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Jefus proceeded to enforce these awful admonitions in the most explicit terms, without the obfcurity of a parable, defcribing his future advent, and the manner in which the laft judgment will be conducted. The paffage, as it ftands in the Evangelift, is fingularly fublime and affecting. It fets before us a scene the moft grand and interefting, which can poffibly be conceived. All in heaven, and all on earth are convened together, (an immense, and innumerable company!) while their Creator and their Governor, taking his feat upon a throne of glorious majefty, enters into a ftrict examination of every human character, and appoints to all the children of Adam their proper places, either in happiness or mifery for ever. are here, then, obliged to confider ourfelves before the great tribunal, in the midft of the affembled universe.

We

Every eye is fixed upon the perfon of the Judge. It is "the Son of man," who affumed our nature, and once dwelt among us in a state of profound humiliation. Then, how different his advent! He comes with fupreme authority, and displays the brightnefs and perfections of Deity. That will be the time of his public, manifeftation, when the dignity and excellency of his character, which were obfcured during his refidence on the earth, will be known and confeffed by all. And are we not conftrained from the very defcription before us to own, that Jefus is "the Lord of glory," (6 over all, God blessed for ever?" Confidering the grandeur of his appearance, and his illuftrious retinue, attended as he will be by all the holy Angels; confidering, too, the nature of his office, which implies that he poffeffes no lefs than omniscience, and a fovereign power of determining the final state of all mankind, and of clofing the gates of

heaven and hell for ever; we cannot hesitate to conclude that he is Jehovah. O let us give him, what he is worthy to receive, our unfeigned and fupreme reverence, confidence, love, and obedience. Let every knee bow at his name, and every tongue confefs, that Jefus Chrift is Lord."

The whole human race are gathered together before him, and stand to take their trial at his bar. But his all-difcerning eye feparates them into two claffes, according to their characters; and in this divifion he cannot poffibly be mistaken. His faithful people, · who have owned him as their Shepherd, and who were redeemed and defended by him as the sheep of his flock, are placed on his right hand; and on his left are all thofe, who have continued in oppofition to him, in the uncleannefs of their natural corruption, and who are therefore hateful in his fight.

Then with a folemnity and majefty, which no words can defcribe, he proceeds to país the irrevocable fentence. The King of glory fpeaks, declaring his affectionate regard for thofe on his right hand, as being dear to his Father and diftinguished by his grace. He welcomes them to his prefence, and commands them to enter into the immediate poffeffion of that inheritance, which had been originally appointed for them in the divine counfels. Yet, as that is "the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God," he juftifies his favour to them, and proves. undeniably the equity of his difpenfations. To this end he produces to public view the works of righteoufnefs, which they have performed through faith, and from love to his name. Their acts of kindness in re-. lieving and comforting his afflicted and oppreffed people, he exhibits as an evidence, that they are the very perfons, to whom the promifes are made. They themselves, it fhould feem, would not prefume to mention their best exertions in his fervice: thefe do not conftitute the ground of their dependence. Nay,

they

they exprefs their admiration, that He fhould fpeak, in terms of fuch honourable regard and approbation, of their obedience and zeal, which they had fcarcely been conscious of, or had thought unworthy of his notice. But he confirms the fentence, and graciously declares that he accepts and recompenfes what they have done for the meanest member of his Church, as if it were done to himself.

In the mean time, the impenitent and unbelieving are filled with horror and difmay, waiting to receive their doom. The King Omnipotent turns to them, and, to evince his holy indignation at the bafenefs of their conduct, bids them to depart from him, under the weight of his curfe, into a state of endless torment. There they must be companions of thefe apoftate spirits, the Devil and his angels, with whom they were confederate in rebellion, Nor is this the decree of a merciless tyrant, but the appointment of a righteous Judge. Accordingly, he proceeds to bring forth the ftrongeft evidence againft them, and proves from their difobedience, unbelief, and contempt of his name, that they deferve this heavy condemnation. Their neglect of those duties of mercy, which he indifpenfably requires as the fruits of faith and love, clearly manifefts their character, and juftifies his decifion. Many of them in this life appear not to be fenfible of their guilt, and even rife up in their own vindication: but if, at that day, they fhould prefume to deny the charge, it will be fubftantiated from the unerring teftimony of the King himfelf, to their entire confufion. He will convict them of falfhood and hypocrify, in pretending a regard to him, when they have defpifed his poor members; and therefore he will declare, that his fentence against them fhall ftand.

It remains only, that the determination of the Judge be carried into effect. Accordingly, thofe, who come under his condemnation, are driven away from

his

his prefence, and configned to that tremendous punishment, from which there can be no release: and those, who are juftified before him, immediately receive the confummation of their blifs and glory, which will be durable as the exiftence of God himfelf.

This important defcription leads us to obferve, 1. That good works will obtain an honourable no. tice at the laft day. God forbid, therefore, that we fhould not now give them their proper confequence and attention. The enquiry at the tribunal of Chrift, as here reprefented, will be inftituted concerning the evidences of our faith. Our obedience will be produced to prove the fincerity of our religious profeffions, and the ftrength as well as reality of our principles. This teftimony will be required, not for the information or fatisfaction of the Judge, who is intimately acquainted with every cafe, and with the very fecrets of all hearts, but for the exhibition of his own righteous character before the univerfe. We perceive, too, that a special regard will be paid to acts of Chriftian kindness and liberality. Much ftrefs is laid upon love, as peculiarly pleafing to God: upon that love, which fhews itself in vigorous exertions for the fupport and confolation of those, who belong to the family of Chrift. This, which is the neceffary confequence of faith, maintains, in all its efforts, a continual refpect to the Saviour; on which account it is honoured with fo high a commendation. this is effentially different from that vain, indifcriminate generofity, which proceeds not from any right motives, and which therefore, though admired by the world, is offenfive to God. We observe, also,

But