"is fown in corruption, it is raised in incorrup-"tion: it is fown in difhonour, it is raised in

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'glory: it is fown in weaknefs, it is raised in

power: it is fown a natural body, it is raised "a spiritual body," 1 Cor. xv. 42, 43, 44. The Judge again iffues his command, and the archangel founds a fecond time'. In the twinkling of an eye, the faithful followers of Chrift then on earth fhall be ftripped of their corruptible bodies, and receive the fame fpiritual incorruptible bodies with which their brethren arofe from the dead. "Behold, I fhew you a myfte

t

ry, We fhall not all fleep, but we fhall all be

changed in a moment, in the twinkling of "an eye, at the laft trump; (for the trumpet "shall found); and the dead shall be raised in"corruptible, and we shall be changed," 1 Cor. xv. 51, 52. The whole church of Chrift thus united into one body, are conveyed by the attendant angels to the throne. "Then we which

are alive, and remain, fhall be caught up to"gether with them in the clouds to meet

the Lord in the air," 1 Theff. iv. 17. The Judge upon their arrival pronounces that gra

cious

(1) The Scriptures clearly mark the feveral fteps of the Judgment. And confidering the folemnity of the occafion, I reckon it probable, (but do not affert it dogmatically), that each step shall begin with a diftinct found of the trumpet.

cious fentence, "Come, ye bleffed of my Fa"ther, inherit the kingdom prepared for you "before the foundations of the world." The fentence implies, that their fole claim to glory is God's free love, who defigned and prepared a ftate of eternal happiness for them, before the foundations of the world, when they neither did good or evil; and that the distinguishing charac ter of those for whom glory is prepared, is, Love to Chrift the Mediator, whom they received by faith, and entertained with love in their hearts, while he was despised and rejected by the world. "For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: "I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a ❝ftranger, and ye took me in: naked, and yo "clothed me: I was fick, and ye vifited me: I “was in prison, and ye came unto me." A humble sense of unworthinefs, which convinces the righteous at all times, that "their goodness "extendeth not to God;" a coldness of heart to their greatest and best Benefactor, which they often felt and complained of on earth, induce them now to disclaim the approbation given, as being unworthy of it. Then shall the " righteous answer him, faying, Lord, when faw "we thee an hungered and fed thee? or thirsty, "and gave thee drink? When faw we thee a "ftranger, and took thee in? or naked, and

clothed thee? Or when faw we thee fick, or

"in prison, and came unto thee?" To which the Judge anfwers, that he accepts of their love and friendship to one another for his fake, as the beft evidence of their fincere love to himfelf. "The King fhall anfwer, and fay unto "them, Verily I fay unto you, In as much as ye have done it unto one of the leaft of these "my brethren, ye have done it unto me," Matth. xxv. 40. Inftantly a place is provided for them, next the throne, nearer than the attendant angels, for they are fet down as affeffors with Chrift, in judging wicked men and devils. "Do ye not know that the faints fhall judge "the world?-Know ye not that we shall judge ec angels?" I Cor. vi. 2, 3.

By the command of the Judge, the archangel founds a third time, and all the wicked who had died from the beginning of the world, arise from the dead; they, together with the wicked men then alive on the earth, are collected into one place, by the angels who attend the throne, (Matth. xiii. 39-41.) One charge is laid against all, a defect of love to Christ the Mediator. "I was an hungered, and ye gave me no "meat,' "Matth. xxv. 42. Various were the ways in which the wicked fhewed this defect of love. Some crucified, fome blasphemed him, fome rejected his offers of grace, fome perfecuted his followers, fome despised his ordinances,

fome

fome loved the world, and fome their lufts, in preference to him. It were endless to enter into a minute investigation of all these crimes that prove their defect of love; and yet it would ap pear, that the wicked who proudly justify their conduct on earth, will attempt at first to justify their conduct before the throne of judgment; for "they shall answer him, faying, Lord, when "faw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stran

ger, or naked, or fick, or in prison, and did "not minifter unto thee?" ver. 44. However, he advances one proof equally applicable to all, that they fhewed no love to his followers for his fake: "Then fhall he answer them, faying, "Verily I fay unto you, In as much as ye did it

not to one of the least of these, ye did it not “to me,” ver. 45. He charges them not fo much with doing evil, as with the neglect of doing good, nor so much with a defect of charitable actions, as a defect of principle; and that they were not charitable to his followers for his fake. Eternal happiness is a free gift: none of the human race may claim it by birthright, or by merit; (Rom. vi. 23.) though free to those who receive it, it is purchased at a coftly rate, by the death and sufferings of Chrift the mediator: a defect of love, therefore, to him, the purchaser and donor, is a fufficient reason to exclude from the gift. Hear ye felf-righteous Pharisees and tremble.

It

It is not neceffary to call witneffes, in order to substantiate the charge. To the Judge it is evident by his own omniscience, to the furrounding host of faints and angels, he will make it evident, by commanding the light to shine into the confcience; fo that in an inftant, each individual pleads guilty, and the whole multitude of wicked men, fall proftrate on their knees, confefs their defert, and utter lamentable wailings. "It is written, as I live, faith the "Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every cr tongue fhall confefs to God," Rom. xiv. 11. "Behold, he cometh with clouds and every

r

;

eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him and all kindreds of the earth fhall wail "because of him,” Rev. i. 7.

The wicked fpirits, who went always about refifting the will of God, and tempting mankind to the commiffion of fin, fhall be fummoned: "For the angels which kept not their firft "eftate, but left their own habitation, he hath "reserved in (for) everlasting chains, under "darkness, unto the judgment of the great "day," Jude, ver. 6.

The Judge now pronounces that folemn and awful fentence on wicked men and devils, "De"part from me, ye curfed, into everlasting fire, "prepared for the devil and his angels." Matth. XXV. 41. The inftant the fentence is pronoun

ced,