that loveth not his brother." Thus the essential distinction between the righteous and the wicked appears to be perfectly consonant to the whole tenor of the sacred oracles.

III. Christ further asserts that the righteous and the wicked shall be separated from each other, and respectively rewarded and punished at the last day. "And he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." This representation of the process of the last day falls in with the natural apprehensions of mankind. They naturally expect a future judgment, and they as naturally expect the judg ment of God will be according to truth, and proceed upon the immutable principles of perfect rectitude.

And we have sufficient grounds to expect this, from many instances of the divine conduct. God separated the fallen angels from the rest of the heavenly hosts, and doomed them to a state of darkness and despair. He approved and preserved Noah, whilst he condemned and destroyed the ungodly world. He preserved just Lot from the ruins of Sodom. And he distinguished Moses and Aaron, Caleb and Joshua from that evil generation, who were doomed to fall in the wilderness. These instances presage a more general and perfect display of retributive justice at the last day. And in this light they are considered and improved by the inspired writers of the New Testament. The apostle Peter urges them as incontestible proofs

of future rewards and punishments. "For, says he, if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; and spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." And the apostle Paul reasons in the same manner upon the divine conduct towards the devoted Israelites. "But with many of them God was not well pleased; for they were over. thrown in the wilderness. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." These instances leave us no room to doubt, that God will finally dispense rewards and punishments to all mankind with perfect rectitude and impartiality.

Nor is this less evident from the whole tenor and spirit of the gospel, which sets the rewards of the righteous, and punishments of the wicked after death, in the clearest and strongest light. The gospel not only proclaims divine mercy to all penitent and believing sinners, but on the contrary, denounces inevitable destruction to all who finally reject the offers of life. Accordingly our Lord, when he sent forth his apostles to preach the gospel, gave them special charge to proclaim its solemn sanctions as well as its gracious proposals. "And he called unto him the twelve, and began

to send them forth by two and two. And he said un to them, in what place soever ye enter into anhouse, there abide till ye depart from that place. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet, for a testimony against them. Verily, I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah, in the day of judgment, than for that city." After Christ's resurrection, and just before his ascension into heaven, he gave a commission to his apostles, and to all their successors in the ministry, to preach the gospel wherever divine providence should call them. And their commission runs in this solemn form. "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature: he that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." Here is the very genius and spirit of that gospel, which is to be unfolded and inculcated by all the ministers of Christ in every age of the church. And according to this summary of the gospel, future rewards and punishments appear to be not only consistent with the gospel, but an essential part of it. Indeed the gospel gives as full assurance of the destruction of unbelievers, as of the salvation of believers; and as infallibly fixes the certainty of future punishments, as of future rewards.

This truth evidently runs through the whole frame and contexture of the gospel, and is interwoven with all its peculiar leading sentiments. We might instance in the doctrine of election, divine sovereignty, regeneration, &c. But we shall only mention the terms of salvation, which are the cardinal precepts of the gospel. Repentance is one of these. It is much insisted on both in the old testament and new. Solomon says, "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them, shall have mer

cy." David tells us, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." Christ also declares, "He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." And he expressly told sinners, on a certain occasion, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

Faith in the Mediator is a term of the divine acceptance. "He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved: But he that believeth not shall be damned."

Love to Christ is a condition of divine approbation at the last day. "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathama maranatha." That is to say, let him be accursed when the Lord cometh to judgment.

A forgiving spirit is likewise necessary in order to obtain divine forgiveness. "When ye stand praying, forgive if ye have ought against any: That your Father also, which is in heaven, may forgive your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."

And it is equally necessary to persevere in all Christian graces and duties, in order to receive the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls. "Now the just shall live by faith: But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who draw back unto perdition: But of them that believe to the saving of their souls." These terms of salvation speak for themselves. If they have any incaning, they must mean that those who comply with them shall be saved; but those who reject them shall be lost.

The doctrine of future rewards and punishments may receive additional proof from many express declarations of scripture. To recite every passage in favor

of this truth, would be to transcribe a great part of the bible. We shall therefore only mention a few which are the most plain, and pertinent to our subject. We read in the ninth psalm, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." There was a set of men, in the days of Malachi, who ridiculed all experimental religion and vital piety. They said it was a vain thing to serve God, to walk mournfully before him, or to keep his ordinances. They called the proud happy, and applauded the workers of iniquity. In contrast with such persons, the prophet paints the characters and future prospects of the righteous in the most lively colors. "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in the day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked; between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not."

The apostle Paul speaks equally plain and determinate on this head, in the second chapter of Romans. "But we are sure the judgment of God is according to truth, against them that commit such things. And thinkest thou, O man, that judgest those that do such things and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up to thyself wrath, against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of Occa.

61