for them: And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God: And the dead shall be judged out of those things which are written in the books, according to their works, and whosoever is not found written in the book of life, shall be cast into the lake of fire." O terrible! O joyful day! Terrible to those who have let their lamps go out, and have not watched, but have forgotten the coming of the Lord! Joyful to the saints, who waited and hoped to see this day! Then shall the world behold the goodness and severity of God; on them who perish severity, but to his chosen goodness. Then shall every one give account of his stewardship; every talent of time, health, knowledge, mercies, afflictions, means, warnings, must be reckoned for. Then the sins of youth, and those which they had long forgotten, and even their most secret sins shall all be laid open before men and angels. Then their own consciences shall cry out against them, and call to their remembrance all their misdoings. Oh! which way will the wretched sinner look? Oh! who can conceive the terrible thoughts of his heart? Now the world cannot help him; his old companions cannot help him; the saints neither can nor will. None but the Lord Jesus can; but O there is the soul-killing misery, he will not. Nay, without violating the truth of his word, he cannot; though otherwise, in regard of his absolute power, he might. The time was, sinner, when Christ would, but you would not; and now, Oh how fain would you, but he will not. Then he followed thee in vain with entreaties, but thy ear and heart were shut against all. Now thou wilt cry, "Lord, Lord, open to us;" but he shall say, "Depart from me, I know you not, ye workers of iniquity." What then remains but to cry to the hills and to the mountains, "Fall upon us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb." But all in vain; for thou hast the Lord of the hills and the mountains for thine enemy, whose voice they will obey, and not thine. Sinner, make not light of this; for as thou livest (except a thorough change prevent it) thou shalt

shortly, to thy inconceivable horror, see that day. Oh, sinner! will thy cups then be wine or gall? Will it comfort thee to think of all thy mirth and gaiety, and how pleasantly thy time slipt away? Will it do thee good to think how rich thou wast, and how honourable? Or will it not rather wound thy very soul to remember thy folly, and make thee, cry out, with anguish of heart.

But why tremblest thou, O humble, gracious soul? Cannot the enemies and slighters of Christ be foretold their doom, but thou must quake? Do I make sad the soul that God would not have sad? Doth not thy Lord know his own sheep, who have heard his voice and followed him? He that would not lose one Noah in a common deluge, when him only he had found faithful in all the earth; he that would not overlook one Lot in Sodom,-nay, that could do nothing till he went forth,-will he forget thee in that day? "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust to the day of judgment to be punished." He knoweth how to make the same day the greatest for terror to his foes, and yet the greatest for joy to his people. Indeed, if our judge were our enemy, as he is to the world, then we might well fear. But our judge is "Christ who died, yea, rather who is risen again, who also maketh intercession for us." Oh, what inexpressible joy may this afford to a believer, that our blessed Lord, who loveth our souls, and whom our souls love, shall be our judge? Christian, did he come down from heaven, and suffer, and weep, and bleed, and die for thee, and will he now condemn thee? Hath it cost him so dear to save thee; and will he now himself destroy thee? Hath he done the most of the work already, in redeeming, regenerating, justifying, sanctifying, and preserving thee; and will he now undo all again? Will he not finish what he hath begun? Let that day make the devils tremble, and the wicked. tremble; but let us leap for joy. Though we cannot plead not guilty, in regard of fact; yet, being pardoned, we shall be acquitted by the proclamation of

Christ. The sentence of pardon, passed by the Spirit and conscience within us, used to be exceedingly sweet; but this will fully and finally resolve the question, and leave no room for doubting again forever.

Indeed, we shall be so far from the dread of that judgment, that we ourselves shall become the judges. Christ will take his people, as it were, into commission with him; and they shall sit and approve his righteous decisions. Oh, fear not now the reproaches, scorns, and censures of those that must then be judged by you. “Do ye not know," saith Paul, "that the saints shall judge the world?" Nay, "Know ye not that we shall judge angels?" Surely, were it not the word of Christ that declares it, this advancement would seem incredible, and the language arrogant. O that the careless world were but wise to consider this, and that they would remember their latter end!-that they would be now of the same mind, as they will be when they shall see "the heavens pass away with a great noise, and the elements melt with fervent heat; earth also, and the works that are therein burnt up!" But rejoice, O ye saints; yet watch, and what you have, hold fast till your Lord come, and study that use of this doctrine which the apostle propounds, "Seeing then all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for, and hasting to the coming of the day of God."

the

IV. The last and highest step to the saint's advancement, is, their solemn coronation, enthronement, and reception into the kingdom. For as Christ, their head, is anointed both king and priest, so under him are his people made unto God both kings and priests, to reign and offer praises for ever. The crown of righteousness, which was laid up for them, the Lord the righteous Judge shall give them at that day. They have been faithful to the death, and therefore they shall receive the crown of life. Christ will grant them to sit down with him on his own throne; and will give them power over the nations, even as he received of his Father

He will give them possession with these

applauding expressions, "Well done, good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

But let us view more nearly the solemn yet delight ful sentence which he will pronounce upon them. "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Here every word is full of life and joy. COME: This is holding forth the golden sceptre to warrant our approach unto this glory. We were wont to hear, “Come, take up your cross, and follow me." Though that was sweet, yet this is much more So. Ye BLESSED: Blessed, indeed, when that mouth shall so pronounce us; for though the world has accounted us accursed, and we have been ready to account ourselves so, yet certainly those that he blesses are blessed, and those only whom he curses are cursed. OF MY FATHER: Blessed in the Father's love as well as the Son's, for they are one. The Father has testified his love toward them in their election, donation to Christ, and accepting his ransom, as the Son has also testified his, in laying down his life for them. INHERIT: No longer bondmen, nor servants only, nor children under age, who differ not in possession, but only in title, from servants. But now we are heirs of God, and jointheirs with Christ. THE KINGDOM: No less than the kingdom! To be King of kings, and Lord of lords, is our Lord's own proper title; but to be kings and to reign with him is ours. PREPARED FOR YOU: God is the Alpha as well as the Omega of our blessedness. He prepared the kingdom for us, and then prepared us for the kingdom. FOR YOU: Not for believers only in general, but for you personally and determinately. FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD: Not only from the promise after Adam's fall, but, as the phrase usually signifies, from eternity. These were the eternal thoughts of God's love toward us, and this is what he purposed for us.

Thus we have seen the Christian landed safely in Paradise, and conveyed honourably to his everlasting

rest. Let us now view a little further those mansions, consider his privileges, and see whether there be any glory like unto this glory.

CHAPTER III.

THE EXCELLENCIES OF THE HEAVENLY REST.

LET us draw nearer and contemplate the excellent properties and admirable attributes of this rest, which, as so many jewels, shall adorn the crown of the saints.

I. It is a singular honour and ornament, in the title of the Saints' Rest, that it is called the "Purchased possession;" that it is the fruit of the blood of the Son of God, the chief fruit, yea, the end and perfection of all the fruits of that blood. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Oh! to have our Redeemer ever before our eyes, and the liveliest sense of his dying, bleeding love upon our souls. Now we are so stupefied with vile and senseless hearts, that we can read all the story of his bloody agony and passion, and hear all his sad complaints, with dulness and without emotion. But we shall then leave these hearts of stone behind us, and the sin that here so closely besets us, shall not be able to follow us into glory. With what astonishing apprehensions, then, will redeemed saints everlastingly behold their blessed Redeemer! What a feast will it be," when we shall drink of the fruit of the vine new with him in the kingdom of his Father!" David would not drink of the waters which he longed for, because they were the blood of those men who jeoparded their lives for them; and thought them fitter to be offered to God, than to be used by himself. we shall value these waters the more highly, and drink them the more sweetly, because they are the blood of Christ, not jeoparded only, but shed for us.

But