Imagini ale paginilor
PDF
ePub

brothers and sisters who lay in the same womb, now eternally separated; some moving to the right others to the left hand, taking their place to receive final sentence. What bitter reflections and execrations may we suppose the wicked will now pour upon one another! How will companions of sin, who have been the mutual promoters of each other's ruin, curse one another from the heart! How will children curse their parents, and servants their masters, for being unfaithful to their souls, for neglecting to give them religious instruction, and pressing upon them the practice of piety and holiness! How will it sting the hearts of ungodly parents, to see a numerous offspring pressing around them, rendered frightful by despairing looks, covered with anguish, lamenting the unnatu ral indulgence of their parents, their cruelty in neglecting to administer seasonable instruction and reproof! How will gospel hearers curse their unfaithful ministers, who prophesied smooth things, and cried peace! peace! who neglected to give them seasonable warning of the wrath which was to come, and faithful discoveries of the way of escape!

On the other hand, what joyful congratulations will prevail among the righteous as they advance to the right hand. What joy and gratitude will many express for the seasonable instruction and reproof they got from their religious neighbors and acquaintances, which were blessed for their conversion and edification. And what mutual rejoicing will there be between faithful ministers and their people, who have been saved through their instrumentality. Hence, says the Apostle to the Thessalonians, (1st epistle, ii. 19,) "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming?"

5. But in the next place, Hark! the Judge rises to pronounce the sentence, first upon those who are on his right hand, which will be in these words, "Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!" This sentence will no doubt be pronounced with an audible voice by the man Christ Jesus; a voice full of majesty and power; a voice which will re-echo with energy over an assembled universe, now standing in awful suspense to receive its doom. What heart can conceive the glorious import of this sentence; what ravishing joy will it inspire into the minds of the ransomed of the Lord! Hark! what shouts of praise burst from their lips in joyful concert, which are answered by notes of extatic congratulation from every angelic lyre. But on the other hand, behold the throbbing hearts, the despairing looks and trembling joints of those on

the left hand, waiting to receive their sentence and begin their hell. They cannot sustain the countenance of the Judge, how then will they bear the thunder of his voice, accompanied with a flash of vengeance, pronouncing their doom, "Depart from me ye cursed." &c. "Take them devils," &c.

What shrieks of horror, what a tremendous roar of desperation will now burst from this countless assembly, descending under the arrest of relentless devils, into the regions of damnation. Now there is no way of escape; those who eluded the threatenings of God's word in the day of their merciful visitation will now find them to be inevitable. There will now be a yawning gulf below them, powerful and merciless devils around them, and streams of unmixed vengeance bursting from above on their devoted heads. Likely the general conflagration will then commence, the elements melt with fervent heat, the earth with the works thereof be burnt up, the mountains quake, the hills melt, and the rocks thrown down: the divine fury will now be literally poured out like fire; all the magazines of flame contained in the earth will burst from confinement, and bellow, and blaze, and involve the atmosphere from pole to pole. The foundations of the mountains will be set on fire. The Alps, the Appenines and Andes shall be lost in one common blaze, the earth itself will be an immense volcano. Then, brethren, who can stand before His indignation; who can abide the fierceness of His anger?

But whilst the earth burns, whilst the damned descend, behold the ransomed of the Lord with Christ at their head and angels for their convoy, ascending, marching up the skies, treading among the stars, waving their banners, and filling the heavens with shouts of triumph. "Sing_praise to God," &c.

Now see the pearly gates of heaven flung open to receive the King of glory with all his shining hosts. See his ransomed ones taking their seats around his throne. Hark! how the heavenly vaults ring with hallelujahs to Him that sits upon the throne and to the Lamb. Anthems of praise burst from every tongue. A holy emulation reigns through every note, dictated by the most ecstatic sensations of joy and gratitude. "Unto him that loved us," &c.

Oh! believer, how may you rejoice in prospect of that day, which is to complete your glory and your triumph, and put you in full possession of the heavenly inheritance. Well may you love and long for the appearing of the Great God, even your Saviour Jesus Christ, who is to confer upon you a crown of immortal glory. Well may you say "Haste my beloved, be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains," &c.

,'Come Lord Jesus, come quickly." Well may you bear with patience the trials you meet with in this world-calumny, reproach, poverty, affliction, sickness, nay even death itself. In that day your character will be vindicated against every malignant aspersion. "He will bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noon-day." All the hard speeches of a wicked world, all the criminating sugges tions of a tempting devil will then be publicly refuted. Again, are you poor in this world? In that day you will be proclaimed heir of a kingdom and a crown of immortal glory. Are you not only poor but an afflicted person? In that day you will be rendered completely happy; you will return to Zion with songs of everlasting joy upon your heads, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Every ground of sorrow and affliction, whether personal or relative, shall then be removed. Again, is your happiness often interrupted by the attacks of disease? Do you feel the principles of mortality operating in your constitution? In that day you will be clothed with immortality.

On the other hand, what ground have unbelievers to tremble in prospect of this day, when their doom is to be determined, when they will be publicly arraigned, tried and condemned by Christ, for their contempt and rejection of his kind offers and tenders of mercy and salvation. He who now pleads with them from a mercy seat, to be reconciled unto him, will then condemn them from his judgment seat, punish them with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power.

How shocking therefore is their stupidity. Not being capable of being impressed by the mercy and grace of the gospel, nor the terrors of a judgment day. But let them know of a certainty, though they are sleeping in security, their damnation sleeps not. It is hastening on, and every day brings them a step nearer to a judgment day. Oh! that they were wise, that they would consider this, that they would mind. their latter end.

Let me conclude this discourse, my friends, by exhorting you to make due preparation for this awful day. It is Christ's own advice. "Be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man will come." The certainty of the judgment with the uncertainty of the time, should engage us to watch and to pray and be ever ready for the coming of the Lord, to make our calling and election sure, and to be found of Christ without spot and blameless. If that day which comes as a thief in the night should come in our day, are we

ready for it? Are we in a state of habitual-are we in a state of actual preparation? We may ascertain this by our readiness to die. None are ready for a judgment day but those who are ready for a death day. If our sins lie down with us in the grave, they will rise with us and appear against us in the judgment. In a word, be concerned from a consideration of judgment to come, to hold fast the profession of your faith without wavering. Hence says the Apostle to the Thesssalonian church, 2d epistle, "Now we beseech you brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Abound in the duties of religion

Preparation for it consists in these two things: professing the doctrines and practicing the duties of Christianity-In holding the mystery of faith, in a pure conscience, holding it fast, holding it forth

SERMON,

BY THE REV. THOMAS HAMILTON.

Preached in Philadelphia, July, 1815.

"Who is on the Lord's side?" (Exodus xxxii. 26.)

,་

BOTH the political and the religious world are divided into a great many sects. Each is zealous to enlarge and extend its own power and interest. Opposing banners are displayed and strenuous exertions are made to enlist persons to serve under them. But in this selfish struggle for superiority and pre-eminence, the glory of God, which should be the chief aim, is in a great measure overlooked and disregarded. Rallying around their own standard, they cry with Jehu-"Who is on my side? Who?" Whereas their language, with that of Moses, the servant of the Lord, should be "Who is on the Lord's side?" Highly memorable and mournful was the occasion on which Moses uttered these words. The congregation of Israel had been guilty of a most foul and general departure from the Lord their God. During the absence of Moses on the mount, where he received from the immediate hand of God, the law written upon two tables of stone, they became impatient, and gathering themselves to Aaron they said"Up, make us gods which shall go before us, for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him." Accordingly they framed and worshipped a golden calf. When Moses was apprised of the heinous offence which they had committed, he descended from the mount, and proceeded to inflict on the most conspicuous transgressors, exemplary vengeance. Standing in the gate of the camp, he cried, "Who is on the Lord's side? Let him come unto me." We are informed that, "All the sons of Levi gathered themselves unto him, aud putting their sword by their side, at the commandment of the Lord, they

R

« ÎnapoiContinuă »