sealed, and the commandment come forth SERM. to summon us to our last audit. Death - and, im - is constantly hanging over us — appear but as a single moment. indeed a third opinion, which is — that the soul will exist and retain all its faculties, apart from the body, from the decease of the man till the end of the world; but, if it be so, how dreadful must be the reflections and terrors with which the soul of the sinner will be oppressed, who foresees its own inevitable doom, and yet knows it to be impossible to do any thing to avert it! So that whether sentence on each particular person follows instantly on his death, or whether we lie insensible XVII. XVII. SERM. in the grave till the general judgment, or whether the soul live separate from the body, seems matter of little importance; in the two former cases, it appears to me to be just the same; and, in the latter, I see not that it can afford any just grounds of consolation to the wicked. From what has been said, I trust that the folly and ingratitude of being bold in our sins, because the punishment of them is not inflicted immediately, will be suf ficiently evident: would to God that we may all, not only at this present moment, perceive it, but that it may sink deep into our hearts, and influence our future conduct! Let us ever remember how insignificant this life is, in comparison with eternity! pass but a few short years, and all those, who now crowd the scene, will be mouldering in their graves! even the very memory of them (save of some distinguished few) XVII. few) shall be no more! - but their works SERM. will follow even the most obscure; their merits will one day be drawn from their dread abode, and. proclaimed and recompensed in the face of the universe! then will God's perfect hatred of sin, and his veracity and justice, be conspicuous! then will the sinner, who distrusted the execution of his threats, or made light of them because of their distance, be terribly convinced of his error; while the righteous man, who, by patient continuance in well doing, shewed his faith in his promises, shall receive rewards infinitely surpassing his most sanguine hopes and conceptions. SERMON XVIII. AGAINST MALICE AND RESENTMENT. ROMANS Xii, FORMER PART OF V. 17. Recompense to no man evil for evil, THERE HERE is no virtue which is more fre- SERM. quently and strongly inculcated in the gos- $ 4 XVIII. |