communion with Christ. Before, he enjoyed his Saviour only by the dim apprehension of faith; now he clearly and immediately enjoys that glorious presence, which only makes true blessedness.

This is it which causes death to change his appearance, and renders him who is of himself formidable, pleasing and beneficial. I desire to depart, and to be with Christ, said he who was rapt up to the third heaven. Had it been only departing, he would have had no such desire after it; but to depart and be with Christ is that which ravishes his soul.

When the heathen Socrates was to die for his religion, he comforted himself with this, That he should go to the place where he should see Orphæus, Homer, and the other worthies of former ages. Poor man! had he known God manifested in the flesh, and received up into glory, and that glorified flesh sitting at the right hand of Majesty; could he have known the blessed order of the cherubin and seraphim, angels, archangels, principalities. and powers, and the rest of the most glorious hierarchy of heaven; could he have been acquainted with that celestial choir of the spirits of just men made perfect; could he have truly known the God and Father of spirits, the infinitely and incomprehensibly glorious Deity, whose presence transfuses everlasting blessedness into all those citizens of glory; and could he have known that he should have an undoubted interest, instantly upon his dissolution, in that infinite bliss; how much more gladly would he have drank his hemlock, and how much more cheerfully would he have passed into that happier world!

All this we know, and are no less assured of it than of our present being with what comfort therefore should we think of changing our present condition, with a blessed immortality! How sweet a song was that of old Simeon's; Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. Luke ii. 29, 30. Lo, that which he saw by the eye of sense, thou seest by the eye of faith, even the Lord's Christ. He saw him in weakness, thou seest him in glory: why shouldst thou not depart, not in peace only, but in joy and comfort?

How did the holy martyr Stephen triumph over all the rage of his enemies, and the violent fury of death, when he had once seen the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Acts vii. 56. Lo, God offers the same blessed prospect to the eye of thy soul. Faith is the key that can open the heaven of heavens. Fix thine eyes upon that glorious and saving object, and thou canst not but lay down thy body in peace, and send up thy soul into the hands of him that bought it, with the sweet and cheerful recommendation of, Lord Jesus receive my spirit.

CHAP. XVI.

COMFORTS AGAINST THE TERRORS OF JUDGMENT.

SECTION 1.

The fearfulness of the Last Judgment.

THOU apprehendest it aright. Death is terrible, but judgment is more so. Both these succeed upon the same decree: It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. Heb. ix. 27.

Neither is it more terrible, than less thought on. Death, because he strikes on all hands, and lays before us so many sad examples of mortality, cannot but sometimes affect our hearts; but the last judgment, having no visible proofs to force itself upon our thoughts, too seldom alarms us.

Yet who can conceive the terror of that day, before which the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood; that day which shall burn as an oven, when all the proud, and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble; that day in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein shall

be burnt up; that day in which the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; that day in which the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirldwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire; for by fire, and by his sword, will the Lord plead with all flesh; that day when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him; and shall sit upon the throne of his glory, and all nations shall be gathered before him; that day wherein all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him-that great and terrible day of the Lord. If the powers of heaven shall then be shaken, how can the heart of man remain unmoved; and if the world be dissolved, who can bear up?

Alas, we are ready to tremble at only a thunder-clap in a poor cloud, and at a small flash of lightning that glances across our eyes; what then shall we do, when the whole frame of the heavens shall break in pieces, and when all shall be on a flame about our ears? Oh who may abide in the day of his coming; and who shall stand when he appeareth! Mal. iii. 2.

SECTION 2.

The condition of the elect.

YET be of good cheer, my son: amidst all this horror there is comfort.

Whether thou be one of those, whom it shall please God to reserve alive upon earth to the sight of this dreadful day, He only knows, in whose hands our times are. This we are sure of, that we are upon the last hours of the last days. Justly do we reject St. Peter's scoffers that say, Where is the promise of his coming; well knowing that the Lord is not slack, as some men count slackness, but he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

Heb. x. 37. Thou mayest live to see the Son of man come in the clouds of heaven, and to be an actor in this last scene of the world. If so, let not thy heart be dismayed with the expectation of these fearful things. Thy change shall be sudden and quick: one moment shall put off thy mortality, and clothe thee with that incorruption which shall be incapable of fear and pain. The majesty of this appearance shall add to thy joy and glory. Thou shalt then see the Lord himself descend with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. 1 Thess. iv. 16. Thou shalt see thyself, and those which are alive and remain, caught up together in the clouds, to meet the Lord in th eair; and so shalt thou be ever with the Lord. Upon this assurance, how justly may the apostle subjoin, Wherefore comfort one another with these words! Certainly, if ever there were comfort to be had in any words, not of men or angels only, but of the ever-living God, the God of truth, these are they that can and will afford it to our trembling souls.

But if thou be one of the number of those whom God hath determined to call off beforehand, and by a faithful death, to prevent the great day of his appearance; here is nothing for thee but matter of joy unspeakable and full of glory; for those that sleep in Jesus shall God bring with him. 1 Thess. iv. 14. They shall be part of that glorious train which shall attend the majesty of the great Judge of the world: yea they shall be coassessors to the Lord of heaven and earth in this awful judicature, as sitting upon the bench when guilty men and angels shall be at the bar. To him that overcometh, saith the Lord Jesus, will I grant to sit with me in my throne; even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. Rev. iii. 21. What place then is here for any terror, since the more state and heavenly magnificence, the more joy and glory.

SECTION 3.

Awe more fit for thoughts of judgment than fear.

THOU art afraid to think of judgment:-I would rather thou shouldst be awed than timorous.

When St. Paul discoursed of the judgment to come, it is no marvel that Felix trembled; but the same apostle, when he had pressed on the Corinthians the certainty and generality of our appearance before the judgmentseat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, whether good or evil; adds, Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. 2 Cor. v.

11.

The holiest man is not exempted from the dread, but from the slavish fear of the great Judge. We know his infinite justice we are conscious to ourselves of our manifold failings how can we lay these two together, and not fear? But this fear works not in us a malignant kind of repining at the severe tribunal of the Almighty; as commonly, whom we fear we hate; but rather a careful endeavour so to approve ourselves, that we may be acquitted by him, and appear blameless in his presence.

How justly may we tremble, when we look upon our own actions, and our own deserts. But how confidently inay we appear at that bar, when we are beforchand assured of a discharge! Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. When we think of a universal conflagration of the world, how can we but fear? But when we think of a happy restitution of all things in that day, how can we but rejoice with trembling.

S