they fhall appear before him in judgment. It is true, it is a difference which originates from the difference that takes place in this world. It is now evident to God; but then it will be evident to the univerfe. Then they fhall fland as clearly diftin. guished one from another as fheep from geats. Thefe animal, are of distinct kinds or fpecies; fo man will then be perfectly diftinguished from man, as fheep are dift nguished from goats This fubje&t is well adapted to awaken the finer and encourage the faint. Therefore I fhall take occafion from thefe.words to fet before you,

First, the difference between your prefent appearance before. Chritt, and the future appearance at the judgment.

Secondly, how the great difference this future appearance will make between the believer and the unbeliever.

First, I am to confider the difference between the appearances, which are here made before God and Christ, and that futureappearance that we are in a fort time to make. I beg leave to apply this branch of the discourse to those who are unconver ted and in a state of fin. We have reafon to believe there are

fome fuch among us. O that God would teach us to fay fome. thing that may be useful and acceptable. Lord, the refidue of the fpirit is with thee, let the power of thy word be felt. Let a convincing arrow reach the heart of the finner that he may no longer go on in his trefpaffes until iniquity fhall be his ruin. O let the careless finner who now ftands before God in his fanauary be advised to confider, he must ere long ftand before him. in a very different manner and for very different purpofes. Let the formal chriftian and the lukewarm profeffor be aroufed; les bim seriously confider with himself the difference between his. prefent and future appearance before Chrift, while it fhall be re prefented in the following particulars..

First, finners appear now before Christ as a tender Savion and compaffionate redeemer, but then they will ftand before him as an awful, inexorable and inflexible judge. The prefent ap pearance is in a feafon of grace and mercy, but then it will be a time of trial, judgment and condemnation. Now when they come before Chrift in the places where he records his name, they hear the sweet and inviting language of grace; and the voice of Jefus calling to them to come and accept of the pardon of their fins and they fhall find reft to their fouls. How precious, foft and persuasive are the gracious words proceeding out of his lips. "Ho every one that t irteth come ye to the waters and drink. "Come unto me all ye diftreffed, poor, weary, faint and heavy "ladened fouls and I will give you reft. If any man thirst, let "him come unto me and drink. He that heareth my voice, I "will fup with him and he with me; and whofoever will, how

ever great, numerous and aggravated his fins may be, the "fountain of grace is opened, let him come, make room for his "approach, that he may take of the waters of life, and drink of "the wells of falvation freely, without money and without price." You are now, O finners, standing within the pale and under the banners of mercy. But alas, when you will appear before Chrift in judgment, there will be no more calls of mercy or overtures of grace. Then you mutt hear the heart rending found, "Your day of grace is paft and the door of mercy is fbut "forever." Chrift is now by his word and Spirit knocking at the door of your hearts, but hereafter you will knock at his door, crying, "Lord, Lord open unto us." As the former was vain, fo alfo will be the latter. Nothing will be heard from within, but "depart from me ye workers of iniquity." Who can paint the anguish and confufion this declaration must throw the delaying, loft, and unhappy finner into? Now he ftands before God in the church, and hears all the promifes perfuafions and threatenings of the gospel with a perfectly cold indifference; they pafs by him as the idle wind; but hereaf ter his cry will be, "A world for one of thofe hours." His

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fentence will be pronounced, with his name affixed, "thos art the rebellious, thoughdets, diobedient and impenitent finner, and thou muit die forever. Thou hast not obeyed the gospel, thou halt not accepted the offers of mercy, thou haft not believ. ed in Chrift, and thou mult eternally perish." The finner now ftands before Chrift in a feafon of hope, he may now obtain pardon and grace; but then he will thand under the fentence of death, under the dark and dolorous feelings of everlasting def pair. The finner now appears before the bleffed Saviour fitting upon a throne of love, ca reating his reconciliation and friend. ship, and pouring forth the melting words of compaffion, “I delight not in the death of a finner, turn ye, turn ye, for "why will ye die? I fold forth life and pardon in my hand ❝for your acceptance; your acceptance would be my highest "pleasure and your own everlasting felicity." Pity is now in his heart, and tears of love in his eyes. O finners, it is now with you a day of falvation. O that you were wife, that you underflood this, that you would confider your future appearance before Chrut! The time is fast advancing, and perhaps at the very door with fome, that this feafon of love will be over and gone, and your lamentation hereafter will be, «The "harvest is past, the fummer is ended, and we are not faved." You now enjoy all the advantages and bleffings of the gospel. Chrift is now weeping over you, and pouring out his compaffi onate heart in tears, uttering thefe tender expreffions, “How "often would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her "chickhens under her wings!" O let it not be added, “ that "you would not." Let it not be faid That he came unto his "own and his own received him not." But in the future judg.

ment, you will behold this lovely and precious Saviour, cloathed in terror, with frowns en his brow and anger in his heart, iffu ing the irreversible fentence of your final deftiny, "Depart from "me ye curfed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and "his angels." All his love will be turned into wrath, and your prefent eafe and fecurity into damnation. Every foul in

this great day found in his fins, falls under the eternal curfe without repeal. Who among us can think of enduring the awful scene? Who can bear the fight of an angry judge, who is infinite in power, terrible in majesty, and who hath divested himfelf of all compaffion? Who can think of the Son of God, cloathed with vengeance, putting on fury as a garment, to revenge the contempt of his milder character? The great day of the Lord is coming and who fhall be able to stand? Christ bath come, O finners, to request your hearts, your friendship and your love; but when he fhall come again no fuch requests. fhall be made. You will never hear another foothing invitation. When he fhall turn to the left hand, nothing but terror, clouds and darknefs, and a horrible tempeft, and nothing in his voice but the dreadful found-" Depart." But,

Secondly, finners appear now before Chrift with cold hearts and careless and irreverent fpirits. His tender addreffes and movingexpoftulations are neither heard with feriousness, nor attended to with folemnity. But at his appearance on the fhining judgment feat, his prefence will frike awe, and it will be impoffibleto be light, careless, and inattentive. While they now hear the proposals of the gospel laid before them by his ambassidors, befceching them in Chrift's ftead to be reconciled to God, they may perhaps notice how the ambaffador as his part, whether he is of brilliant elocution, can perform as a grand orator, or in Eastern file, can play well on an inftrument; when they have decided upon this bufinefs, they retire with a felf approbation, and an inward felicity. But in their appearance at the laft judgment, things will be infinitely different; the confi deration of the fpeaker will be perfectly dropped. When they hear orders iffued for the folemn apparatus, and behold all matters difpofing themfelves to give the highest grandeur to the scene to haften their depending fate, how will their fouls be all tremblingly alive to the final fentence? In what a defcriptive manner does St. John reprefent this momentous event?

t is as if we faw it with cur eyes. "Behold, he cometh with clouds and every eye fhall fee him, and they alfo which pierced him, and all the kindreds of the earth fhall wail be"caufe of him." Then the finner will hear the voice of the Son of God, and every word will pierce him thro' with a thoufand terrors, and ten thousand torments will wreck his foul. But on the other hand, every preparation, every difplay, and every word, will be pleafure, comfort, tranfport, and extatic joy to the believer. Then will he rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

I have often thought that this appearance will be peculiarly affecting to the minifters of the gospel, both faithful and unfaithful. Thofe who have been faithful, and yet have not fucceeded as to a great part of their flock-Lord! how must it affect them to see many of their dear charge, whom once with yearning bowels they befought to fecure their falvation, whom they had perfuaded with tears by those very terrors which they now behold and feel, but they would not, and they fee them departing in the general outcry of loft and condemned fouls. They behold them taking leave of Jefus, of their friends, of their minifters and happiness, and go with devils into everlafting punishment. As to fuch who must reflect upon their unfaithfulness, as the cause of their own and their bearers eternal def truction, who can tell the torments eternally occafioned hereby! Think of this, O my foul, and take the awful hint, to animate thee in thy work, to cry aloud and fpare not, whate ver may be the confequence on earth.

But I proceed,

Secondly, to fhow the great difference this future appearance will make between the believer and unbeliever.

First, the believer will be treated and diftinguished with the higheft inftances of care and attention. Jefus will take a pe