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refurrection it fhali appear of a much more refined contexture; it will be endued with fuch spiritual qualities as to ftand in no need of fuch animal refrefliments; there will then be no more need of food or drink or raiment. The body will then fubfift after a fpiritual manner, for they fhall be as the angels. But who can defcribe the glory, the beauty, power, incorruptibility fpirituality and feraphic nature of the railed and glorified bodies? Bleffed and happy are they who fhall obtain a part in the first refurrection.

'But the manner in which the bodies of the wicked fhall be raifed in that day will be perfectly the reverfe of all this. They will be destitute of all glory, beauty and comeliness. They will afcend from their graves in all the horrors of deformity, with ghaftly vifages, diftorted countenances, writhing members, convulfed breafts, and all their looks terrible. Let us turn from the odious picture, and deteftable fight. They come forth the abhorring of all fiefh; veffels of uglinefs and dishonor, to comprehend all in one dreadful phrafe, their refurrection will be the refurrection of damnation.

This lecture fhall conclude with a few reflections,

First this doctrine fhould raise the fouls of true chriftians in. to raptures of confolation. How tranfporting the thought tho' you die, yet fhall ye live; you shall greatly live in the regions of immortal blifs? How ineffably glorious will the meeting of the foul and body be; your victory over fin, over death, over Satan and all your enemies will then be complete Tho' your bodies here may be decriped, difmembered and deformed, yet hereafter they fhall appear in all the perfection of beauty. Tho' now wrecked with pain, faint with fickness, covered with loathfome fores, yet then you fhall be ftrong powerful, alert and active. Tho' now defpifed and held in contempt by the world, yet then you fhall be hozored, cloath

ed in white robes, crowns of glory on your heads, and fæp tres of dominion in your hands.-What obligations, O what delightful obligations are believers under to render love, praife and thanksgiving to God and to Jefus Chrift? That such life glory and felicity are procured for you, that death is vanquished, fin destroyed, the grave conquered, and all heaven is yours. What, O chriftians, ought your lives to be in this world? what faith, what gratitude, zeal and holy living?

Secondly, this folemn doctrine fpeaks nothing but terror to the workers of iniquity. You will be dragged from your graves with fhame and contempt. Your cries will be to the rocks and the mountains to fall on you and hide you from the awful fcene. Your faces will gather blacknefs, and what pencil can paint the reluctant horrors, and the agonifing ftruggles exerted both by foul and body against their reunion? How do they avoid and fly back from each other, yet by almighty force they are compelled into the abhorred conjunction? The foul and body hate to meet, and hatred will reign between them forever. And to close the scene, they pafs away into mifery which will never intermit or come to an end.

My dear brethren, let us all confider the folemnities of the great day before it comes; let the wicked repent and believe the gospel, and let faints rejoice in the riches of glory fet be fore them.

SERMON XXXVIII.

A general and future Judgment proved.

2 Cor. v. 10. For we must all appear before the judgment feat of Chrift.

PRECIOUS was the experience, peace and comfort, which the apostle and many of the primitive chriftians enjoyed. They were favored with the sweet affurance of hope; they had heaven in their eye, and all their courfe tended thither. "We "know if that our earthly houfe of this tabernacle were diffolv "ed, we have abuilding of God, an houfe not made with hands "eternal in the heavens." For this and all other graces he gives glory to God, and afcribes every bleffing to his operation. "He who hath wrought us for the felf fame thing is "God, who hath alfo given unto us the earnest of the spirit." Thefe views, expectations and confolations, had a quickening influence upon them in the exercifes, duties, and all the parts of religion. The more chriftian affurance any perfon hath, the more he is engaged in the fervice of God, and feeking the happiness of his fellow men. Some are ready to think, if they had afurance of grace, they would trouble themfelves no more

about religion. This is a certain evidence that they are both deftitute of grace and of a proper understanding of the gospel. For the more godliness any perfon practifes, and the more region any one hath, the more ardent are his defires after greater acquifitions. Hence fays our apoftle, "We labour that we "may be accepted of the Lord." And the reafon why they are fo perfevering and abundant in their labours is given in "For we must all appear before the judgment feat "of Chrift." Thefe words exprefs the certainty and the univerfality of a future and general judgment, as well as the defignation of the perfon who fhall execute this high office.

our text.

Wherefore in attending to this folemn and important fubject, we shall endeavor to prove,

First, that there will be a future and general judgment.

Secondly, fhow the perfon who will be honored with the exalted character of being Judge-and,

Thirdly, confider the perfons, who shall be judged.

First, we are to prove the folemn doctrine that there will be a future and general judgment. This is a truth as certain as that there is a providence, or that God has created and governs the world. Every intelligent creature, who is a fubject of moral government, affords an argument in fupport of this 'doctrine. For if we were created by God, and he hath given us laws for the regulation of our conduct, is it not reasonable we fhould be accountable, in refpe&t to our obedience or violation of the fame. And is it not proper that God fhould mar all our behaviour, and fee whether we have obeyed or rebelled against him? This is manifeft from the intereft the glory of his own attributes has herein, and the promises and threatenings

annexed to his laws. God is omnifcient and intimately acquainted with all our actions, there is not a hair of our heads which is not numbered, and it would be inconfiftent with his ! infinite juftice, not to reward obedience and righteousness, and punish fin and iniquity. Therefore there will be a time in which he will difplay his glory in judging the world, and rewarding every man according to his works.. "For God fhall bring every work into judgment."

There are indeed many displays of God's judicial hand in the prefent difpenfations of his providence; Hence he is faid "To be known by the judgments he executeth." The visible tokens of his distinguishing regard to his faints in this world, as well as the public and dreadful difplays of his vengeance towards his enemies, proclaim his glory as judge of all. What flaughter of men and revolutions of the kingdoms of the earth does he make by war? He fcatters nations and buildeth them up again. How have his judgments buried whole cities in' ruins by horrid fhocks of the earth? How many nations whose faces have waxed pale with diftreffing famine? What noxious' and peftilential diseases are often fent abroad for the punish. ment of tranfgreffion? But all these dreadful calamities, were they rightly viewed, confidered and improved, might become difpenfations of mercy rather than judgment. For they are folemn warnings to us and feasonable admonitions, that we fhould prepare for the great and decifive day. But inaf much as fin demerits a much greater punishment than any inflicted here, and fince the divine dealings with the children of men in respect to outward and vifible things cannot be fatiffactorily accounted for, while we behold the righteous oppreffed and the wicked enjoying more than heart can with, thefe things plainly indicate that there is a feafon to come in which all theie matters will be perfectly adjufted. Then in the language of the Pfalmift, "A man shall say verily there is a reward for "the righteous, verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth."

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