To TIIE SAINT'S REST. ness and severity of God : on them who perish, seve- rity ; but to his chosen, goodness.(t) Every one must " give an account of his stewardship "(u) Every ta- lent of time, health, wit, mercies, afflictions, means, warnings, must be reckoned for. The sins of youth, those which they had forgotten, and their secret sins, shall all be laid open before angels and men.They shall see the Lord Jesus whom they neglected, whose word they disobeyed, whose ministers they abused, whose servants they hated, now sitting to judge them. Their own consciences will cry out against them, and call to their remembrance all their misdoings. Which way will the wretched sinner look ? who can conceive the terrible thoughts of his heart ? Now the world can- not help him : his old companions cannot ; the saints neither can nor will; only the Lord Jesus can; but, there is the misery, he will not. Time was, sinner, when Christ would, and you would not ; now fain would you, and he will not. All in vain to cry " to the mountains and rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne ;"(w) for thou hast the Lord of mountains and rocks for thine enemy, whose voice they will obey and not thine. "1 charge thee, therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead, at his appearing, and his kingdom, "(x) that thou set thyself seriously to ponder on these things. § 6. But why tremblest thou, O humble, gracious soul ? TIe that would not lose one Noah in a common deluge, nor overlook one Lot in Sodom ; nay, that could do nothing till he went forth ; will he forget thee at that day ? " The Lord knoweth how to de- liver the godly out of temptations ; and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. "(y) He knoweth how to make the same day the greatest terror to his foes, and yet the greatest joy- to his people. "There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who'walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Who shall lay any thing to the (t) Rom. xi. 22. (u) Luke xvi. 2. (w) Rev. vi. 13. (x) 2 Tim. iv. 1. (y) 2 Peter ii. 9.
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