BERM. X /V.1 HERE AND HF.REAFTER. 243 death the judgment. Rom. xiv. 10... and 2 Cor. v. 10. We must all appear Lfóre the judgment-seat of Christ. The angels sha.11,gather the elect from the four quarters of the world, and bring them near to the judge with pleasure; but sinners shall be dragged toward that awful, tribunal, and be forced to abide the trial. While the believer, who walks in lively faith, says, "When shall I come into that world ofspirits, andappear there,before God ?" the sinner wishes that day may never come: " O that I might live for ever on earth ! that I might for ever converse with men, and never see the face of that ,God who hates me, and whom I have never loved. O that death might make an utter end of me ! O that the grave would cover me for ever, that I might rise no more." And when that dreadful day comes, then, " Tall on us, rocks ; then, mountains press us down, and conceal us for ever from the wrath of God and the Lan3b :" as in Rev. vi. 15, 16. that outcry is represent- ed. Ï But they must stand and see the terror; they are constrained to hear the glorious and dreadful sentence. Dost thou believe this, O my soul ! and canst thou be content to live unprepared for the solemnities of this day? 2. Here sinners appear like the saints of God, in dis- guise; but there as sinners, openly guilty, and exposed to light : Here not separated from the saints in the place of worship, there sufficiently distinguished and divided from all who love God,, and that worship him in spirit: For when a sinful soul goes out of the body to appear be- fore God, every angel in heaven knows, him ; he is naked without a covering of disguise, as well: as without the covering of a justifying righteousness; and upon'this account he appears all guilty, not only before the search- ing eye of God, and the terror of his anger, but also be- fore the blessed spirits who are near the throne. Herd those who are in the same assembly, know not whether we are the children of God, or the children: of the devil: but in the world of spirits, all the children. of Satan are as much distinguished from the children of God:as an an- gel 'of light is from a spirit of darkness. This flesh is a disguise to the soul, a thick cloud to cover a thousand hypocrisies; but at the great day the naked soul must be known : All nationsshall be gather R2
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