SERM. XIV.] HERE AND HEREAFTER.- 245 of grace;, there on a throne of justice : now in a state of trial; there for a final sentence. He comes now to hear the general language of God' to men ; there to hear his own particular j-udgtnent from the same God ; now the sinner stands in the church, in a general assembly; and he stands within the reach ofa general promise: He that believes shall be saved; he that confesses, and for- sakes his sin shall find mercy: But then, the book of all the promises is for ever shut, and iris ,declared by the Judge, that not one of them belongs,to him : He bath refused all the offers of grace, and the day of grace is gone for ever. Now he stands, and hears the general threatening of the word.: Thesoul that sinneth shall die; the wages of sin is death; he that believeth not shall be damned ; he that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corrup- tion: Yet he may..escape all these threatenings: But in the great and last day he hears his own nave, as.it were, read together with each of these threatenings, and united to them all : " Thou art'the impenitent sinner, and thou must die for ever; thou hast not believed in Christ: and thou art the person who shall be for ever damned." Now he appears before God, and though;he is, as to his state, at a distance from him, yet he may be con- verted and brought near; he hears these blessed words, .Mat. xi. 28. Come, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest; Is. xlv. 22. Look unto me, ye that are at,the ends of the earth, and in imme- diate danger of hell, and be ye saved. But there the only word is, 'Depart fromme, ye cursed, into everlast- ing fire; for I bave net one word of promise, of encou- ragement, or of comfort for you. Because he appears now in a state of trial, it is with some hope of obtaining pardon ; but there he stands only waiting for the.sentence ofdeath, and therefore with everlasting despair : He appears there guilty in open light, and his condemnation is certain and unchange- able. Believe this, sinner, now in this life ; the ,wrath of God lies heavy upon you; John iii. 36. but this wrath may be removed ; the condemnation that is now upon you from the law, may be reversed: the gospel is ready to take it off, ifyou receive this gospel : But there, be it 3
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=