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244
APPEARANCE BEFORE
CÒD.
[SERM.
XIV'
ed bef
ore
him,
and
he
shall separáte
them
one
jr
om
an-
other,
as a
shepherd
divideth the
sheep
from
the
goats;
Mat:
xxv. 32.
Jesus
shall
separate
the one from the
other
:
and what
will
the
sinner
say
at that
day?
"
I
have
on
earth appeared
before
God
among
the
saints,
but
now
I
must
for
ever
dwell with
my
companions
in ini-
quity, with
my
partners
in
everlasting burnings
:
I
am
so
like
to
the spirits
of
hell, now
I
am undressed,
and
divested
of
all disguise,
that
I
see
myself
justly
divided
,for ever from the saints, and a
fit
companion for none
but
devils." O
who
can tell the
torment that
is
contain-
ed in
such a self condemning reflection
as
this
?
3.
Sinners
appear
now,
and
take no
notice
of God
as
Creator, or Christ
as
Mediator
and
Saviour; but at the
appearance
in
judgment it
will
be impossible to
stand
before God,
and
not
take
notice
of
him.
He appears
there
as
a
God of terrible
and incensed
majesty,
and
they must
see
him; and
Jesus
Christ
sits
there,
and
must
be seen,
not
as
the Saviour to secure them,
but
the
Judge
ready
to
condemn them
to
everlasting"puñishment;
Rev.
i.
7.
assures
us
óf
this
day,
and
speaks
of
it
as
al-
ready come:
Behold,
he cometh
with
clouds,
and
every
eye
shall
see hint,
and
they
alsò which
pierced
him;
and
all
kindreds
of
the
earth
shall
wail
because
of
him.
I
shall behold
him, says
the
wretched
Balaam,
but not
nigh; Num.
xxiv.
17:
not
as
my
God,
near
me,
but
as
my
enemy,
afar
from
me.
"Now
God
speaks
with
the
voice
of
mercy
in
the church, and
I
turn
a
deaf
ear
to
him,
may the sinner
say,
but
then
it
is
the language
of
-
justice
and vengeance
:
O
that
my
ears and
my
eyes
were sealed up
for ever! for
his looks, his words, his
actions, smite
my
soul
through
with
a thousand tor-
ments."
It
is
impossible
for
the wicked to
turn their
eyes from
God
in
that
day,
whereas
now
for
a
whole
hour
or
two,
in
his
worship,
their hearts
are not
once
fixed
upon
hire:
A
God
of
holiness
will
be
seen on
his
seat
'of
judgment;
and the sinner
who will
not
see,
shall see,
and
be
con-
founded
at
the
sight.
Think of
this,
O
my
soul.
!
and
when thou
findest
thy thoughts
wandering
from
God
in
the
next
duty
of
worship,
take
this awful
hint
to
recai
them
again.
4.
Now
i
e
sinner appears before God as
on
a throne