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246

APPEARANCE

BEFORE,

GOD.

'SEEM.

RIV:

fore the

judgment

seat, every soul

who

is

found

in his

sins,

falls

under

an

eternal

curse,

and without repeal:

that

condemnation

shall never be removed

:

for immedi-

ate execution

follows

upon the sentence.

Now the sinner appears

before

God,

and hears such

words

of

compassion

as

these

are

:

"

I delight not

in

the

death

of

a sinner,

I

would have

him

turn

and live;

I

propose the

method

of

reconciliation and life:" But then

the

Lord

sits

upon a throne

of

judgment,

and

he

shall

laugh

at

the

calamity

of

the

wicked, and the

obstinate

sinner's distress;

for pity

and

compassion are for

ever

hid

from

his

eyes.

Now,

who

is

there among

us

able

to

bear

the sight

of

a provoked God,

who

is

infinite

in

power, terrible

in

majesty,

and

has

abandoned

all com-

passion.

C

5.

The sinner

now

appears

often before

Gód

;

there

but

once, and

is

for ever driven

from

his

presence:

Here, if

you

meet

with

no comfort

from

God

in

one

or-

dinance,

you

may find

it

in

the

next;

but

then

you

shall

be

punished

with

everlasting destruction frem the pre-

sence

of

the Lord, and the glory

of

his

power,

2

Thess.

i.

9.

How

will

you

long for such seasons again, when

you are for ever

shut out

from

them?

"O

that

I

had

but

one

Lord's

-day more to spend

in

the

service

of

God!

how

would

I

labour and

wrestle

with

God

in

prayer,

that

I

might

become"a

new

creature!"

But

in

hell the

days

are

all alike, they

are

all

dark

and stormy;

there

is

not

one day

of

sunshine,

not

one sabbath,

not

one

hour

of

rest.

"

How

did

I

mock

God

on

earth,

must

the

sinner

say,

when

I

appeared

before

him

!

and

after

I

had mocked

him

'once,

I

trifled `again and again

;

but

now

I

find

he

is

a

God

who will

not

be

mocked

;

I

see he

is

a

terrible

Majesty,.

and

I

am driven

for ever

from

all

his

grace and compassion, and shall

see his face

no

more/

Use.

All

the

use

that

I

shall

make of

this head,

is

only

to urge

upon

your-minds

a

practical

belief,

and a

lively

sense

of

this

appearance

before

God

at

judgment.

Must

we

all

stand

before the

judgment

seat

of

Christ?

Do

we

think

we

are ready?

'What

answer do

our

.own

consciences

give,

whén

we

make

that

enquiry

?

Am

I

prepared

to

appear

before

God

the

Judge?

Have

I

but

little

hope, and

yet can

I

satisfy myself

to lie down

at