*At APPEARANCE BEFORE GOD. 4. Now the sinner appears before God as on a throne 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 judg, nientfrom the same God ; now the sinner stands in the church, in a general assembly : and he stands within the reachof a general promise : He that believes shall be saved; he that confesses-, and forsakes his sin shallfied mercy: But then the book of all the pro- mises is for ever shut, and it is declared by. the Judge, thatnot 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 : The soul 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 corruption: Yet he may escape all these threatenings. But in the great and last day he hears his own name, as it were, read together with each of these threaten- ings, and united to them all : " Thou art the-impenitent sinner, and thou must diefor ever ? thou hast not believed inChrist : and thouart the person who shall befor ever damned." Now he appears before God, and though he is, as to his state ; at a distance from him, yet he may be converted 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 immediate danger of hell, and be yesaved. But there the onlyword is, depart fromme, ye cursed, into everlasting fire; for I have not one word of promise, of encouragement, or of comfortfor 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 of death, and therefore with everlasting despair : He appears there guilty in open light, and his condemnation is certain and unchangeable. Believe this, sinner, now in this life ; the wrath of God lies heavy upon you ; John iii. 38. 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, if you receive this gospel : But there, before 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 imme- diate execution follows upon the sentence. Now the sinner ap- pears 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
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