PART II. SERMON XIV. 903 distress ; for pity and compassion are for ever hid from his eyes. Now, who is there among us able to bear the sight of aprovoked God, who is infinite in power, terrible in majesty, and has aban- doned all compassion. 5. The sinner now appears often before God ; there but . once, and is for ever driven from his presence Here, if you meet with no comfort from God in one ordinance, you may find . it in thenext ; but then you shall be punished with everlasting des- truction from the presenceof the Lord, and the gloryof his power ; 2 Thess. i. 9. How will you long for such seasons again, when Lord's- day are forever shutout from them ?" O thatI had but one more to spend in the service of God ! how would I labour and wrestle with God in prayer, that I mightbecome a new crea- ture!" Butin hell thedays 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 Ihad mocked . him once, I trifled again and again ; but now I findhe is a God who will not be mocked ; I seehe is a terriblemajesty, and I am driven for ever from all his grace and compassion, and shall see hisface nomore. Use. All the use I shall make of this head, is only to urge . upon your minds a practiéal belief, and a lively sense of this ap- pearance beforeGod at judgment. Must we all stand before the judgment -seat of Christ 2. Do we think we are ready ? What answer do our own consciences give, when wemake that enquiry ? Am, I prepared to appear before God the Judge ? Have I but littlehope, and yet canI satisfymyself to lie down at night, and arise in the morning, and have this hope not increased ? Have I so little expectation of my appearing well-there, andyet rest con- tented under it ? Do I worship nowwith that sincerity and devotion, as those who must hereafter come to be judged ? Could we, dare we, indulge ourselves in the neglect 'of any duty, or commission of anysin, or careless performance of the religious services we owe to God, at the rate we now do, had this great appearance before God at judgment been often upon our,thoughts ? Alas ! these things vanish from our minds, many times, together with the breathand air that forms the words : Business, or cares, or the diversions of this life, turn away the soul fromGod andjudgment, We dwell in flesh, we see not God, and we are ready, foolishly, to imagine that we shall never see him : We thrust this hour at such a distance, as though it wouldnever come ; weput it afar off as an evil day. But let us stand still here, and consider a little : This even- ing we are come to appear before God in worship ; we see our-
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