DISCOURSE II. 153 When be shall come to shut up all the scenes of this frail life, to put an end to the present world, to finish all the works of this mortal state, and to decide and determine the eternal states of all mankind by the general judgment. Yet Christ comes to each of us in the hour of death also, for he hath the keys of death and of hell, or of the invisible world ; Rev. i. 18. It is he who appoints the very moment, when the soul shall be dismissed from this flesh, he opens the doors of the grave for the dying body, and he is Lord of the world of spirits, and lets in new inhabitants every minute into those unseen regions of immortal sorrow, or immortal peace. And, as Christ may be said to come taus by the message or summons of death, so the many solemn writings and commands of watchfulness, which attend these parables of Christ, have been usually, and with good reason applied to the hour of death also, for then the Lord comes to shut up the scene of each of our lives, our works are then finished, our last day is come, and the world is then at an end with us. Let it be observed also, that there is a further parallel be- tween the dayof the general judgment, and that of our own death: The one will as certainly come as the other, but the time when Christ will come, in either of these senses, is unknown to us, and uncertain : And it is this, which renders the duty of perpe- tual watchfulness so necessary to all men. The parable assures us, that our Lord will certainly come, but whether at the second, or third watch, whether at midnight, or at cock - crowing, or near the morning, this is all uncertainty ; yet whensoever he comes, he expects we should have our loins girded, like servants fit for business, and our lamps burning, to attend him at the door, and that we be ready to receive him as soon as he knocks. Were the appointed hour of judgment, or of death, made known to us for months or years before -band, we should be ready to think constant watchfulness a very needless thing. Mankind would persuade themselves to indulge their foolish and sinful slumbers, and only take care to rub their eyes a little, and bestir themselves an hour or two before this awful event : But it is the suddenness and uncertainty of the coming óf Christ to all mankind, for either of these purposes, that extends the charge, of watchfulness to all men, as well as to the apostles ; Merk xiii. 37. and that calls upon us aloud; to keep our souls ever awake, leaf, as our Lord there expresses it, lest, coming suddenly, lie should find us sleeping. And remember this, that if we are unprepared to meet the Lord at death, we can never be ready when he comes to judgment : Peace and blessedness attend the watchful chris. tian, whensoever his Lord cometh. Blessed is that servant, whom, when his. Lord cometh, he shall find watching. This leads nie to the second general head. VOL. vi t. E
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