and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST, and his APOSTLES, &c. gig W o can read the following fentence paffe upon the righteous, without feeling the warmeft love and gratitude to the great Author of all good ; and what a noble motive to perfeverance in well-doing does it afford : Come, ye blued children of my Father, inherit the kingdompreparedforyou from the foundation of the world. Good men can at heft but confider their prefent Efate as a banithment from their native country. A Efate in which they are often expofed to innumerable temptations, to pertcutions, to poverty, to reproach, to contempt. But the confideration that they are travelling towards the heavenly Jerts- falem, a city prepared for them, when the foundations of the world were laid, will be abundantly fufficient to fupport their fpirits, and render them more than con- querors. The glory laid up for them in the manfions of eternity, and which the great Judge will, at the awful day of ac- count, confer upon them, will animate them to bear the violence of their oppref- fors, and even defy the malice of men and devils. Nay, they will behold with con- tempt the flourifhing profperity of the wicked, and look forward to that glorious and immortal crown which will be given them by their great Redeemer. Then (hall the King fay unto them on the right hand, Come, ye bided children of my father, in- herit tlze, kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world : for Iwas an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirfly, and ye gave me drink : I was a Ranger, and ye took me in : naked, and ye clothed me : Iwaslick, andye vifzted me: Iwas in prifon, andye came unto me, Matt. XXV. 34, 35, 36. Being aftonifhed to hear the great Judge declare, that all the good offices they have ever done to their brethren in affliaionwas done to him, they At with great reverence and humility, when they performed thefe fervices ? as they never faw him in want, and therefore could never affift him : Lord, whenfawwe thee an hungered, andfed thee? or airily, and gave thee drink? Whenfaw we thee á firanger, and took thee ht? or naked, and clothed thee ? Or when faze We theefck, or in prifon, and carne unto thee? And the king fzall anfwer and fay unto them, Verily Ifay untoyou, inafmuch as ye have done it unto one of the leaf of thefe my brethren; ye have done it unto me. This is truly aftonifhing ! The united wifdom of men and angels could never have difco- vexed a more proper method to convey an -idea ofthe warmth and force of the divine benevolence to the fons of men, or offer a more forcible- motive to charity, than that the Son of God himfelf fhould, from his feat ofjudgment, in the prefenceof the whole race of mankind, and all the hofls ofbleffed fpirits from the courts ofheaven, declare that all good offices done to the aflliCed, are done to himfelf. During the time of his dwelling with human nature in this vale of tears, he fuffered unfpeakable injuries and afflitions ; and therefore he confiders all the diftreffed virtuous, as members of his body, loves them with the utmòft tendernefs, and is fo greatly inter= efted in their welfare, that hegrieves when they are diftreffed, and rejoices when they are happy. Perhaps in this repiefentationof the fail judgment, it may feem ftrange that the inquiry fhould folely turn on the per- formance of duties, without any regard to the commiffionof crimes. Perhaps the true reafon is, that men, generally fpeak- ing, confider the neglect of duties as a matter of no great confequence, but dread the commiffion of crimes. And hence it happens, that while they keep themfelves free from the latter, they eafily find ex- cufes for the former. And as there is not a more pernicious error with regard to religion and morality than this, the bleffed Jesus thought proper to give fuch an ac- count of the judgment, as fhould prove the moft folemn caution againft it. But as- the inquiry turns wholly on the per- formance of duties, it has been afked why the offices of charity only are mentioned, and no notice taken of die. duties of piety-; though
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