Let us attend for a moment to the rule of judgment. They that have done good, shall come forth to the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." By their works shall men be tried. In vain, you workers of iniquity, do you seek in yourselves the supposed marks of grace. In vain, ye sober religionists, do you comfort yourselves with the workings of a deluded mind. In vain do you substitute a pharisaical face, in the room of obedience to the laws of Christ. The covetous man and the extortioner, the lover of the praise of men and of earthly honour, may assume, and in some instances maintain, a religious profession, and be able to enumerate their happy symptoms, amidst all their failings, defects, and spots; but the righteous Judge declares, that they who have done evil, let their feelings have been what they might, shall come forth to everlasting condemnation. The cautious orthodoxy of unfruitful speculators in religion, may suppose that this is laying too great a stress upon character, and that to represent matters in this unguarded way, is calculated to countenance the advocates of salvation by works: but these are the words of Jesus; this is a document published by Him who shall sit in the awful judgment. Let none presume to direct men to another criterion of character. By their works alone can men prove that they have believed the gospel. "Not every one that saith Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the will of my Father (saith Jesus) who is in heaven. This is the love of God that ye keep his commandments-ye are my disciples if ye do whatsoever I command you he that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me."

But who are they that do good? Are they such as act according to a standard which they themselves have erected, for the criterion of conduct? Ye, who trust to your own works, pervert not the Scriptures to your own destruction. Eternal life shall indeed be given to them that do good but the doing of good is not the price of the reward, but the standard and measure by which the extent of the reward is determined. Eternal life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ: the doing of good is

the fruit and evidence of believing the truth that justifies the ungodly. Jesus has made the doing of good the criterion of character; because this is the characteristic of all his disciples, and of none besides. None but such as believe in him can do any thing good in the sight of God, the carnal mind being enmity against God; therefore, they that are in the flesh cannot please God. To do good, is to do what Jesus commanded out of love to him and respect for his authority. To do good is to obey God; this none do but such as receive his testimony with respect to his Son Jesus Christ. This being the Father's commandment that men believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ.-1 John iii. 23. The heart of man being naturally unclean, there naturally flows from it, evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, blasphemies, &c., till the same is purified. This is only done by faith (Acts xv. 9), or by men obeying the truth through the Spirit (1 Peter i. 22); and thenceforward the issues of life correspond to the purified source from which they flow-"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things, whilst an evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, bringeth forth evil things." This takes place as naturally and necessarily as a good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and a corrupt or a bad tree bringeth forth bad fruit. Every tree is known by his fruit. Do men gather grapes off thorns, or figs off thistles? Even so a good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit, or a bad tree good fruit. Wherefore, by their fruits shall men be known.

Those who seek the shelter of such passages as these, because they are externally decent and sober in their conduct; because they are good members of society, and have been distinguished for many actions in themselves good; shall be driven from their refuge of lies when the Judge shall determine the true motives of their conduct. The motive is essential in determining the nature of an action. Things in themselves good may be performed from such motives as will stamp the action to be sinful, and instead of meriting reward, to be deserving of indignation. Ploughing is a duty; but the ploughing of the wicked is sin. The sum of the

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morality of the Scriptures, is the love of God and man. Many in their account of morality altogether overlook what respects God, and consider what respects man merely from the action, without reference to the motive. But the Scriptures suppose that we might give our bodies to be burned through zeal, and all our substance to feed the poor, yet neither love God nor man. Good works, in the sense of Scripture, are neither the hollow morality of some, nor the servile acts of voluntary humility of others. They are works which Jesus requires performed, because he requires them. Those who in this way give but a cup of cold water, shall not lose their reward; while, from a different principle, they might give all their goods to feed the poor, and not be profited. Let those, then, who know Jesus walk in all his commandments and ordinances, for this is the criterion of character. Let sinners believe in him; for this is the only way that they can bring forth good fruit and stand in the day of retribution. It is a faithful saying that Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and they alone are righteous who believe it. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

A VIEW

OF THE

DAY OF JUDGMENT:

AS DELINEATED IN THE SCRIPTURES.

My soul! take a view of the awful transactions of that day, which closes the duration of this world, and assembles the children of Adam for judgment. The. spectacle is glorious, but terrible: it gratifies the taste, while it excites to diligence. Art thou enraptured with the grand and the awful in the works of creation? Dost thou feast with delight on the rugged, but venerable majesty of the mountain? Dost thou delight to look on the face of heaven, when bespangled with its fiery orbs? Thou lookest on the ocean, and art pleasingly overwhelmed with the conception of so vast a collection of waters. Thou viewest it in a storm, and art transported. When the angry waves lash the sounding shores; when, with repeated shocks, they threaten to drive the towering rocks from their foundations, and the white spray rises aloft, sprinkling the shepherd on his distant hill, thou sayest, it is grand! Rage on, proud waves, ye are the ministers of God: proclaim to mankind the terror of his power!

Dost thou feel, my soul, an awful and gloomy pleasure from the hoarse roaring of the wind? Dost thou not fancy that thou hearest the angry voice of God? Yon hollow and dismal groans put thee in mind of the impending ruin of his enemies.

Dost thou look, my soul, with pleasure on the lightning, and hear with awful satisfaction the voice of thunder? When it rumbles through the clouds with a hoarse and horrible groaning; when the mountains are shaken by its noise, and the heavens themselves seem to crash by its fury, dost thou say, here is sublimity?

Come away, my soul; turn from these grand objects, to one that is infinitely more grand. Advance to the contemplation of an object which the men of this world view with horror, or dare not view at all. Come, view the judgment of the great day of God Almighty. It is a scene of terror indeed; but it has no terrors for the friends of Jesus Christ. Who shall lay anything to the charge of those for whom he died?

On that memorable day in which our Lord ascended from the midst of his disciples, it was notified to them by two angels, that he would again descend upon the earth: "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel; who also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus that is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."-Acts i. 9-11.

Both our Lord and his apostles have given signs of the approach of that day, and have foretold a number of events that must take place before it. But the exact time of his coming, Jesus has not declared; nor was this any of those things which he had in charge from the Father to make known to his people. After speaking of the signs of his coming, he adds, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man; no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." The Scriptures, however, furnish us with some interesting descriptions of the terror and glory of his appearance, and contain a number of scattered hints of the procedure and transactions of the day of judgment. In examining these, the first thing that strikes us is, the suddenness and unexpectedness of his coming. This circumstance adds greatly to its terror, and is, in many places, emphati