wefty fo fhall alfo the coming of the Son of Man 'be.' As the afcent of Jefus was confpicuous, and probably leisurely, fo will be his descent. While

the disciples were viewing him as he afcended, we

read, Acts i. 10, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also faid, Ye men of Galilee, why ftand ye gazing up into heaven? This fame Jefus, who is taken from you into heaven, shall so come in ' like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.' Here is no figurative language, no ambiguous expreffion. Neither is there in what the apostle fays concerning the refurrection of the virtuous dead, which will take place at the coming of Chrift, which, in the Revelation is called the first refurrection, 1 Thef. iv. 14. If we believe that Jefus died, and rofe again, even fo them also who fleep in Jefus fhall God bring with him. For this we say 'unto you, by the word of the Lord, that we who

are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord, 'fhall have no advantage over those who are asleep. < For the Lord himself fhall defcend from heaven, with a fhout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ fhall rife firft. Then we who are alive, and remain, fhall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and fo fhall < we ever be with the Lord.' Again he fays, 1 Cor. xv. 51. We shall not all sleep, but we fhall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,

at the last trump. For the trumpet fhall found, and

the

⚫ the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall

⚫ be changed.'

The certainty of this great catastrophe should be a fufficient motive with all Christians, who, as fuch, entertain no doubt with refpect to the fact, to keep it conftantly in view, and to regulate their whole conduct with a view to it. But if we apprehend it to be in a stricter sense of the word really near, which, from the prefent afpect of things, I own I am inclined to think may be the cafe, our attention is drawn to it in a most forcible manner. Did we really expect to fee this great event, viz. the coming of Chrift in the clouds of heaven, we should hardly think or speak of any thing elfe; and the prefent commotions in the political world, extraordinary as they certainly are, would appear as nothing in comparison with it. What would otherwife be great, would, with refpect to this, feem exceedingly little, and insignificant.

What then, my brethren, is the practical inference that we should draw from finding, or even fufpecting, ourselves to be in this fituation, the kingdom of heaven being at hand, but to repent, and by a change of heart and of life to be prepared for it; that when our Lord fhall return, and take an account of his fervants, we may be found of him without

fpot and blameless, and not be ashamed before him

at his coming?' Seeing,' as the apostle Peter says,

we look for these things, what manner of perfons

ought we to be, in all holy conversation and god'linefs.'

The aspect of things, it cannot be denied, is, in the highest degree, alarming, making life, and every thing in it, peculiarly uncertain. What could have been more unexpected than the events of any one of the last four years, at the beginning of it? What a total revolution in the ideas, and conduct of a whole nation! What a total fubverfion of principles, what reverses of fortune, and what a waste of life! In how bloody and eventful a war are we engaged, how inconfiderable in its beginning, how rapid and wide in its progress, and how dark with respect to its termination! At first it resembled Elijah's cloud, appearing no bigger than a man's hand; but now it covers, and darkens, the whole European hemisphere!

Now, whatever we may think, as politicians (and with us every man will have his own opinion, on a fubject so interesting to us all) I would, in this place, admonish you not to overlook the hand of God in the great scene that is now opening upon us. Nothing can ever come to pafs without his appointment, or permiffion; and then, whatever be the views of men, we cannot doubt, but that his are always wife, righteous, and good. Let us, therefore, exercise faith in him, believing that though clouds and darkness are 'round about him, righteousness and judgment are for ever the habitation of his throne' All those who appear on the theatre of public affairs, in the field, or the cabinet, both those whom we praife, and those whom we blame, are equally inftruments in his hands, and execute all his pleasure. Let this reflec

tion,

tion, then, in our cooler moments, (and I hope we fhall endeavour, in all the tumult of affairs, to make thefe as many as poffible) lead us to look more to God, and lefs to man; and confequently, in all the troubles in which we may be involved, repofe the moft unfhaken confidence in him, and thence in patience poffefs our own fouls,' efpecially when it is evident that it is wholly out of our power to alter the course of events. If we be careful fo to live as to be at all times prepared to die, what have we to fear, even though, as the Pfalmift fays, the earth be ' removed, and the mountains be carried into the • midft of the fea?" Whatever turn the course of things may take, it cannot then be to our difadvantage. What, then, should hinder our contemplating the great scene, that feems now to be opening upon us, awful as it is, with tranquillity, and even with fatisfaction, from our firm perfuafion, that its termination will be glorious and happy?

Laftly, the more there are who indulge these enlarged and just views, who cultivate a sense of piety to God (which will always lead us to fupprefs refentment, and to promote goodwill towards men) the more favour, in the righteous administration of Providence, will be fhewn to the country in which they fhall be found God, we know, would have fpared even Sodom, if fo many as ten righteous men had been found in it; and our Saviour, alluding, as I am inclined to think, to these very times, which feem to be approaching, fays, that for the elect's fake they • will

8

' will be fhortened.' For our own fakes, therefore, for the fake of our friends, of our country, and of every thing that is dear to us in it, let us attend to the admonition of my text, to repent, for the

< kingdom of heaven is at hand.' It is righteouf'ness that exalteth a nation', and 'fin' only is the

' reproach,' and will be the ruin, of any people.'