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tion with which men, according to their several circumstances, are favored. If we neglect these, I grant it is ftill not impoffible (as Paul's ftory fhews) that God may, in fome extraordinary way, convert us; I infift, however, that it is highly improbable that he will do fo, and the more fin we commit, the less likely fhould we confider our converfion to be just as we see that in the cafe of Paul, the addition of the fin of wilfulness to his other crimes might have proved an aggravation that would have put him beyond the hope of mercy. We read of one dying thief who repented on the cross, and was cer--tainly faved; but the fcriptures name no other inftance of any thing like a real and availing death-bed repentance. We are thus taught, that no dying finner fhould harden his heart through defpair, and yet that no living finner fhould prefume on God's giving him grace to repent in his last hours. We read, in like manner, of only one Paul who was converted by means of a voice from heaven, or while he was breathing flaughter against the Chriftians; but, on the other hand, when the apostles and difciples were regularly met together, and "were all with one accord in one place," at the time of Penticoft, we are told that the numbers converted even in one day were three thoufand, for God was pleased to give his peculiar bleffing on this firft inftance of the public preaching of the apoftles by an extraordinary effufion of his Holy Spirit.

Whenever we apply ourselves, therefore, to the ftory of Paul's Converfion, let us bring with us an honeft mind. We may, if we pleafe, wreft this," as well as other parts of fcripture, to our own deftru&tion;" but we may also draw from it, if we are fo difpofed, the strongest confirmation of our faith, and the greateft encouragement to repent of our fins, and to put confidence in our Saviour's mercy.

OF

THE

JUDGMENT DAY.

F all the fubjects in religion there is none more deeply interefting than that of the general judgment. That fome fort of day of reckoning will come upon the world, is what few men, I believe, have ever doubted, for it is a very natural perfuafion. Some new philofophers, indeed, have attempted to teach people to the contrary, but furely it is hard to believe that there will be one event to the righteous and to the wicked, and that the groffeft finner and the pureft faint, the man who has indulged himself without caring how much he hurt his fellowcreatures, and he who has both done and fuffered much in order to do them good, fhall each, when they die, be placed in the very fame circumftances by God. No; we all are apt to agree in the general belief, that there will come

a day of judgment; the point in which we differ is, the particular mode in which the Almighty will deal with us when we are brought to trial, and the fort of preparation for it which is neceffary. Even thofe who profefs themselves Chriftians, vary much from one another in this particular, for we have all our own opinions and prepoffeffions; and though we think that we be lieve the Bible, yet in fact, we all, more or lefs, invent a day of judgment of our own, inftead of feeking light from the revealed word of God.

It is the defign, therefore, of the present tract, not to attempt either to intereft the feelings, or to alarm the fears of the reader, by representing to him fuch a day of judgment as the writer's own imagination might paint, but rather to colleft together what fcripture hath faid on this fubject. All human fpeculations will be avoided, and nothing will be introduced which may tend to lead the mind into uncertainties, for the great point is to know what we really have to expect. "It is appointed unto all men," fays the fcrip. ture, once to die, and after death the judgment." What then is the dature of this judgment? There is no doubt, I think, that fome trial is undergone immediately after death, and that a fuitable state of happiness or of mifery is appointed for every one as foon as he leaves this earth. "This day," faid our Saviour to the penitent thief, "thou fhalt be with me in Paradife." But what is here meant to be fpoken of

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is rather that public and univerfal judgment which we are taught to expect at the final con fummation of all things, in which God will manifeft his mode of dealing with his creatures. before his holy angels, and before all the affembled world.

The fcriptures have given us many very plain notices of what is to take place on this great day, and of the rules by which God will judge us; and it is worthy of remark, that what the fcriptures teach is very agreeable to what, if our minds were free from all corrupt bias, we might naturally fuppofe to be the dealings of a very wife and merciful, and at the fame time, of a very righteous and holy God.

In the first place, then, I would observe, that the fcriptures declare it to be an univerfal truth, that "GOD SHALL JUDGE EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS" Jews and Gentiles, men of every age of the world, and of every fect; men of every language and nation shall be" judged, every man according to his works, for there is no refpect to perfons before God." Thofe, indeed, "who have been without law," that is, thofe who have not had the feriptures given them, and who have finned without law," it is faid in the Romans, "fhall alfo perifh without law," while those it is added, "who have finned in the law fhall be Judged by the law." Chrift, we may take occafion here to rémark, is ordained by God to judge us in this manner, "for he hath appointed a day in which

he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained;" and again it is faid, " for we all must appear before the judg ment feat of Chrift, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether they be good or whether they be evil."

That we are all to be judged according to our works, is a plain and obvious firft principle of religion; the fcriptures, nevertheless, again and again, repeat this truth in our ears: they do so, in order, no doubt, to ground us in it thoroughly, and to prevent our fo mifunder ftanding any of the Chriftian doctrines, as to think they justify us in departing from this fundamental truth. Thus, for inftance, it is faid again, "To them, who by patient continuance in well-doing feek for glory, honor, and immortality, he fhall render eternal life; but unto them that are contentious (that is, as I fuppofe, contentious against God) and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteoufnefs, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish on every foul of man that doeth evil, to the Jew firft, and alfo to the Gentile."" And I faw the dead," fays St. John, "fmall and great ftand before God, and the books were opened, and the fea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hell (that is the place of departed fpirits) gave up the dead that were in them, and they were judged, every man according to his works."

When our Saviour speaks of false pretenders

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