and punishments most righteously distributed. Then the happiness of the wicked will come to an end, and his complete misery commence; but the good man will receive his good things.

But the Holy Bible, that blessed book of God, by which the deist is often plagued, fearing lest, after all his attempts to invalidate its truth, it should be found divine; I say, that glorious volume in many places assures us, that God "hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man (Christ Jesus) whom he hath ordained." Both the Old and New Testament declare this. In the text you are solemnly called upon to consider, that for all your conduct here, God will bring you into judg ment; a plain and moving account of which solemn scene you have Mat. xxv. "When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me inė naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on his left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels;

for I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat i I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink, &c. And. these shall go away into everlasting punishment : but the righteous into life eternal." Solemn description this is indeed, of the last great day! He who admits the truth of revelation will tremble while he reads it. "It shall come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burnt up." And "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the arch-angel, and the trump of God:" then "all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."

Thus the scriptures not only assure us that there will be a day of final retribution, but acquaint us with many of its circumstances. That it will come, is certain; but when, no man knoweth, no, not the angels which are in heaven. It may be in a few days, or hours; for it shall come like a thief in the night, i. e. suddenly and unexpectedly. Then Jesus Christ, to whom God the Father hath committed all judgment, will appear enthroned, clothed with glory and honour, surrounded with the whole hierarchy of heaven, and all the world of mankind standing before him to receive their decisive sentence. This vast congregation will then be divided into two classes; the sheep and the goats, or the righteous and the wicked. The former will lift up their heads with joy, having washed their robes and made

them white in the blood of the Lamb, or in consequence of their being clothed upon with the spotless, complete and everlasting righteousness of Christ. The latter, amongst whom are the self-righteous and the profane, shall stand condemned, with horror in their appearance, and the keenest anguish in their hearts; wishing that they had never been born, and calling for rocks to fall on them, and for mountains to cover them from the wrath of him who sitteth on the throne. Then, ye sons of vice, the debauchee, the voluptuary, the blasphemer of the Lord of hosts, the infidel, the disobedient to parents, the night-ramblers, the spendthrifts, with all those who have the form of godliness, but deny the power there. of, will find it a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Then will they find no place for repentance, but remain forever under the wrath of an offended Deity, and the gnawings of a guilty conscience, the worm that dieth not, and the fire that never can be quenched! Who may abide the day of his coming? who shall stand when he appeareth? or whither shall any flee from his presence? for his eyes are like a flame of fire!

Before I dismiss you, give me leave to take notice of some of those reflections which the subject naturally suggests.

1. The youth of both sexes are reminded in the preceding discourse of the vices they are prone to fall into; against which they are cautioned in most solemn language. How far you who are present have been described, or what part of the subject more immediately belongs to

any of you, God and your own consciences know. Far be it from me to charge you indiscriminately with the sins that have been mentioned. I mean only to accuse the guilty, or to commend myself to every man's conscience in the sight of God. If the vices which have been exploded this evening are not applicable to any of you, you will not think that you were pointed at. But should any of you be guilty, the language of conscience will be like that of Nathan to David, "Thou art the man." And happy Boston, if not one prodigal, one voluptuary, one young man or young woman who are breaking a parent's heart, could be found amidst this numerous concourse of blooming youth. But there is reason to fear that there are many such present. Who you are, God knows, your own souls know, and when you shall be arraigned at the judgment-seat of Christ, the world shall know. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, &c.-but know thou that for all thine iniquities God will bring thee into judgment, Solemn consideration! May it have its due weight. When the devil, your corrupt hearts, and your vicious companions tempt you to sin, let that awful sentence be at hand-God will bring you into judgment. And if this event should take place tonight, to-morrow, how will you appear? What plea will you be able to make in your own vindication? Are you not dead in trespasses and sins; enemies to God in your minds by wicked works? Have you not hardened your necks, and many times despised reproof? Are you not in a state of unbelief, without God, and without Christ in the world? If so, it had been better for you that you had died in embryo, than in this condition

to appear before "God the Judge of all :" the consequence of which will be everlasting misery.

2. To a number of you, these considerations have been so far influential, as to alarm your consciences, and lead you to ask, "What shall we do to be saved?" This inquiry is of the last importance, seeing you have ruined and destroyed yourselves. You came into the world sinners, and have grown up under the influence of a heart of enmity against God; and had you broken the divine law but once, for that one transgression Jehovah might have condemned you most righteously. "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." What an awful condemnation then, must every sinner be exposed to, whose iniquities have risen to the clouds! If you are convinced of this by the Spirit of God, no wonder that you are made to cry out in bitterness of soul, "A wounded spirit who can bear?" But bear it you must, both here and hereafter, if you are not relieved by the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus. "Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." His righteousness is complete, his blood infinitely efficacious: he justifies from all things, from which you could never be justified by the law of Moses. This is the grand truth of the word of God, which being really believed, gives peace to sin-burdened souls. They may try many things to heal the wounds of conscience, but all will fail, till they are brought to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood cleanseth from all sin. Search the scriptures, ye heavy laden sinners, the best book in the world for persons in your condition; and pray God, if perhaps the