courses, written and delivered with a particular view to your benefit.

May the folemnity of that day, when the ordained Judge of quick and dead fhall appear, be present to all our minds every day. In the affured expectation of it, may we always keep a confcience void of offence, both towards God and men; neither doing those things which ought not to be done, nor leaving undone those which ought to be done. "If our heart "condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and "knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn "us not, then have we confidence toward God." Receive and abide in him whom God hath fent: "that, "when he shall appear, ye may have confidence, and "not be afhamed before him at his coming."

SERMON XXV.

THE STATE OF SUCH AS DIE IN THEIR SINS.

JOHN, viii. 24.

I SAID THEREFORE UNTO YOU, THAT YE SHALL DIE IN YOUR SINS: FOR IF YE BELIEVE NOT THAT I AM HE, YE SHALL DIE IN YOUR SINS.

381

THUS

HUS our Lord addressed the infidel Jews, and particularly the Pharifees, his most implacable enemies. But the words are applicable to all who finally reject the evidences of his divine miffion. The declaration that unbelievers fhall die in their fins turns our attention, FIRST, to the final state of fuch as die impenitent under the light of the gospel.

SECONDLY, To the only way of escaping their fearful doom.

FIRST, Of the state of fuch as die impenitent under the gospel.

To fuppofe that fin is a less evil than the facred oracles have declared it to be-to cherish fentiments of divine benevolence inconfiftent with what the general tenour of these oracles holds forth on the future punifhment of fin, is to err in a matter of the last importance. He only, against whom fin is committed, can teach us how great an evil it is to violate his laws, and despise his grace; and what punishment fuch violation and contempt call for. Every citizen is not a competent judge what punishment might be proper for crimes against the state. Much lefs are we competent judges what penalties the only wife God may annex to the breach of his holy laws, the rejection of his of

d

fered grace. He hath not denounced an heavier punishment than he can confiftently inflict. We must be guided by the plain light of revelation, would we have juft fentiments on the nature and confequences of fin. We fhall but fport ourselves with our own deceivings, if we wreft the fcriptures to vindicate opinions contrary to their general and obvious import.

"The wrath of God abideth on him who believeth "not the Son. He that believeth not shall be damned." They who die in their fins, and they who die in the Lord, pafs at death into ftates as oppofite as their characters. In our Lord's prayer for the faithful, are thefe expreffions: "Father, I will that they whom "thou haft given me, be with me where I am, to be" hold my glory." Of those who die in their fins he faith, v. 21. con. "Whither I go ye cannot come." Dying in fin is therefore to be excluded from his prefence. At the great day, they will come forth from their graves "to the refurrection of damnation-to "fhame and everlasting contempt." He will fay to them, "Depart from me: I know you not. He that "is filthy, let him be filthy ftill." The impenitent "treasure up to themselves wrath against the day of "wrath."

The day of grace is limited to the present life, otherwife death would not be called the night wherein no man can work. Nor would it be faid, that men will be judged according to deeds done in the body-that the door will then be but and barred againft impenitents. Nor would it be faid, Now is the accepted time, now is the day of falvation-now appropriately, to the exclufion of an after space of repentance. Some refift the offers of mercy fo long, and with circumftances of fuch high aggravation, that they are represented as abandoned of God: His Spirit no longer ftriveth with them: They live but to fill up the measure of their iniquity.

Where do the fcriptures warrant a belief that there will be a space of repentance between death and the judgment? Or where do they inform us that after the judgment, when the wicked fhall be doomed to affociate with infernal fpirits, they may be recovered to holiness and happiness? The kingdom of the Mediator will then be delivered up to God even the Father. If there is redemption out of hell, it cannot therefore be through the only Mediator between God and men. If there is redemption out of hell, those may be faved who reject the only way of falvation revealed in the gofpel-the only name whereby we must be faved. The great falvation, purchased and offered by him, may be neglected, and yet the neglecters of it escape.

"Righteoufnefs hath no fellowship with unright"eoufnefs. Without holinefs no man fhall fee the "Lord." This being admitted, finners muft repent and reform, or cannot be qualified for heaven. Certainly then it is a mad part to live and die in their fins, under any prefumption that they may confefs and forfake them after death-that they may be reclaimed in hell. For fuppofe this may be, who will ftand up to vindicate the conduct of those, who would go to hell to be reformed? If dying in fin means only a temporary punishment in hell, what man in his fenfes would run the hazard of this? It is the unquestionable defign of the gospel to bring finners to faith and repentance in the present probationary ftate. It muft weaken the argument to repentance in the prefent time, if revelation warrants the belief of another space. “The "holy Ghost faith, To day, if ye will hear his voice, "harden not your hearts." If the fcriptures reveal any other day of grace than the prefent, they must contradict and defeat their own end. If they reveal no other, the state of those who die in their fins muft. be remedilefs. Heaven must be irrecoverably loft to them, and interceflion for mercy unavailing. An impaffable gulf is fixed between the place of torments