VI. whom they have pierced by their fins, and DISC. crucified afresh. And that wailing must needs be terrible, when millions of men and women fhall at the fame inftant fearfully cry out, and the noise fhall mingle with the trumpet of the Archangel, and the thunders of the dying and groaning heavens paffing away with a great noise, and the roaring of the flames in which the earth and all the works that are therein fhall then be diffolving. The terror and lamentation throughout the world at that time, with the foreboding pangs and convulfions of departing nature, will be fuch as never were, fince the day that God created man upon the earth. Include in your idea the deftruction of the old world by the flood, the overthrow of the cities of the plain by fire and brimstone, and the defolation of Jerufalem by the Roman armies, with an affemblage of the plagues of Egypt, and the miferies and calamities felt by men in all ages, yet your conceptions will fall as far fhort of the things themselves, as the fhadow does of VI. DISC. the substance. Nothing can exceed our bleffed Lord's defcription of this last scene, but it's actual accomplishment-" There "fhall be figns in the fun, and in the "moon, and in the ftars; and upon the "earth diftrefs of nations, with perplexity, "the fea and the waves roaring; men's "hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after thofe things which are com 66 ing on the earth; for the powers of "heaven shall be shaken. And then shall appear the fign of the son of man in "heaven; and then shall all the tribes of "the earth mourn, and they fhall fee the "son of man coming in the clouds of hea"ven, with power and great glory." At this moft awful and tremendous hour, when the son of man shall display his banner the crofs in the clouds; when the fea and the waters of the great deep fhall roar ; when the destroying angel fhall again go forth at midnight into the land of Egypt, and there shall be a great cry throughout all the land, because of death and judgment; then fhall be brought to pass that which is written VI. written in the Revelation; "I beheld DISC. throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. "For the great day of his wrath is come, " and who fhall be able to stand ?" A view of the terrors of the Lord has by this time, perhaps, made us all ready to join in afking this laft question: “ Who shall be able to stand ?" And we cannot help taking up our parable with Balaam ; "Alas! who fhall live, when "God doth this?" But thanks be to God, an answer will be abundantly miniftered unto us by a confideration of the III And last point propofed, namely, the faith and hope of the church, who wishes M 3 VI. DISC. wishes for Chrift's manifeftation, notwithstanding all the terrors that are to attend it, as appears by the remaining words of my text-"Even fo. Amen." For these are not the words of St. John only, but they carry in them the prayers and fighs of Chriftians, fent up to the throne of grace through him. It is not "the Spirit" alone, fpeaking by him, that fays "Come," but " the bride," or church, alfo fays the fame. "How long, O Lord, "holy and true," is the voice of the departed fpirits, refting from their labours under the altar in heaven, and waiting for the completion of their glory, at the day of their Redeemer's triumph. And that part of the church which is ftill militant, and fojourns in the wildernefs, may be heard earnestly joining in the fame expoftulation, in the lxivth chapter of the prophet Ifaiah: "O that thou wouldest rend "the heavens, that thou wouldeft come down, that the mountains might flow "down at thy prefence; as when the "melting VI. "melting fire burneth, the fire caufeth the DISC. "waters to boil; to make thy name known "to thine adverfaries, that the nations may "tremble at thy prefence! When former ly thou didst terrible things, which we "looked not for, thou cameft down, the "mountains flowed down at thy prefence." Nay, we ourselves, every one of us, daily put up the very fame petition to God, when we pray that "his kingdom may "come;" for his kingdom of glory cannot come, till all these things fhall have been brought to pafs. And again, when, standing at the grave's mouth, we have before our eyes a plain proof, that "man, who is born of a 66 woman, hath but a fhort time to live" in this world; we earnestly befeech the Father of Spirits, "that it would please "him of his gracious goodness fhortly to accomplish the number of his elect, and "to haften his kingdom." Thus the coming of that day, in which "all the kin"dreds of the earth fhall wail," is the conftant fubject of the wishes and prayers of the Sons of God. A found Chriftian faith M 4 |