which of the saints wilt thou turn? No doubt they will entertain dispositions highly benevolent, and will be ready to give any assistance, that is not contrary to the orders and purposes of him, whom they supremely love. Before their state of trial had closed, they would have rejoiced exceedingly, if sinners had desired their prayers, instructions, and good offices. But at the great day, the case will be quite different. The saints will then have no authority to speak of pardon and salvation. The opportunity is past; the door is shut. The only way, in which any among the fallen posterity of Adam can obtain pardon and everlasting life, is faith in Jesus Christ, comprehending repentance and hearty submission. Having complied with these conditions, the children of God will appear in the righteousness of Christ, at the great day. But the season of grace, -the season in which pardon can be obtained on these conditions, closes at death. After that, salvation is not to be offered on any conditions whatever. If the foolish virgins should say to the wise: Give us of your oil; the latter would reply; Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you. Our acceptance of Christ gives security to ourselves; but can afford no security to any other.

The children of God cannot derange the divine constitution and offer life to those, concerning whom God hath said: Let him that is unjust, be unjust still, and let him that is filthy be filthy still.

To any application, made at that time, they must answer as the king of Israel did to a woman, who at the siege of Samaria, cried out, saying: Help, O King!-If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? Should you be so unhappy, as to appear at the divine bar, in any other garb than the righteousness of Christ, all application to your fellow men, whether saints or sinners, will be altogether ineffectual. It will then be found, that vain is the help of man.

There will be an eternal separation between the righteous and the wicked, even though they were once united in the same town, neighborhood or family. Pious Eli will not be able to VOL. II.

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save his profane sons; nor will devout David rescue the proffigate Absalom.

3. What then will you do, when God visiteth? If you cannot turn to any of the human race, with a prospect of relief, will you resort to the holy angels? These beings are, indeed, more powerful than human creatures, and can, in many instances, do what the latter cannot. But as the But as the power of God is infinite, their power bears no more proportion to that than human power does. They can no more rescue one condemned sinner from punishment, than the feeblest among our own race. Nor will they be disposed to do it. The angels do, at present, indeed, take great interest in the concerns of men. They are ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to the heirs of salvation. They were, in former ages, desirous to look into the mystery of redemption, and there is joy among them, over every sinner that repenteth. But it is not to be conceived, that they would rejoice, that a sinner should be saved without repentance, if the thing were in itself possible; nor would they intercede with God, that the offers of grace might be made to a sinner, at the day of judgment, knowing, as they must, that his day of grace is then over. How absurd is the thought, that the angels, who delight to do God's will, and are always convinced of the wisdom and holiness of all the divine proceedings, should attempt the rescue of those, whom God condemns! But, besides, you well know, there are but two apartments in the invisble world; one for the righteous and one for the wicked. Were it possible, then, that the angels should rescue you from hell, how would you be disposed of? Could they introduce you into heaven? Would such an interposition be desirable to you? Would you then desire the very things which now you do not desire? Would you desire the company of angels, and such beings as angels are? Would you desire to be eternally united to such beings as are forever engaged in the sublime duties of holiness, though you now, at the known hazard of the soul, reject all exhortations to holiness? Could the angels bring you to heaven, not only against the will of God, but also against your own, and make you happy in the enjoyment of that for

which you have no relish? Most assuredly all application to them will be vain, in the day when God visiteth. These holy beings will accompany the Son of Man, when he shall appear in flaming fire to take vengeance; and they will as truly approve of the divine proceedings in the condemnation of those who reject the Gospel, as they rejoice in the wisdom of the scheme of mercy, which the Gospel unfolds.

4. Perhaps you design to resort to Christ, at the last day;— you mean to make some passionate appeal to his mercy; you mean then to acknowledge, that there can be no salvation but through him, and that you are forever undone, if he refuse you. As he is a compassionate Saviour, you suppose he will show his compassion to all applicants, even to such, who resort to him for the first time, at the day of judgment. Christ is, indeed, compassionate; the whole Gospel shows him to be such; and many souls ready to perish, have felt his compassion. Humbly resort to him, at present, acknowledging the insufficiency of every other help, and placing yourself wholly at his mercy, there will be hope of finding acceptance. Now is an accepted time; now is a day of salvation. But where is the least evidence, that the compassion of Christ will be exercised to those who reject the offers of salvation, till death? Where do you find mention of any, who at the day of judgment, shall repent and be received into the covenant of grace? Indeed our Saviour himself has shown us, that some sinners shall apply to him at that time, but shall be repulsed. Many shall say: Lord, Lord, open to us; have we not eaten and drunken in thy presence; and in thy name cast out devils; and in thy name done many wonderful works; and he will say, I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Here, you see, is an application made to Christ, and rejected by him. All applications made to him, at the last day, will be as ill received. Those, who have not known Christ, before death, will not be known of him at the day of judgment. Christ will, at that day, assume an aspect very different from that which he now wears. He now reasons with sinners, and gives them the most liberal

and gracious invitations. He now exclaims, as he once did, on the last day of the feast of tabernacles: If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. But this will not be his language to those who shall hereafter be found impenitent. Exhortations and offers will be wholly at an end. Christ will then appear to judge those by law, who have rejected mercy: Then shall they call upon him, but he will not answer; they shall seek him earnestly, but shall not find him; for they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord; they would none of his counsel, but despised all his reproof; therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own ways, and be filled with their own devices. He shall say: As for these mine enemies, who would not that I should reign over them, bring them hither and slay them before me.

What expedient will still remain to the sinner? Is there any other being from whom he can seek relief? Doubtless there is, even God the Father: but what prospect of success can there be, in this application? God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten and dearly beloved Son, that whosoever believeth on him, might not perish; but he did not send his Son to save those who should reject him. When the owner of the vineyard sent his son to the husbandmen to receive the fruits, he said: They will reverence my son, when they see him. But, when the son was refused and ill treated, the father was highly and justly incensed. So will the God and Father of our Lord Jesus be indignant towards all who slight the offers of grace, which his Son has made. Can it be conceived, that the great Jehovah should devise such measures for the salvation of apostate creatures,-that he should commission the blessed Messiah. for this purpose, and yet save such as reject the Messiah? Should recourse be had to the Father at the day of judgment, will he not remind the sinner, of seasons, means and privileges, that are past? Will he not say, "You once had life given you for the very purpose of forming a friendship with your Maker? You knew, that the day of final decision was approaching. Though your sins were many, you had the tender of salvation.

A full atonement was made by him, who offered up his life for sinners. My word was in your hands, plainly setting forth the dreadful consequences of final impenitence, and urging you, in the most persuasive and gracious manner, to turn and live. My Spirit was sent to persuade you to make the same wise and happy choice. The language of both was: Turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die? I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth. Return unto your strong holds, ye prisoners of hope. The Spirit and the bride say, Come, and let him that heareth say, Come, and let him who is athirst come, and take the waters of life freely. Awakening providences, such as imminent dangers and wonderful deliverances, were sent with the same gracious design. But all these, will God say to the impenitent, were in vain; your neck was an iron sinew, and your brow brass. You habitually resisted the Spirit of God; you would not have the Messiah to reign over you. You still persevered in sin, and never came to a hearty compliance with the conditions of the Gospel. And now the time of decision is come; your doom is irreversible. You must forever exist without comfort or hope, and feel that misery from which you refused to escape. You must depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

Thus have we endeavored to show, that the sinner will be able to make no answer, when God riseth; that he will be able to do nothing, when God riseth up.

Perhaps, my hearers, you view this subject as too gloomy to be treated of. It is gloomy indeed. But if the thought of such a condition be distressing, should it not be our concern to avoid the condition itself? And that we may feel a due concern to avoid it, should we not consider what it is? Which of the circumstances which we have mentioned, ought to be suppressed? What improbability is there in the suppositions we have made? Is it impossible that you will ever appear before God in judgment? Does the state of religion among us forbid the belief, that many, very many are in an unpardoned state, without any well grounded hope, and without God's fa