God has given afsurance to all men; that is, to all that hear the gofpel, that he has appointed a day for this great purpofe, and that Jefus Chrift, God-man, is to prefide in perfon in this majestic folemnity. He has given affurance of this; that is, fufficient ground of faith; and the affurance confifts in this, that he hath raised him from the dead. The refurrection of Chrift gives affurance of this in feveral refpects. It is a fpecimen and a pledge of a general refurrection, that grand preparative for the judgment it is an inconteftible proof of his divine miflion; for God would never work fo unprecedented a miracle in favour of an impoftor: it is also an authentic atteftation of all our Lord's claims; and he exprefsly claimed the authority of fupreme Judge as delegated to him by the Father: the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son. John v. 22. There is a peculiar fitnefs and propriety in this conftitution. It is fit that a world placed under the administration of a Mediator fhould have a mediatorial Judge. It is fit this high office fhould be conferred upon him as an honorary reward for his important fervices and extreme abafement. Because he humbled himself, therefore God hath highly exalted him. Phil. ii. 8, 9. It is fit that creatures clothed with bodies fhould be judged by a man clothed in a body like themselves. Hence it is faid that all judgment is given to the Son, because he is the Son of man. John v. 27. This would feem a ftrange reason, did we not underftand it in this light. Indeed, was Jefus Christ man only, he would be infinitely unequal to the office of univerfal Judge; but he is God and Man, Immanuel, God with us; and is the fitteft perfon in the universe for the work. It is alfo fit that Chrift fhould be the fupreme Judge, as it will be a great encouragement to his people for their Mediator to execute this office; and it may be added, that hereby the condemnation of the wicked will be rendered more confpicuoufly juft; juft; for, if a Mediator, a Saviour, the Friend of Sinners, condemns them, they must be worthy of condemnation indeed. Let us now enter upon the majestic fcene. But, alas! what images fhall I ufe to reprefent it? Nothing that we have seen, nothing that we have heard, nothing that has ever happened on the ftage of time can furnish us with proper illuftrations. All is low and grovelling, all is faint and obfcure that ever the fun fhone upon, when compared with the grand phenomena of that day; and we are fo accustomed to low and little objects, that it is impoffible we should ever raise our thoughts to a fuitable pitch of elevation. Ere long we shall be amazed spectators of these majestic wonders, and our eyes and our ears will be our inftructors. But now it is neceffary we should have fuch ideas of them as may affect our hearts, and prepare us for them. Let us therefore prefent to our view those representations which divine revelation, our only guide in this cafe, gives us of the perfon of the Judge, and the manner of his appearance; of the refurrection of the dead, and the transformation of the living; of the univerfal convention of all the fons of men before the fupreme tribunal; of their feparation to the right and left hand of the Judge, according to their characters; of the judicial process itself; of the decisive sentence; of its execution, and of the conflagration of the world. As to the perfon of the Judge, the pfalmift tells you, God is fudge himself. Pfalm I. 6. Yet Chrift tells us, the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son; and that he hath given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man. John v. 22, 27. It is therefore Chrift Jefus, Godman, as I observed, who fhall sustain this high character; and for the reafons already alledged, it is moft fit it fhould be devolved upon him. Being God and man, all the advantages of divinity and humanity center in him, and render him more fit for this office than than if he were God only, or man only. This is the auguft Judge before whom we muft ftand; and the profpect may inspire us with reverence, joy and terror. As for the manner of his appearance, it will be fuck as becomes the dignity of his perfon and office. He will shine in all the uncreated glories of the Godhead, and in all the gentler glories of a perfect man. His attendants will add a dignity to the grand appearance, and the fympathy of nature will increafe the folemnity and terror of the day. Let his own word defcribe him. The Son of man fhall come in his glory, and in the glory of his Father, and all the holy angels with him; and then fhall he fit upon the throne of his glory. Matt. xxv. 31. xvi. 27. The Lord Jefus fhall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that aber not the gofpel of our Lord Jefus Chrift. 2 Theff. i. 7, 8. And not only with the angels, thofe illuftrious minifters of the court of Heaven, attend upon that folemn occafion, but also all the faints who had left the world from Adam to that day; for those that fleep in Jefus, fays St. Paul, will God bring with him. 1 Theff. iv. 14. The grand imagery in Daniel's vifion is applicable to this day; and perhaps to this it primarily refers: I bebeld till the thrones were caft down, or rather fet up, and the Ancient of Days did fit, whofe garment was white as fnow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool. His throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery fream iffued, and came forth from before bim: thoufand thousands miniftered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. Dan. vii. 9, 10. Perhaps our Lord may exhibit himself to the whole world upon this moft grand occafion, in the fame glorious form in which he was feen by his favourite * * This fenfe is moft agreeable to the connection, and the ori ginal word will bear it; which fignifies to pitch down, or place, as well as to throw down, or demolish. And the LXX translate it, the thrones were put up, or fixed. vourite John, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the breafts with a golden girdle: his head and his hairs white like wool, as white as fnow: his eyes as a flame of fire: his feet like unto fine brafs, as if they burned in a furnace: his voice as the found of many waters, and his countenance as the fun fhining in his ftrength. Rev. i. 13, &c. Another image of inimitable majefty and terror the fame writer gives us, when he fays, I faw a great white throne, and him that fat on it, from whofe face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. Aftonifhing! what an image is this! the ftable earth and heaven cannot bear the majefty and terror of his look: they fly away affrighted, and feek a place to hide themselves, but no place is found to fhelter them; every region through the immenfity of space lies open before him.* Rev. XX. II. This is the Judge before whom we must stand; and this is the manner of his appearance. But is this the babe of Bethlehem that lay and wept in the manger? Is this the fuppofed fon of the carpenter, the defpised Galilean? Is this the man of forrows? Is this he that was arrefted, was condemned, was buffetted, *This is the picture drawn by the pencil of infpiration. We may now contemplate the imagery of a fine human pen. -From his great abode Full on a whirlwind rides the dreadful God: And Heaven's foundations groan beneath the weight. The Day of Judgment, a Poem, fetted, was fpit upon, was crowned with thorns, was executed as a flave and a criminal upon the cross? Yes, it is he; the very fame Jefus of Nazareth. But O how changed! how defervedly exalted! Let heaven and earth congratulate his advancement. Now let his enemies appear, and fhew their usual contempt and malignity. Now, Pilate, condemn the King of the Jews as an ufurper. Now ye Jews, raise the clamour, crucify him, crucify him. "Now bow the knee in fcorn, present the reed; "Now tell the fcourg'd Impoftor he must bleed.” YOUNG. Now, ye Deifts and Infidels, difpute his divinity and the truth of his religion if you can. Now, ye hypocritical chriftians, try to impofe upon him with your idle pretences. Now defpife his grace, laugh at his threatenings, and make light of his difpleasure if you are able. Ah! now their courage fails, and terror furround them like armed men. Now they hide themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains ; and fay to the mountains and rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that fitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the lamb that once bled as a facrifice for fin now appears in all the terrors of a lion; and the great day of his wrath is come, and who Shall be able to stand? Rev. vi. 15. O! could they hide themselves in the bottom of the ocean, or in fome rock that bears the weight of the mountains, how happy would they think themselves. But, alas ! "Seas caft the monfters forth to meet their doom, "And rocks but prison up for wrath to come." YOUNG. While the Judge is defcending, the parties to be judged will be fummoned to appear. But where are they? They are all asleep in their dufty beds, except the then generation. And how fhall they be roufed from their long fleep of thousands of years? Why, the Lord himself fhall defcend from heaven with a fhout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. 1. Theff. iv. 16. The trumpet shall sound, and they that |