ye dead, and come to judgment !" Then shall every necessary particle of human dust, whether in the land or in the sea, though incorporated with that of the inferior creatures in both, come forth from all the four winds speedily, with every bone to the destined place of rendezvous, and rear the human frame again immortal: nor shall a bone mistake its bone, but every bone to its own bone shall closely join, and not a bone, nor least particle of dust be misplaced or awanting.

Then shall literally take place what the prophet saw in vision concerning the dry bones, Ezek. xxxvii. 1---8, while the gates of heaven and hell are thrown open, and all the souls come forth, and take up their old tenements again for ever.

Righteous souls and bodies then, like near and dear friends who have long been parted from one another, shall rejoice to meet again : But dreadfully reluctant shall wicked souls and bodies meet, each beyond description irksome to the other; but meet they must, to their eternal horror.

This day they often heard of while in time, but either made light of it, or endeavoured to disbelieve it altogether; but now it is come, come to their everlasting confusion.

Though they used to say, by their practice while in this life, there was no God, and many of them attempted to disbelieve that eternal truth; now they are convinced effectually of their error, and with the devils believe and tremble, James ii. 19, in horrible amazement, knowing there is a God, a just God, too, and a terrible, whom they see, with infinite wrath in his countenance, coming in the clouds of heaven with awful majesty and glory, with ten thousands of his saints, and all the holy angels in his train. Jude 14. Matt. xxv. 31.

Before his infinitely august presence, sun, moon, and stars, as conscious of their impurity in his sight, shall go into a total eclipse, again to shine no more; while the heavens, as it were sensible that their end is come, pass away with a great noise, 2 Peter iii. 10, and are rolled together as a scroll, Isaiah

their fair page,

xxiv. 4. Rev. vi. 14, for which there is no more use; for man shall read no more in the greatness, wisdom, mercy, and kindness of the Lord. The elements shall melt with fervent heat, 2 Pet. iii. 10, and the mountains shall be dissolved like wax; while the earth and works therein flame all in one destructive blaze; all in horrible consternation, shivering with absolute despair; where to fly, or what to do, the wicked are for ever at a loss to know.

To fly from the presence of the Almighty God, their judge, they are anxious inconceivably more than a woman in travail is to be delivered; but that is altogether impossible : to do any thing for their safety, is as much so as the former; for now the long sparing mercy of God is for ever, ever at an end, with respect to them.

He who once offered to be their Saviour, and earnestly entreated them to accept of him and all his benefits, by the everlasting gospel; (but him they would not accept, and made light of all his benefits) now, with

respect to them, his clemency is no more: No, he who shed his blood to save the very chief of sinners, (eternally cutting thought to them!) is now their judge and inexorable enemy.

Now they cry to the rocks and mountains to fall on them, and hide them from the face and wrath of the Lamb, Rev. vi. 16.; but these are all in flame. Contented for ever would they be, if they could but obtain that wish, though dreadful to human nature, to be entirely annihilated; but neither shall this be granted.

If, after ten thousand times ten thousand years, if years could be then numbered, they were to be freed from their torments, they would count it an inestimable privilege, and endeavour to be willing to bear their horrible pains; but neither shall this be the case.

Oh! then, if after as many millions of years as there are piles of sand on the sea shore, bottom of the ocean, and beds of rivers ; blades of grass in the fields, particles of dust

in the earth, herbs and trees in the world, fowls in the air, men, beasts, and reptiles on the earth, fish in the waters, ears of corn in autumn, leaves on the trees in summer, feathers on the fowls, hairs on men and beasts, scales on the fishes, constellations and stars in the heavens, and all these a million times a million so many as they are, they were to be entirely annihilated, they would count it some alleviation of their misery.

Dreadful thought! Awful count! far surpassing the arithmetic of man, and perhaps that of angels!

Yet neither indeed shall this take place; for as their offences have been against the infinite God, who deserveth an infinite satisfaction, and as they can never be able to give that, they must be punished through all eternity. All dread, all horror, and all despair, they are forced to wait their final doom, with all their crimes full in their face, written in the page of their memory in legible characters as with a sun-beam, which shall be declared before men and angels.