2. Hereafter —
[Who can conceive a soul, at its first entrance into the invisible world, beholding all at once the face of an angry and avenging God? How does it start back from him, and cry to rocks and mountains to hide it from his presence ! Who can conceive that soul hearing from its Judge those terrific words, " Depart, accursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels?" Who can conceive hell opening for its reception, and the man cast, body and soul, " into the lake of fire and brimstone," " where the worm of an accusing con- science never dieth, and the fire is never quenched?" Who can conceive the soul's retrospect of the mercies it has despised, and the opportunities it has for ever lost ? and, above all, who can conceive its prospects of eternity, as the duration of all the misery to which it is consigned? Say, Beloved, whether then the plagues will not be wonderful ? Now they may be laughed at and despised : but when this cup of God's indignation shall be put into the sinner's hands, and he is left to drink it to the
1 Mark xiii. 19. m ver. 46.
very dregs, there will be an end of all his laughter, and to all eternity will he be occupied in " weeping and wailing and gnashing his teeth."]
Behold, then —
[" I now set life and death before you." Say, which of the two ye will choose. If ye doubt the fulfilment of God's threatenings, read the sad catalogue of woes that were de- nounced against the Jews, and tell me if so much as one of them has failed of its accomplishment. Indeed, my Brethren, every Jew you see is a witness for God, that His word shall
be fulfilled in all its fearful extent But, on the other
hand, let me say, that the converse of our text is also true. Yes, if you fear and obey the Lord, your blessings also shall be wonderful. Even in this world " the peace of God's obedient people passeth all understanding," and their joy is often unspeakable and glorified. And if you could follow a believing soul into the eternal world ; if you could behold it when first it is introduced into the presence of its God and Saviour ; if you could see it, whilst the Judge of quick and dead is pronouncing that laudatory sentence, " Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord ;" if, further, you could behold it in the very bosom of its God, invested with a happiness which can never be interrupted, and a glory that shall never end ; then you would say that its blessedness is truly wonderful. Why, then, brethren, should you not seek this bliss ? Why will you cast it all away, and treasure up for yourselves the sad alternative, even the misery that shall endure for evermore ? I pray you, be wise in time ; and consider your latter end, ere it be too late ! And I pray God, that what has been spoken may now be so impressed upon your minds, that that which took place in Jerusalem may never be realized in you : " She remembered not her latter end; therefore she came down wonderfully11."]
n Lam. i. 9.