acceptance before God ? And have you consecrated yourselves to God as his redeemed people, that, " having been bought with a price, you may glorify him with your body and in your spirit which are his ?" And do those who are around you, behold in you such a resemblance to Christ, as constrains them to acknowledge you as his peculiar people, who have been brought by him out of darkness into marvellous light, and are shewing forth his virtues in the whole of your life and conversation k ? If you are really Christ's, you are " living epistles of Christ, known and read of all men1?" Now inquire whether it be so with you ? for on this depends all the consolation which is here afforded us. I appeal to you, whether you can reasonably hope to be with Christ hereafter, if you do not serve him here ; or, that God will honour you as his redeemed people in heaven, if you do not honour him in this world as his faithful ser- vants ? He has told you expressly, " Them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed111." Yes indeed, if the obe- dient shall come forth to everlasting life, the dis- obedient " will awake only to shame and everlasting contempt"." Of this there can be no doubt. I will appeal even to the most confident amongst you, Do you yourselves believe, that God will put no " differ- ence between those who serve him and those who serve him not0 ?" You cannot but know that he will act as a righteous Judge, though you are unwilling to regard this truth in reference to yourselves with all the solemnity that it deserves. Behold then, ye servants of the world, ye stand altogether self-con- demned. Ye know, and must know, that God will recompense men according to their works ; and that " they only who seek for glory and honour, and im- mortality, can ever have eternal life." Suffer me then to ask, If in the eternal world ye be not with Christ in heaven, where, and with whom will ye be ? Oh ! this is an awful question. I pray you
k 1 Pet. ii. 9. the Greek. ' 2 Cor. iii. 2, S. «" 1 Sam. ii. ,'«). n Dan. xii. 2. ° Mai. iii. 18.