follow his example : " not setting your affections on any thing here below," but " having your conversation altogether in heaven, from whence you look for the Lord Jesus Christ" " to come and take you to himself," that you may " be with him, and like him" for ever".]
n 1 John iii. 2.
THE IMPROVEMENT TO BE MADE OF THE DOCTRINE OF A FUTURE JUDGMENT.
2 Cor. V. 10, 11. fVe must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.
TIME is generally thought to be of little use, except as it may be employed in amusements or in the prosecution of worldly business ; but its value, as it stands connected W\i\\ eternity, exceeds all cal- culation. The manner in which every hour is spent is recorded in heaven ; every moment, as it were, increases our eternal happiness or misery. This consideration made the Apostle solicitous to redeem time himself, and to improve it for the good of others : " We knowing therefore," &c.
I. The Apostle's account of the day of judgment — " Christ" is the person who shall judge the world —
[He who stood at Pilate's bar is exalted for this purpose ^ Our Lord himself plainly and repeatedly affirmed it^.]
He will erect his " tribunal" in a solemn and public manner —
[Daniel spake of this in very exalted terms *=. Our Lord also has declared it''.]
Before this " we must all appear" —
[All who have ever existed from the beginning to the end of the world shall stand at his bar ^. None shall be able to elude or to withstand the summons^.]
a Acts xvii. 31. ^ John v. 22, 27. " Dan. vii. 9, 10.
<i Matt. XXV. 31. e Rev. xx. 12, 13. ^ John v. 28. VOL. XVI. L L