66 has delivered, the curse of a broken covenant, the terrors of an accusing conscience, the afflictions of the present world, the horrors of the second death, the blackness of darkness for ever?" Shall I mention those great and everlasting privileges to which be restores, "the assurance of our Father's love, joy in the Holy Ghost," support amidst the numerous evils of life, victory over death, the joys and glories of his heavenly kingdom? Waving these considerations, however interesting, I would direct your attention to the solemnities of death and of judgment. Suppose that we were this moment placed on the verge of eternity, that our eyes were now closing on all terrestrial scenes and our immortal spirits just winging their flight to a world unknown, whose condition would then be most joyous, whose reflections the most reviving? Their's who could look back on a life wasted in carnal ease and enjoyment, or their's who had actively occupied their hours for God and their generation; their's who could recollect evenings spent in unprofitable visits, in splendid circles, in the wanton dance, or their's who could reflect on evenings employed in teaching their families at home, in spiritual conference and prayer with their brethren in Christ Jesus, or in going around relieving the temporal and spiritual wants of his disconsolate members. In short, theirs who had wantonly "sown to the flesh and of the flesh must now reap corruption;" or theirs who had been diligently "sowing to the spirit and of the spirit shall reap life everlasting?" Surely their situation does not admit even of a comparison. The former begin to feel the remorse of a guilty conscience as a presage of "that worm which never dies," and hell from beneath pours around them its gloomy horrors; the latter experience a "joy unspeakable," and the .66 day star" of glory sheds around them its cheering light. Suppose that you were this moment summoned to the tribunal of the Son of Man, that your ears already heard the dread alarm, arise, ye dead, and come to judgment, and that your eyes beheld "the great white throne" erected, the Judge descending" and the books opened," whose condition would then be most blessed, and whose prospects the most glorious? Their's who had eagerly heaped up wealth for their children when the gospel of Jesus was not propagated, and his needy members not supplied, the naked not clothed, the hungry not fed, and the disconsolate not comforted; their's "who had slept on beds of ivory, that eat the lambs out of the flock and the calves out of the stall, that chanted to the sound of the viol," and gave every anxiety to the winds; or their's who had been "rich in good works, ready to distribute" for the encouragement of each pious and liberal plan; who employed their vacant hours not in wanton amusement, but going about doing good; who occupied their wealth not in splendor of dress, not in "faring sumptuously," not in the support of each fashionable indulgence, but in spreading the knowledge of salvation, who, in imitation of the eastern Patriarch, were "eyes to the blind and feet to the lame; who delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless also and him that had none to help him?" In short, whose condition will be the most blessed and whose prospects the most transporting on that alldreadful, decisive day? Their's whom the Judge will hail with that reviving acclamation, "come, ye blessed of my Father, and inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered and ye gave me meat," &c. or their's to whom he will denounce with a tone more terrible than thunder, " depart from me, ye cursed, for I was an hungered and ye gave me no meat," &c. Methinks I hear each individual anxiously exclaim, "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my latter end, like his, be peace." وو O Lord, render each of us faithful to the death, that "we may at last receive a crown of life;" enable us all whether male or female so to occupy our time and talents that when our Master appears we may receive him with exceeding joy. AMEN. MINISTERIAL LABOR AND SUPPORT: A SERMON, PREACHED AT MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT, FEBRUARY 21, 1810, AT THE ORDINATION OF HENRY DAVIS, D. D. AND HIS INDUCTION AS PRESIDENT OF Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, over the which the Holg Ghost hath made you overseers......ACTS, XX. 28. And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a crewn of glory that fadeth not away......I. PETER, V. 4, |