Now let us suppose that the day is already come: The trumpet sounds: The dead arise: The rocks and mountains are all fled away : The world on fire, and the heaven in flames: Christ the judge appears, with his holy angels, in flaming fire, and the dead, small and great, are brought before his bar, to receive their last

sentence.

"That awful day will surely come,

The appointed hour makes haste,
When you must stand before the Judge,
And pass the solemn test."

Perhaps there may be two of your school-fellows standing close by you; and for the sake of distinction, I shall call James and Charles: Well Charles, says James, what do you think of Christ now? Think of him, says Charles, I cannot bear to think of him; once he would have been my Saviour, but I did not love him or obey any of his commands, and now I behold him as my Judge: O James, let me get behind you, till I can hide myself among the crowd yonder. Ah, Charles, the Judge will see you wherever you are. James, James, what shall I do? Where shall I go ? Where can I hide? Charles, it is in vain for you to think of hiding yourself: You cannot escape. But James, why are you not afraid? Because I love Christ, I trusted in him when I was on earth; he is my Saviour; I shall now be with him in eternal glory. Why do you tremble so Charles?

Because I have no confidence; I am ashamed to see my Judge, and endless misery will be my portion.

"How will you bear that dreadful day,

And stand the firey test!

Give all your sinful joys away,

And be forever blest."

There are two little girls talking with each other, let us hear what they say. Maria, Maria, why do you hang down your head, what are you ashamed of? O Sarah, I shall soon be called before the Judge, to give an account of my bad conduct, while I was on earth; I have been very careless and wicked. Ah Maria, I often told you what would be the consequence of your breaking the Sabbath and disobeying your parents; but you would not hearken to me, but was angry with me, because I told you of your faults and gave you good advice; you only laughed at what I said about religion. O Sarah, I wish I had taken your advice and followed your good example; I wish I had read my Bible and prayed to God, and then I should now have been as happy as you. But now what shall I do? Maria, it is now too late to seek a Saviour, to ask for pardon, or to hope to find a friend in that Judge whom you have despised. O Sarah, I am without a Friend, without a Saviour! without a Heaven! and without a crown! I wish I could go with you to the right hand of the Judge. I wish you could Maria,

but that is now impossible! we shall soon be separated by those angels forever. Look! Sarah, only look! the pit begins to open! the everlasting fire begins to blaze! and that black smoke will ascend up forever and ever! there my worm will never die! there the fire will never be quenched! there my misery will never have an end! good bye, Sarah, farewell! I shall never see you any more! O my dear, dear children, how many of you will there be at the last day, who will be the companions of Charles and Maria, and be found at last among those who are at the left hand of the Judge. Many of you, my dear children, I fear, will be as much ashamed and afraid as Charles and Maria: Some will be ashamed, because they have told so many stories; some will be ashamed because they have behaved so unkind to their parents and brothers and sisters; others will be ashamed of their disobedience to their parents and teachers; some will tremble and hang down their heads with shame, because they have been guilty of cursing and swearing, and have often taken the name of God in vain; others will be ashamed to see Christ, because they did not love him, and despised him who offered to save their souls. Ah, my dear children, there are many more wicked things which you have done, that you will be ashamed of at that day, when Christ shall come to judge the world in righteousness.

"And must the crimes which you have done,
Be read and publish'd there!
Be all exposed before the sun,

While men and angels hear!"

But the text begins with these two words, "And now." The meaning of these words is, that you must begin to love Christ and obey his commands now; that you ought to "remember your Creator in the days of your youth." Let it he said, that from the day you heard or read this lecture, you began to seek the Lord; to pray for pardon, and to ask for grace. Well, I think I shall begin to-morrow. To-morrow did you say! To-morrow is not yours, be wise, consider your latter end: You may die to night: To-day if you will hear the voice of God, harden not your little hearts, lest he swear in his wrath that you shall never enter into his rest.'

"Then why should you so long delay,

What others learnt so soon?

O do not pass another day,

Without this work begun."

You cannot tell what a day or an hour may bring forth; there may be but a step between you and death.

""Tis dang'rous to provoke a God,

Whose power and vengeance none can tell; One stroke of his almighty rod,

Can send young sinners quick to hell."

"And now little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear you may have confidence and not be ashamed of his coming."

"Young as I am, with pilgrim feet,
Father, I travel to thy seat;

And, leaning on my Saviour's hand,
Prepare to leave this barren land.

"My cradle was beset with fears,
My infant eyes o'erflow'd with tears;
Ere I could good or evil know,
My little heart was fill'd with woe.

"Diseases threaten'd to destroy,
All the young buds of rising joy :
And thus in early life began,

The cares and sorrows of the man.

"Oft sickness shades a mother's eyes,
And many a friend around me dies;
And oft I feel oppress'd with care,
A stranger as my fathers were.

"While o'er this desert world I roam,
Teach me to seek a better home,
Unstain'd by woe, unchanged by years
Unlike this gloomy vale of tears."