vants; and avowed unbelievers as "enemies who "would not have the Son of God to reign over "them."

But the solemn description of the great decisive day, given us by the Judge himself, is most conclusive on the subject2. In this important scripture, acts of kindness, shewn to believers for the sake of Christ, are the only deeds mentioned, as the reason for the rejoicing words addressed to the righteous, "Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit "the kingdom prepared for you from the begin"ning of the world." And no charge is brought against the wicked, but their omission of such duties, when the sentence is denounced, "Depart,

ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the "devil and his angels." Yet it will then appear, that the righteous have performed many other good works of divers kinds, and that the wicked have been guilty of numerous other crimes and omissions. Why then did our Lord mention these things exclusively? Doubtless, because he supposed them to constitute the most conclusive evidence of genuine faith, or unbelief. Beneficence, not springing from love to Christ, nor exercised towards his disciples, his brethren or representatives, cannot be here intended, as many have inconsiderately imagined, for who will say, that an indiscriminate liberality: connected with an

↑ Matt. xxv. 30. Luke, xix. 21—27. 2 Matt. xxv. 31-46.

ungodly licentious life, will entitle a man to the heavenly inheritance? Or if any should venture on such an assertion, would they also allow, that the want of this beneficence will expose a man to the awful doom here denounced, however free from vice, or adorned with other virtues, his character may have been? Or will any one maintain, that the liberality of infidels to one another, from whatever motive, answers to our Lord's words, "I "was hungry and ye gave me meat ;----for as much "as ye did it to the least of these my brethren, ye "did it unto me?"-Indeed a measure of the same absurdities attaches to every other interpretation of this passage; except that which goes upon the following principles, gathered from the several parts of the sacred volume. There is no salvation for sinners, except by the mercy of God through Jesus Christ; no interest in this salvation without faith; no true faith, except that which worketh by love; no love to Christ is genuine which is not accompanied by special love to his disciples; and no love to the brethren is unfeigned, which does not influence a man to alleviate their distresses, supply their wants, and do them good, as he hath opportunity and ability. This love is the fruit of the Spirit where the Spirit of Christ dwells, all the fruits of the Spirit will be produced: and “if

any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none "of his." A detail of particulars would not have

suited the majesty of our Lord's description: the

most prominent distinguishing feature of believers and unbelievers was selected; and thus an intimation was given of the rule of judgment, sufficiently clear to the humble student of scripture, though others may mistake or pervert it. In this view of it the whole is obvious, and coincides with other testimonies of the sacred writers. "We know that "we have passed from death unto life, because "we love the brethren'." "Seeing ye have puri"fied your hearts through the Spirit, unto un

feigned love of the brethren; see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently; being "born again-by the word of God." "If a bro"ther or sister be naked, or destitute of daily "food, and one of you say, depart in peace, be

tr

ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give "them not those things which are needful for the

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body, what doth it profit?" "My little chil

dren, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, "but in deed and in truth: and hereby we know, "that we are of the truth, and shall assure our "heart before him." So that love of the brethren, shewn in active kindness, is uniformly required as evidence of our faith in Christ and love to his name.

These reflections elucidate the following scriptures also, and are confirmed by them. "Know,

"O vain man, that faith without works is dead."

The grace of God that bringeth salvation-teach"eth us, that, denying ungodliness and world.

ly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, "and godly in this present world; looking for "that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of "the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ; "who gave himself for us, to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify to himself a peculiar "people, zealous of good works,'”

One most solemn and affecting passage still re-. mains to be considered: "The Lord Jesus shall "be revealed from heaven in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and "that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting "destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and "from the glory of his power; when he shall come "to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in "all them that believe. " We are here expressly informed, that at the day of judgment all will be condemned, who have not known God, and obeyed the gospel; but how many persons of moral character and external respectability will be found in that company! No exceptions, however, are intimated; the saints, even those that believe, will alone stand accepted by the Judge; and all else will be punished with everlasting destruction from his presence,

VOL. I.

Tit. ii, 11-14. 2 Thess. i. 5-12,

Bb

I shall conclude this part of the subject, with the words which Christ spake to his servant John, "Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with

me, to give every man according as his work "shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the begin

ning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed "are they that do his commandments, that they may have a right to the Tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." But to whom does the title and privilege of the Tree of life belong? Surely to the true believer, who loves Christ, and keeps his commandments. "Ye "are my friends," says he, "if ye do whatsoever I "command you,"

This view of the subject harmonizes the whole scripture, and reconciles those parts which seem to be contrary to each other: but when this centre of unity is overlooked, men either “go about "to establish their own righteousness,” or run into antinomianism. These two extremes are the Scylla and Charibdis, the fatal rock or dreadful whirlpool, of our perilous voyage. I have therefore endeavoured to mark out the safe passage between them; and may the Holy Spirit guide us at a distance from these, and all other dangers, on the right hand and on the left! We proceed then,

III. To state more explicitly, and shew more

Rev. xxii. 12-14.