THE ſacred Penman of this Pſalm ſets forth the way and end of the righteous and wicked: The happineſs of the one, and the miſery of the other: The great difference in the temper of their minds and conduct in the world, and the great difference, which will be made betwixt them in the future judgment. The godly and ungodly, the righteous and unrighteous, are in ſacred writ oppoſed to each other. Godlineſs ſignifies piety towards God; and righteouſneſs, equity towards man. But godlineſs and righteouſneſs, being ſo often put for one and the ſame thing, they may, ſeparately taken, hold forth the two branches of the good man's character, piety towards God, and equity towards man: So the ungodly and unrighteous, being often uſed for one and the ſame perſon, ſeparately taken, may ſignify men impious towards God, and unrighteous towards man; the real character of the wicked.

By the ungodly then, we may underſtand a ſinner under the guilt and power of ſin; diſobedient and rebellions againſt the ſovereign authority and righteous law of a holy God, and unrighteous towards man. This is the man, who, among others, muſt die and come to judgment. Being a ſinner, death muſt be his inevitable portion; and as death leaves him, ſo judgment will find him! Being found in judgment ungodly, impious towards God, and unrighteous towards man, he cannot ſtand in judgment. By his character, it muſt appear before the righteous and impartial Judge▪ that he is an unbeliever, out of Chriſt; that he has not hence a righteouſneſs which will anſwer the law: When therefore he appears in the judgment, not only without the righteouſneſs of the law, but without ſo much as a perſonal righteouſneſs, and his deeds produced before the judgment-ſeat as witneſſes to prove him ungodly, he cannot in juſtice be juſtified and acquitted, but muſt fall, and be juſtly condemned. The ungodly ſhall not ſtand in the judgment. The propoſitions ſuggeſted, and to be illuſtrated, upon this ſolemn occaſion, are— I. There will be a future Judgment. II. The ungodly ſhall not ſtand in Judgment.

1. There will be a future Judgment. The certainty of this I ſhall endeavour to eſtabliſh, and then give a brief account of the nature and deſign of it. May the attention of all be ſerious and ſolemn, and every heart be affected with truth, as the weight and importance of it require!

The certainty of a future judgment is ſufficiently eſtabliſhed in the divine word: For God ſhall bring every work into judgment, with every ſecret thing, whether it be good or evil. Eccl. xii.14. He hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteouſneſs. Act. xvii.31. We muſt all appear before the judgment-ſeat of Chriſt. 2 Cor. v.10. That there is therefore a day appointed for a future judgment, and that all men muſt appear before the judgment ſeat for judgment, is as true as the word of God. No man then, unleſs he be a profane and impious Deiſt, or a Rebel-infidel, will preſume to call the truth of it in queſtion.—Beſides, as God is a Being infinitely righteous and holy, both in himſelf and in all his proceedings with his creatures, it appears rational that there muſt be a judgment-day to juſtify the innocent, or to manifeſt their innocence, and to puniſh the wicked; this not being fully and always done in the preſent ſtate. Though God at times overthrows the ungodly for their ungodly deeds; yet this being not a ſtate of retribution, but of trial, he often forbears to execute ſentence againſt evil works, and doth not "puniſh the wicked according to their deſerts." Eccl. viii.11. The ungodly are often, in the courſe of providence, exalted, and the godly caſt down. A wicked Dives fares ſumptuouſly every day, and a godly Lazarus lies full of ſores; diſtreſſed with poverty, and is denied the crumbs that fall from the rich man's table. And is there not often wickedneſs in the place of judgment? Iniquity in human Courts of Judicature? The innocent condemned, and the guilty go free? The Son of God was wickedly arraigned, accuſed, condemned, and executed. Many, of whom the world is not worthy, ſuffer cruel bonds and impriſonment, and are perſecuted unto death. The hearts of many are fully ſet in them to do evil. The ungodly will trample upon the laws of God; deſpiſe his authority; reject the goſpel with contempt, and crucify the Son of God afreſh. Shall ſuch things lie in eternal ſilence? Nay, theſe things ſhow that God will judge the righteous and the wicked: For the Judge of all the earth will do right. The holineſs and juſtice of God call for a day of judgment, when his righteous government of the world ſhall be fully vindicated, and right fully take place.—Again,

The voice of conſcience gives its teſtimony to the certainty of a future judgment. The conſciences of men with, and without, a revealed law, excuſe or accuſe, according as they do good or evil, and that in reference to a future ſtate of rewards and puniſhments. To this purpoſe, when St. Paul reaſoned before Felix, of righteouſneſs, temperance, and judgment to come, we find he trembled. This aroſe from a conſcience convinced of a future judgment, when he muſt account for his unrighteouſneſs and intemperance. Upon the ſame principle, many, when they have been beſt prepared to judge of truth, have profeſſed their belief, and dread of a future judgment. How many, who have put far away the evil day, and braved it out againſt death, and the terrors of God's holy law, have at length, with horror, profeſſed that they were going to that dreadful judgment of the great God, which they had neglected to prepare for? How many Atheiſts, Deiſts and Apoſtates, who have braved it out in a day of proſperity, have found in a day of diſtreſs, that they could ſtupify conſcience no longer, but have been obliged to fall before God, and acknowledge not only his being and word, but a future and terrible judgment? Great then is the force and evidence of this truth, and it ſhall prevail.

The account we have of the nature of this future judgment, is this, viz. that it will be a ſolemn, righteous, exact and critical, univerſal and final judgment. Muſt it not be the moſt ſolemn day, that ever angels or men have known, when the ſupreme Judge ſhall come forth with a ſhout! With the voice of the Archangel, and trump of God! The dead are raiſed! The judgment-ſeat is made ready, and the Judge hath took his ſeat! A countleſs multitude ſtand before this ſeat for juſtice: The ſentence of abſolution, with a "come ye bleſſed of my Father," is pronounced upon the godly in accents of inconceivable grace; and the ſentence of condemnation is paſſed in accents of inconceivable wrath, and executed upon the ungodly! This will be a righteous and an impartial judgment. God will judge the world in righteouſneſs by Jeſus Chriſt. No partial favour will be ſhewn here. The perſons of princes will not be accepted for their grandeur; nor will the rich be regarded for their riches; nor will the poor be deſpiſed for their poverty: But with righteouſneſs, and without partiality, will the juſt Judge diſtribute rewards and puniſhments to high and low, rich and poor. This will be a judgment moſt exact and critical: Secret things are all to be laid open, tried and judged! The weighty matters of the eternal judgment are not to be hurried over. Some think the day of judgment will take up as long a time, as the world will ſtand: Let this be as it will; the ſearcher of hearts will let no caſe eſcape, without the moſt exact and critical examination and trial. This will be an univerſal judgment: "We muſt all appear before the judgment-ſeat of Chriſt;" righteous and unrighteous, men and devils muſt obey the univerſal ſummons, and come to trial. This will be the final judgment. No appeal from the judgment-ſeat of Chriſt; the final ſentence is there given. This ſentence is, like the laws of the Medes and Perſians, unalterable: It is a ſentence for eternity, and the execution of it is unavoidable.

The great ends and deſigns of this future, final and eternal judgment are, for the manifeſtation of the honour and glory of the great Judge, and for the vindication of his righteous providence and government of the world; for the manifeſtation of his mercy and grace, in the compleat ſalvation of the ſaints, and for the diſplay of his juſtice, in the full deſtruction of the ungodly. I now proceed to ſay,

2. That the ungodly ſhall not ſtand in judgment. The propoſition is fairly proved in the text. Peter gives us another proof, 2 Pet. iii.7. The heavens and earth—are reſerved unto fire againſt the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men. Jude another, 14, 15, verſes, The Lord cometh— to execute judgement upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly of their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed. Theſe are threatnings of God, founded on the unchangeable perfections of his nature: As God therefore is not man that he ſhould lie, nor the ſon of man that he ſhould repent; ſo ſure he will fulfil the threatnings of his word: Nothing then can be more plain, than that the ungodly ſhall not ſtand in judgment. But further, to confirm and ſet home a truth ſo intereſting and important, let me obſerve,

I. The ungodly ſhall not ſtand in judgment, becauſe they have not the righteouſneſs of the law; and ſo being found guilty in the eye of the law, ſtrict and impartial juſtice will not acquit, but will condemn them in judgment. The divine law is what God hath ſtated as the rule of proceeding towards man. Chriſt came not to deſtroy, but to fulfil the law. That man therefore may ſtand in judgment, be acquitted, and find acceptance unto eternal life, he muſt have a righteouſneſs, which the law requires, and will accept. What is the ſaints ſecurity, that they ſhall ſtand in judgment? They have the righteouſneſs of the law. Not, that they imperfect ſinful men ever did, or ever can in their own perſons, anſwer the demands of the law: Nay, but this hath been fulfilled for them in the perſon of Chriſt their ſurety; which law-fulfilling righteouſneſs hath been received by faith, placed to, and accepted on their account. So though they are ſaved by a new covenant, and by grace; yet they have a righteouſneſs, which will anſwer the law; juſtice will not then condemn, but will acquit them upon tryal. Can any ungodly ſinner have any juſt pretence to this righteouſneſs? He is an unbeliever, and without Chriſt: He hath then no part in him, nor his righteouſneſs. This is the only righteouſneſs, that will be accepted in judgment.

When therefore it is found upon fair tryal, that the ungodly hath not this, muſt he not, when weighed in the balance, be found wanting? Yea, guilty in the eye of the law? Will not God then mark iniquity againſt him? How then ſhall he ſtand? Strict and impartial juſtice will require his blood. This is a reaſon, why men cannot ſtand in human Courts of Judgment. They are not, upon a fair tryal, found righteous and innocent, but guilty in the eye of the law. This being the caſe, a righteous Jury cannot, in conſcience, juſtify the guilty, and declare them innocent, but muſt bring in their verdict guilty; and a juſt Judge muſt acquieſce in their report, and paſs the ſentence accordingly. Let me obſerve,

II. That the ungodly ſhall not ſtand in judgment, becauſe the grand evidence improved before the judgment-ſeat of God, will be their own practice or works; according to which evidence their ſtate will be determined. Theſe evidences will not be made uſe of to ſettle a determination in the mind of God, what the eternal ſtate of the ungodly ought to be; but ſuch a procedure will demonſtrate to mens own conſciences, and to the world the righteouſneſs and equity of the final judgment Though there may be many witneſſes in the day of judgment, in order to inhance the condemnation of the ungodly, yet there will not need a train of witneſſes; for facts themſelves will be produced as evidences for or againſt men, and there is no room left to diſpute plain matters of fact. This is according to the repreſentation which the Judge gives of his proceeding in the laſt judgment, Matt 25. latter end, where the ſentence is paſſed on the ſaints according to, though not for, their works; and the ſentence paſſed upon the ungodly, is according to their works. We have alſo a repreſentation of the laſt judgment, Rev. xx. 12, &c. The dead are here ſaid to be judged out of thoſe things, which are written in the books, according to their works. It is evident by this, that the deeds of the ungodly are all upon record in the book of God's omniſcience; that he will reveal them in the day of judgment, and make them revive in the book of the ſinners own conſcience, as well as manifeſt them before the aſſembled world. When this is done, and by their deeds they are proved ungodly, they fall in judgment. They cannot deny or extenuate their crimes before the judgment-ſeat; they appear in their true and real light; they cannot have any objection againſt evidences ſummoned; they are their own deeds, which they will be convinced of: By the evidence then of their ungodly deeds, they will be condemned in judgment.

As in human Courts of juſtice, it is the fact ſubſtantially proved againſt the criminal, for which he is condemned, and for which he dies: So ungodly deeds, produced as witneſſes againſt the ungodly in the final judgment, according to evidence, they muſt fall inevitably, under the righteous condemnation of God, and be juſtly ſentenced to death eternal, and have the juſt ſentence in its full length and breadth, depth and height, executed upon them. But,—

III. The ungodly ſhall not ſtand in judgment, becauſe they have no meet qualification to fit them for the preſence of the juſt and holy Judge. They have no external righteouſneſs to recommend them: Naked and guilty then, they cannot ſtand before a juſt and holy Judge, but muſt fall with ſhame and bluſhing confuſion. They have no internal holineſs, but are unrenewed, unſanctified and unholy, and ſo have not the meet qualification to appear with Chriſt in judgment, and to ſee him as he is: "For without holineſs, no man ſhall ſee the Lord." Holineſs is a qualification abſolutely neceſſary to fit men for the right hand of the Judge; for the glory, holy ſociety, employments, entertainments and enjoyments of his heavenly kingdom. They ſhall not ſtand then in judgment, but will be ſpurned from the preſence of the Judge, and ſentenced to dwell forever with the unclean, unholy and abominable, in that fire never to be quenched.

Let us now attend to the APPLICATION. Hence,—

1. Is the certainty of a future and final judgment ſo great, and the evidence ſo full, that the ungodly ſhall not ſtand in judgment; "what manner of perſons ought we to be, in all holy converſation and godlineſs?" Though Chriſt hath wrought out a compleat redemption, and brought in an everlaſting righteouſneſs; yet it is in vain for any to expect to appear with ſafety in the day of God, unleſs they by faith receive Chriſt, with the benefits of his purchaſe; partake of his ſpirit, and are holy, even as he is holy. To ſtand in the final judgment is a matter of ſuch everlaſting conſequence to the ſouls of men, that our call to be actually ready to ſtand before the judgment-ſeat, and to receive a ſentence for eternity, is immediate and loud. Should not the ſtate of our ſouls be ſettled and determined, without delay? Should not the light and evidence about our ſafe appearing be ſo bright and clear, as to put the matter out of all preſent doubt? Then ſhall we be like the ſervant, that waits for his Lord's coming, and loves his appearing, and with him receive the bleſſed euge and crown of righteouſneſs. Permit me,

2. To cloſe the Diſcourſe by way of Addreſs and Exhortation.

And now, with all ſeriouſneſs and ſolemnity, I ſhall firſt take liberty to addreſs myſelf to you, unhappy Man! who are juſt going to judgment, and to receive a particular ſentence for eternity.— When I conſidered you as one of the precious ſouls committed to my charge; and as bearing a ſpecial relation to a number of reſpectable families among my people, let me ſay, with trembling, I conſented to prepare a final Sermon for you. Senſible of my great inability to deal with men in your ſituation, nature recoiled at the thought; and, had I conſulted only the dictates of fleſh and blood, I muſt have utterly refuſed: But Providence called; with the call of Providence I complied; and at your own Election I come forth to ſpeak.

Permit me now, as a faithful watchman, in duty to God, and in compaſſion to your ſoul, to warn you of your danger, with all plainneſs, that having done my duty, I may ſhake my raiment, and ſay, "I am pure from the blood of your ſoul." Though it may, to you, poſſibly ſeem cruel to rehearſe over the evil deeds of a dying man, or reproachful; yet let me ſay, far be it from me, from having any deſire of ſuch a nature: Any deſire to reproach you, or to give your enemies occaſion to rejoice in your miſery. Believe me, whatever I may ſay upon the evil of your conduct, ſhall be with an hearty deſign, by the bleſſing of God, to bring you to a ſenſe of the evil of your ſins, and to convince you of your immediate neceſſity of Chriſt, and his ſalvation; knowing, "that the whole doth not ſee his need of a phyſician, but he that is ſick."

And now were not you conceived in ſin, and ſhapen in iniquity? Are you not by nature a child of wrath even as others, and an enemy to God by wicked works? Hath not your conduct been notoriouſly wicked? The character of the ungodly man in full; impious towards God, and unrighteous towards man, been your character? Have you not repented, there are but a few moments left you to reflect; to ſettle your accounts; to have your peace made with God, and to ſeek preparation for a neverending eternity! But to be particular, let me appeal to your conſcience in the ſight of that God, before whom you are preſently to appear, whether you have not, to an extreme degree, been guilty of the ſin of intemperance? Have you not hereby diſhonoured God, and abuſed his bounty and goodneſs? wronged your own ſoul and body? Waſted your ſubſtance? Brought your ſelf and family to poverty and diſtreſs? Have you not followed this practice, until you became deaf to all warnings, regardleſs of all reproof, and even loſt to all ſenſe and expectation of death and judgment to come? Hath not this been an inlet to a train of evils of the blackeſt nature? A ſource of lying and profane ſwearing? Abuſe and grief to your own parents? Abuſe to your own wife and children? A great grief and trial to your relatives and friends? Quarreling and contention with others? Know then, if you are not a very humble penitent indeed, God will not hold you guiltleſs at his righteous bar, nor ſuffer you to inherit his kingdom; but will give you your portion in the lake of fire and brimſtone. Beſides, by the verdict of the Jury, upon what I called, being preſent, a fair and impartial tryal; in the judgment of the Court and Judicious, that attended the tryal, with impartiality, you are verily guilty of the crying ſin of MURDER. And let any friend to truth and juſtice but weigh with impartiality, the variety of reports you have yourſelf made of the tragical affair; and how they will be able to pronounce you innocent, I cannot ſee. At one time you make report, that you was writing, and knew nothing of the affair;—again owned that you threw him down with your foot;—again owned that you did ſeize him by the neck;—at other times report, that you was aſleep, and as ignorant about any thing done to the man deceaſed, as the child unborn: When it can be, and has to me been ſufficiently proved, that you was in reality awake. So many ſhifts and falſhoods argue guilt: For truth will bear its own weight, and is always conſiſtent with itſelf. Theſe things, with an evident diſpoſition to deny, conceal and extenuate other crimes of an attrocious nature; together with the hand of providence, appearing evidently to fruſtrate every meaſure concerted for your help and eſcape, do not to me beſpeak innocence, but guilt. To me, then, as a dying man, it appears, you ought to acknowledge the juſtice of God and man, in your condemnation; and with David, ſay, I acknowledge my tranſgreſſions, and my ſin is ever before me. With penitential brokenneſs, and ſubmiſſion to God, ſay, Againſt thee, and thee only, have I ſinned, and done this evil in thy ſight: That thou mighteſt be juſtified when thou ſpeakeſt, and be clear when thou judgeſt. If a man be guilty, it is not the time to deny and plead not guilty, when he is going to the judgment-ſeat of an all-ſeeing Judge, to anſwer for his guilt. If you die in peace, you muſt have a clear conſcience; a conſcience, void of offence towards God and man. Do you hope for acceptance at the bar of God, die not concealing your guilt: For if you die with a guilty conſcience, and lyes in your mouth, you never will be renewed unto repentance, nor waſhed in the Redeemer's blood: And unleſs you are in time waſhed in the blood of Chriſt, and clothed in his righteouſneſs, you will not have a righteouſneſs in which you can, with ſafety, appear before God; but your guilt, with all your evil works, appearing in judgment againſt you, in juſtice, you cannot ſtand. And conſider, to day you are in a ſtate of tryal, and there is a grain of hope yet left; if you now believe in Chriſt, and repent of your ſins, you ſhall have mercy.—Conſider alſo, that to-day you muſt appear before God, in judgment; and if found an impenitent in your ſins, you fall at once under an eternal curſe without repeal, and the execution of it will immediately follow, and without any reprieve for days. Jeſus Chriſt, the Prince and Saviour, now ſets on a throne of grace, a ſeat of mercy; But will you not this day find him on a throne of juſtice? How then ſhall you, a ſinner by nature and practice, this day appear with ſafety before a juſt and holy Judge? Let me ſay if you find acceptance in judgment, you muſt by faith receive Chriſt, the Prince and Saviour, and have his blood and merits, his law-fulfilling and magnifying righteouſneſs transferred to you by a gracious imputation; otherwiſe, ſo ſure as thou art now condemned by the law, ſo ſure as thou haſt already began to fall before juſtice, ſo ſure thou ſhalt not prevail, but ſhalt ſurely fall before a juſt and holy God.— And what an awful ſtate is a long, long eternity of miſery! Your duty and buſineſs is now then to be deeply ſenſible of, and bewail your ſins of nature and practice, until you are truly ſenſible of your wretched, undone and helpleſs condition, and abſolute and immediate neceſſity of Chriſt, and ſalvation by him, that you may, under this conviction, eſſay to commit your precious and immortal ſoul into the hands of the bleſſed Redeemer, in whom alone there is help found for loſt ſinners. You ſhould be very earned for a true ſight of your preſent ſtate, and plead with God in his abundant grace and goodneſs, to diſcover to you, an ill-deſerving and hell-deſerving ſinner, the Saviour, as being ſuited to all your wants, miſeries and dangers; that he would give you a heart willing to renounce all other lords and lovers; all other hopes and dependencies; willing ſincerely and in good earneſt, really to chuſe and embrace him as offered in the goſpel, and to venture your ſoul wholly upon him for eternal life. You ſhould plead that "Chriſt of God may be made unto you wiſdom, righteouſneſs, ſanctification, and redemption;" that you may be found in him, having that righteouſneſs, which is through the faith of Chriſt, the righteouſneſs which is of God by faith: That as you are going to judgment this day, you may be introduced with acceptance before the Judge: So that though you die as a condemned criminal, yet being in Chriſt, you may be pardoned of God, and acquitted in the final judgment. You ſhould plead for a true ſight and ſenſe of ſin, not merely as expoſing you to public juſtice, and the wrath of God, but as oppoſite to the pure nature, odious and offenſive in the ſight of a holy and merciful God, that you may loath and abhor it, and have that godly ſorrow for ſin, that worketh repentance unto life never to be repented of.

You ſhould be earneſt for a heart to love God ſupremely, and his Son Jeſus Chriſt, as one altogether lovely; for a heart to love the divine law, and to hate ſin; to love and forgive your enemies, knowing that without theſe things, you muſt be denied the preſence and glory of God in the coming world. And let me tell you, that the greateſt ſinners are not ſhut out from the ſaving bleſſings of the new covenant, if they will repent and believe the goſpel. Not Menaſſah, who filled the ſtreets of Jeruſalem with innocent blood—not the Jews, who crucified the Lord of glory—not the Gentiles, who were ſlaves to their luſts, and guilty of the moſt abominable practices; gave themſelves up to work wickedneſs with all greedineſs: Free grace hath triumphed in the ſalvation of ſuch ſinners as theſe. And it is now a faithful ſaving, and worthy of all acceptation, "that Chriſt Jeſus came into the world to ſave the chief of ſinners:" That "he who was dead, but is alive again, and ever liveth to make interceſſion," is as able to ſave all that will come to God by him. Now then, poor Man! who have nothing to recommend you to God; no good works to boaſt of; who have been a great and notorious offender, let me bid you once more come under a ſenſe of your ſinful, miſerable and helpleſs eſtate; come ſenſible how infinitely juſt God is, and will be, ſhall he execute his wrath eternally upon you; come ſenſible that there is help in the Lord, and ſurrender yourſelf up to Jeſus Chriſt, the mighty Prince and Saviour, and truſt your ſoul wholly upon his infinite merits for juſtification and eternal life. His blood is all-ſufficient for the pardon of your great ſins, and can waſh out your ſtains of the longeſt continuance. The Spirit of Chriſt can create anew an old tranſgreſſor, and fit you for heaven.— All things are poſſible with God. Theſe things, with the example of the dying thief, who obtained mercy in the laſt hour, forbid you utterly to deſpair of ſalvation. Art thou now a child of wrath, as you was born? Have you been an old tranſgreſſor, and long ſinned againſt light and love? long hardened your heart againſt counſel and reproof? But are you at laſt deeply ſenſible of your guilt? Are you inclined no longer to harden your neck, but to day—this laſt day, to hear the voice of God? Are you diſpoſed to be made a new creature before you die, and to accept deliverance upon the very borders of hell? With infinite eaſe Chriſt can deliver a dying ſinner from death eternal. But now to preſs all home, and to excite you immediately to comply with the inſtructions given, conſider, if you are loſt, what an awful account you will have to give to God, and how clear your condemnation will be? Will not all the counſels and inſtructions that ever you have had? Will not the miniſters that have been dealing with you ſince under a ſentence of death, with all their ſolemn and weighty inſtructions, both in public and private, riſe up in judgment againſt you? Will not the goſpel, your own conſcience, and all your evil works, riſe up againſt you, and aggravate your juſt condemnation? If you now periſh, better for you that you never had been born; better for you, that you had been executed on the day ſentenced to die: For all the time given you, with all your reſpites, being ſinned away, inſtead of being any benefit, hath only given you an opportunity to fill up the meaſure of your iniquities, and to make an intollerable hell ſeven times hotter. O for Chriſt's ſake, and in mercy to your own ſoul, I beſeech you to linger no longer, but fly from the wrath to come, to the city of refuge! As a priſoner of hope, turn to the ſtrong hold. Flatter not yourſelf that God is altogether ſuch an one as yourſelf: For he is a juſt and an holy God. Deceive not yourſelf, by thinking yourſelf ſomething, when you are nothing. Believe, unleſs you are in Chriſt, you cannot ſtand in judgment. Know, unleſs you are born again, are a new creature, have all old things done away, and all things become anew, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Improve your few remaining moments in earneſt and importunate breathings of ſoul, that God would ſhew mercy to a dying ſinner. In your laſt moments cry with the dying thief, "Lord Jeſus, remember me in thy kingdom!' And ſay unto my poor ſoul, "this day ſhalt thou be with me in Paradiſe." What more can I ſay, but the Lord pity and have mercy on your ſoul!—

And now, my Reverend Fathers and Brethren in the miniſtry of our Lord Jeſus, let us, by this deſperate inſtance before us, be ſtirred up to cry aloud, and ſpare not to ſhow ſinners their ſins, and warn them of their danger; that whether they will hear or forbear, their blood may not be required at our hands. Let civil Magiſtrates, who are powers ordained of God, and not to bear the ſword in vain, exert themſelves, by authority, example and endeavours, to bear down vice, and prevent, if poſſible, men from running to ſuch lengths of wickedneſs, that they may not, for their overmuch wickedneſs, come to an untimely end. Let maſters of public houſes, take warning by this ſad ſpectacle before you, to hold your hand from men of this character, leſt the hungry and diſtreſſed cries of their wives and children, riſe up to the ears of the Lord againſt you; and the blood of ſuch men as die before they have lived out half their days, by this means, cry at your doors, and riſe up in judgment againſt you. Let the dreadful example made of this poor criminal, be a warning to men of intemperance, eſpecially to his own companions in wickedneſs. See the fruits of love to ſtrong drink! Let me lift up my voice, and cry aloud in the ears of all this ſolemn aſſembly, Behold the dreadful effects of drinking to exceſs!— And O let the voice of this alarming example ſound in the ears of drunkards in accents of thunder, and deter you from your horrid practice, even as though you heard the trump of God ſound, and the voice of the Son of God, ſaying, that the judgment of the wicked is come! Let this inſtance before us be a ſolemn warning to men of paſſion, who in their paſſion quarrel and ſmite with the fiſt of wickedneſs. O lay hands on no man, leſt murder be committed, and you ſhare in the fate of this poor man! Let young people take warning in ſeaſon to guard againſt the ſins of intemperance and contention. Let the ſolemn inſtance before us, with what we have this day heard, ſound an awakening alarm in the ears of every ungodly ſinner. The ſolemn, righteous, impartial, critical, univerſal and final judgment, will come. The ungodly ſhall appear, but ſhall not ſtand in judgment. O Sirs, above all things, be concerned about the weighty matter of death, judgment and eternity! Prepare without delay to meet your God, the great Judge of quick and dead. And now let us all in undiſſembled woe drop a tear upon this ſorrowful occaſion.

O the diſtreſs of the aged Parents, this day bereſt of their only ſurviving ſon after this ſort! He that ſhould be the ſtaff and comfort of their old age, bringing their grey hairs with ſorrow down to the grave. Say ye that are parents, could you bear up under ſuch a trial as this, without an extraordinary meaſure of grace? What Tongue can expreſs the diſtreſs of this poor man's wife with her eleven children, and all his relatives and friends? Pity, pity them, O ye people, and recommend them in your daily addreſſes at the throne of grace, to the abundant grace of God! But eſpecially pity the poor man now to die by the hand of juſtice; and while you are attending the execution, lift up your hearts in the moſt earneſt prayer, that he may be a monument of God's rich, free, ſovereign grace and mercy. Finally, let me caution all preſent upon this ſorrowful occaſion, to let your behaviour be with all decency and moderation. It is not a day for rioting and vain merriment. Such an occaſion as this calls much rather for faſting, humiliation and prayer.— Let me intreat old and young to ſtand off from every thing rude and vain: To let your behaviour be with ſobriety and good order, and in due ſeaſon, to retire to your reſpective homes. Remember your need of grace to keep you from falling, and let him that ſtandeth take heed leſt he fall. "And now may the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, that great Shepherd of the ſheep, through the blood of the everlaſting covenant, make us all perfect to do his will; working in us that which is well-pleaſing in his ſight, through Jeſus Chriſt: To whom be glory forever and ever. AMEN."