Consider, fifthly, or rather "con clude from the foregoing considerations on death, to make it the whole business of your life to prepare for death. Upon dying well depends nothing less than a happy eternity. If we die ill, we are lost, and lost for ever. As then we came into the world for nothing else, but to provide for eternity, so we may truly say, we came into the world for nothing else, but to learn to die well. This is the great lesson which we must all study. Alas! if we miss it, when we are called to a trial, an endless duration of wo must be the necessary consequence. Ah! how hard is it to learn to perform that well, which can be done but once.

On the particular Judgment after Death.

Onsider, first, that the soul is

but she is immediately presented before the judge, in order to give an account of her whole life, of all that she has thought, said, or done, during her abode in the body, and to receive sentence accordingly. For that the eter

nal

nal doom of every soul is decided by a particular judgment immediately after death, we learn from the gospel in the example of Dives and Lazarus: and the sentence that is passed here will be ratified in the general judgment at the last day. Christians, how stand your accounts with God? What could you be able to say for yourselves, if this night you should be cited to the bar? It may be perhaps your case. Remem ber that your Lord will come when you least expect him; take care then to be always ready.

Consider, secondly, how exact, how rigorous this judgment will be, where even the least idle word cannot escape the scrutiny of the judge. Q! what treasures of iniquity will here coine to light, when the veil shall be removed, which hides at present the greatest part of our sins from the eyes of the world, and even from our own : and the whole history of our lives shall at once be exposed to our view. Good God! who can be able to bear this dreadful sight? Here shall the poor soul be brought to a strict examination of all that she has done or left undone, in

the

the whole time of her pilgrimage in this mortal body: how she has corres ponded with the divine inspirations; what use she has made of God's gra

ces

s; what profit she has reaped from the sacraments which she has received, from the word of God which she has heard or read; what advantage she has made of those favourable circumstantes in which God Almighty has placed her; how she has employed the talents with which he has entrusted ber : even ber best works shall be nicely sifted : her prayers, her fasts, her alins-deeds; the intention with which she has undertaken them; the manner in which she has performed them: all these shall be weighed, not in the deceitful batance of the judgment of men, but in the scales of the sanctuary. Ah! how many of our actions will then be found to want weight, according to that of Dan. v. Thou hast been weighed in the balance, and art found of too little weight. O enter not into judgment with hy servant, O Lord; for no may liwing shall be justified in thy sight. Psalm cxlii.

1. Consider thirdly, the qualities of the

the judge before whom we must ap. pear. He is infinitely wise, and therefore cannot be deceived; he is infinitely powerful, and therefore cannot be resisted; he is infinitely just, and therefore will render to every one according to his works. No favour is to be expected at this day: the time of merit and of acceptable repentance is now at an end. Ah! Chrisians, think well on't now whilst it is your day: you may now wash away your sins by penitential tears, and thus hide them from the eyes of your future judge; you may at present tie up his hands by humble prayer; you may appeal from his justice to the court of his mercy, and cause him to cancel the sentence that stands against you: but at that day you will find him inexorable: your prayers and tears will then come too late.

Consider, fourthly, the inestimable comfort that the souls of the just shall receive at this day from the come pany of their good works, which like an invincible rampart shall surround them on all sides, and keep their hellish foes at a distance. !any soul, det us

take

take care to provide ourselves with such attendants as these against that hour, which is to decide our eternal doom. These are friends indeed, that will not forsake us even in death; and will effectually plead our cause at that bar where no other eloquence will be regarded.

Consider, fifthly, in what a wretched plight the sinner, who has taken no care to lay up any such provision of good works, shall now stand be fore his judge. O! how all things now speak to him the melancholy sentence, that is just now going to fall upon his guilty head. Whatever way he looks, he sees nothing that can give him any comfort; but on the contrary, all things that contribute to his greater anguish and terror. Beneath his feet he sees hell open ready to swallow him up: above his head an angry judge prepared to thunder out against him the irrevocable sentence of eternal damnation: an his right hand, he sees his guardian angel now abandoning him; on his left the devils, his merciless enemies just ready to seize upon him, and only waiting for the beck of the judge: if

he