will be acquited and justified. Christ is his surety, his substitute, his advocate; and therefore he will stand safe and secure before the judgment seat.

Let it be observed farther, that the book of the gospel will also be opened.-And this will add to the condemnation of all those who have died in their sins under its dispensation: of all, whether Jews or Gentiles, who have had the opportunity of becoming acquainted with it; for if "he that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses, of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God?" But the gospel will be a blessed book for "the ransomed and redeemed of the Lord;" for in this book it is written, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." And again, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." once more, without multiplying other similar passages -"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

And

In reference to the imagery of the books, we mention, in the last place, the most blessed book of all: this is the Book of Life. It is repeatedly intimated in the scripture, that the names of believers are recorded in the book of life. Thus St. Paul speaks of those who laboured with him in the gospel, as ' having their names written in the book of life." And St. John, describing the vision he had of the last judgment, declares that whosoever was not written in

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doning mercy of God. For the inference, which our blessed Lord draws from the subject, is, that whatever men's profession may be, God will deliver them as wicked servants to the tormentors, to be punished with exact justice according to their sins, if they do not from their hearts--observe, from their hearts, which he especially regards-forgive their brethren their offences and trespasses.

Let us now attend, by way of more particular improvement, to some of the lessons which this striking parable is calculated to afford us.

1. We may learn from it how dreadful is the nature, and how awful are the consequences, of an unforgiving temper.

But,

This in fact has been already noticed; but the subject requires, in this place, some farther amplification. Remember, my brethren, that we owe God a debt which exceeds all calculation. We begin to contract it from our earliest infancy; and as our days and years increase, so increases our debt. unless the amount be cancelled, we must be delivered to the executioners of divine justice, and be shut up for ever in that prison of misery, into which hope can never enter. We are, however, altogether unable to discharge this debt, or any part of it. Shall we then, weak and sinful mortals, laden with guilt, and unworthy of the divine mercy-shall we, who have nothing to depend on, but free forgiveness at the hand of God-shall we (I ask) be implacable towards a fellow-creature who has offended us? But what are the offences of a fellow-creature towards us, when

compared with our transgressions against God? The disparity, in the parable, between the debtor of ten thousand talents, and him of the hundred pence, is immense. The Jewish talent of gold was of the value of five thousand four hundred and seventy-five pounds of English money. Ten thousand talents, therefore, would amount to fifty-four millions seven hundred and fifty thousand pounds. But, perhaps some of you, my hearers, may find a difficulty in forming any just idea of such an enormous sum of money as this. Let us then take another view of the subject. If this sum, in golden sovereigns, were required to be carried in wagons, laden with two tons each, the number of vehicles required for the purpose, would be two hundred and seventy; and allowing a space of thirty yards for each wagon with its horses, they would make a train of nearly five miles. But the hundred pence do not amount to the sum of three guineas. Our blessed Lord seems to have fixed on such an immense sum as the ten thousand talents, in order to point out the magnitude, the number, and the weight of our offences against God; and to intimate our utter incapacity to make any restitution. But, however great the difference between the two sums owed by the debtors in the parable, there is still an infinitely greater disparity between our offences against God, and the offences of a fellow-creature towards ourselves; because, the scripture clearly infers that sin committed against God contains infinite demerit. Shall one man then seize another by the throat, who owes him a trifling sum, when he is himself infinite

Those who have been friends and companions in sin, will then be constrained to appear one against another as evidences; and oh! what confounding testimonies will be produced in that day, when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, and make manifest the counsel of all hearts.-Now, dear friends and fellow sinners, allow me to ask, what will you be able to plead, against all these witnesses, why sentence should not be passed against you? There is one way, and only one, by which you may escape condemnation in that day, if you do not neglect the more than golden opportunity now in your power. Accuse yourselves unto God in an humble and penitent acknowledgment of your sins. Say as much against yourselves now, as Satan, your own consciences, or any of your accusers can say in the last day. Fly for refuge to Jesus Christ as your Saviour, before you stand at his tribunal as your judge. Thus you may challenge all accusers, and depend on the divine promise for your assurance of acquittal in the great day." If we judge ourselves, we shall not be judged."

(4.) It only remains that we notice the sentences that will be pronounced on the acquitted and the condemned.

At the right hand of the judge stand the glorious company of the redeeemed all the elect people of God. Every charge against them has been overruled, and the judge, as their Saviour, has acknowledged them as his own. Their plea that they trusted in him for salvation, has been ratified and confirmed.

Their iniquities having been laid on Jesus, and their sins washed away in the fountain of his blood, "all the transgressions that they have committed, they shall not be mentioned unto them."

Clothed with the robes of Christ's righteousness from the period of their justification, they are invested with a title to the glory and happiness of heaven. They are addressed therefore by their Saviour and Judge, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." But who can conceive the delight and joy with which the redeemed and sanctified of the Lord will hear these emphatic words. They hoped and longed for the immediate presence of their God and Saviour, and now they are called to come and dwell with him for ever. They desired the blessing of God above all things;-they dreaded nothing so much as his curse; and now they are addressed as the everlastingly "blessed of the Father." They often felt their spiritual poverty, and their unworthiness of the least of God's mercies; but now they are called to inherit a kingdom-a kingdom prepared for them when their existence found a place only in the divine fore-knowledge. And here let it be observed on what account this gracious sentence is passed. It is neither for their faith, nor for their works. The kingdom they are called to possess was prepared for them, by God's mercy and grace, before the foundation of the world. They are called to inherit it as the children of God, and not to receive it as a reward for their services. They were predes

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