An Address to the Inhabitants of the Colonies | Page 8

both my duty and my pleasure, to preach and proclaim these
glad tidings. But to whom? Not to the dead, but to the living; even to
you [Acts xv. 22.]. To you is the word of the salvation sent. But, alas!
should you still put it from you, and should death at last find you in an
unprepared state, it will then be too late for you to begin to cry for
mercy [Eccl. ix. 10.].
A day is likewise coming, when our mortal bodies, which must shortly
moulder into dust, will be raised again from the dead. Whether
believers or unbelievers, whether saints or sinners, we must all appear
before the judgment-seat of Christ [2 Cor. v. 10.; Dan. 12.2.; Matt.

xxv.21.]. For the Lord Jesus will shortly appear in the clouds of heaven,
the last trumpet shall sound, the graves shall open, the sea give up her
dead, and all who have lived upon earth, from the creation to the final
consummation of time, will then be judged, and rewarded or punished
according to their works. Mark well St. John's representation of this
solemn transaction, "I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God,
and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the
book of life, and the dead were judged out of those things which were
written in the books, according to their works"[Rev. xx. 12, 13.]. Such
are the declarations of scripture respecting this awful season! Sinners,
whatever you may now think of these things, or think or say of me, for
declaring them to you, in this, plain and solemn manner, I must and
will tell you, that there is not a profane oath which you have uttered,
nor a lie which you have told, nor a sabbath which you have broken,
nor a single act of adultery, fornication, theft, or any wickedness of
which you have been guilty; in a word, there is not an evil you have
committed, nor a duty you have omitted to perform, but what is noted
down in the book of God's remembrance, and will be produced against
you in the day of judgment, unless you repent, and believe the gospel.
You must then give an account how you improved the advantages now
afforded you, for attending to the things pertaining to your peace. If
you do not improve them, the Bible will condemn you, every faithful
sermon you have heard will condemn you, nay, every sermon which
you might have heard, but would not, because you despised and
neglected the ordinances of public worship, will condemn you: And
alas! this address, by which I try to warn you, because I love you, and
wish well to your souls; which you are now reading, or perhaps, about
to throw aside with scorn, will then condemn you. The admonitions,
intreaties, prayers, and tears of godly parents, the advice and reproofs
of pious friends, the warning and expostulations of faithful ministers,
will all witness against you. My brethren, what shall I say? The law of
God, the gospel, saints, sinners, angels, your own consciences, the Holy
Spirit, the Lord Jesus, the great Judge himself, will all witness against
you, for your contempt and neglect of that mercy and salvation, which
are set before you in the gospel.
Then all ungodly and impenitent sinners, being tried, cast, and
condemned, must hear that final terrible sentence pronounced upon

them, Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and
his angels![Matt. xxv. 41.] And remember that those who have been
your associates in wickedness here, will then be your companions in
misery. This will, if possible, aggravate your torment. You and they
will rue the day when you first met; and mutually charge the ruin of
your souls upon each other. Oh, think of this, and pray for grace to
repent, before it be too late!
At that solemn season, the righteous shall be publicly and fully
acquitted before the assembled world. The judge will say to them,
Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you,
from the foundation of the world [Matt. xxv.34.]. The holy angels will
then conduct them to the mansions of eternal bliss. Happy souls! They
will then have no more cause to weep and mourn, to fight and wrestle.
They will no more be exercised with darkness or temptation; for sin,
which is the cause of all their conflicts and sorrows, shall be done away;
and God their gracious Father, and everlasting Friend, shall wipe all
tears from their eyes [Rev. vii. 17.].
The righteous, however obscured and reproached upon earth, shall then
shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. They are
represented to us, as standing before the throne, clothed in white robes,
with palm-branches