What a tremendous scene of the _last day_ does the gospel place before our eyes?--of _that day_ when you, and every one of us, shall awake from the grave, and behold the Son of God, on his glorious tribunal, attended by millions of celestial beings, of whose superior excellence we can now form no adequate idea:--When, in presence of all mankind, of those holy angels, and of the great Judge himself, you must give an account of your past life, and hear your final doom, from which there can be no appeal, and which must determine your fate to all eternity. Then think--if for a moment you can bear the thought--what will be the desolation, shame, and anguish of those wretched souls, who shall hear these dreadful words:--_Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels_. Oh! my beloved child! I cannot support even the idea of your becoming one of those undone, lost creatures. I trust in God's mercy, that you will make a better use of that knowledge of his will, which he has vouchsafed you, and of those amiable dispositions he has given you. Let us therefore turn from this horrid, this insupportable view, and rather endeavour to imagine, as far as is possible, what will be the sensation of your soul, if you shall hear our heavenly Judge address you in these transporting words--_Come, thou blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world_. Think, what it must be, to become an object of the esteem and applause, not only of all mankind assembled together, but of all the host of heaven, of our blessed Lord himself, nay, of his and our Almighty Father: to find your frail flesh changed in a moment into a glorious celestial body, endowed with perfect beauty, health, and agility--to find your soul cleansed from all its faults and infirmities; exalted to the purest and noblest affections, overflowing with divine love and rapturous gratitude;--to have your understanding enlightened and refined, your heart enlarged and purified, and every power and disposition of mind and body adapted to the highest relish of virtue and happiness! Thus accomplished, to be admitted into the society of amiable and happy beings, all united in the most perfect peace and friendship, all breathing nothing but love to God, and to each other;--with them to dwell in scenes more delightful than the richest imagination can paint--free from every pain and care, and from all possibility of change or satiety:--but, above all, to enjoy the more immediate presence of God himself--to be able to comprehend and admire his adorable perfections in a high degree, though still far short of their infinity--to be conscious of his love and favour, and to rejoice in the light of his countenance!--but here all imagination fails:--We can form no idea of that bliss which may be communicated to us by such a near approach to the source of all beauty and all good:--We must content