the Gospel of salvation through him had never been made known. Of this representation, the Text is the introduction: It describes the Son of man, to whom the Father hath committed all judgment, descending from heaven, clothed with glory, and attended by all the holy angels: Being seated on the throne of his glory, all nations are convened before him: His piercing eye dis covers the secrets of all hearts; and he separates the good from the evil, as a shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats, when he penneth his flocks for the night: The former he placeth on his right hand; the latter on his left.

Several circumstances in this description demand our attention; and, in the consideration of them, fresh proof will arise, to shew, that as this account of the general judgment relates to the world, in contradistinction to the Church of Christ; so the Parable of the talents relates to the final judgment of the members of that Church.

There is a remarkable difference between the terms by which the persons are mentioned who are to undergo this judgment, and those terms which are used in the Parable of the talents. In the one case, they were called their Lord's own servants; but these are denominated the nations. The Greek word, Ethnos, occurs many times in the New Testament, and much oftener in the Septuagint. It is in our Bible sometimes translated by the word Nations; sometimes, by the word Gentiles; and sometimes, by the word Heathen; and is used by the inspired Writers to distinguish the other inhabitants of the world from the covenanted people, or Church of God. Neither Jews, nor Christians are ever called by either of those names. While the Jewish Church continued, the Jews were God's own peculiar servants: the other tribes of the world were the nations, the Gentiles, the Heathen. The Jewish Church and Economy being ended, and the Christian Church and Economy having succeeded in its place; Christians are now what the Jews formerly were, the covenanted people of God. And though the Christian Church is made up of

all nations, and kingdoms, and people; yet, as a Church, it is peculium Dei...God's own property, as the Jewish Church once was and its members are no longer gen. tiles, or heathen, or nations of the world, but Christ's own proper servants; to whom he hath committed his talents, his good things, the peculiar blessings and privileges of his Church. To this Church his promises are made; to it his Holy Spirit is given: As its Head and King, he governs it; as its Priest, he made atonement, and now makes intercession for it; and, as its Prophet, he teaches and instructs it. But the tribes and families of the earth are the nations of the world, the gentiles, the heathen; and by these means, as well as in fact, are distinguished from the Church, the peculium of Christ. In this sense is the word ethnikos, Gentile, used by the old Christian writers, to distinguish the idolatrous nations from the Christian Church. And the word ethnic, being the Greek word ethnos, with the English termi-. nation, is frequently used by the old English writers, to signify the heathen nations or people; and the word is to be found in our modern dictionaries, explained in that sense.

These observations confirm what I have before observed, that Christ's own servants---the Christian Church, and all to whom the Gospel hath been made known-.shall be judged by the process described in the Parable of the talents; the law of the Gospel being the rule of that judgment. And the nations, the gentiles, the heathen, they to whom the Gospel hath not been made known, shall be judged according to the process now under consideration; and the law of reason and conscience shall be the standard of their trial.

Another circumstance of which we ought to take notice, is the separation which the judge makes of the good from the evil. His conduct is illustrated by that of a shepherd, who, when he driveth his flock to the fold for the night, separateth the sheep from the goats, putting each kind into a different pen; because, though they may feed quietly in a large range; yet, crowded

in a fold, the goats would be prejudicial to the sheep: The Judge, therefore, separateth the good from. the evil; because, though like the wheat and the tares in the same field, they may live together without more annoyance to the good, than may be necessary to exercise their faith and patience, and perfect their graces and virtues; yet, when they come to be penned for eternity, it is necessary a separation should be made. The good and the wicked can have no complacency in each other; and nothing unclean and unholy can enter into the kingdom of heaven. The shepherd, by his knowledge of the external appearance, easily maketh a true distinction between the sheep and the goats; and the Judge of the world, by his intuitive knowledge of the hearts of men, will make a true and exact distinction between the good and wicked and he will set the good on his right hand, and the wicked on his left hand.

To see the force of this circumstance, it will be necessary to advert to the practice of the Jewish courts in capital causes. When the Judges had heard the accusation against the prisoner, and the evidence by which it was supported, and also his defence, he was removed from the court, till they had considered all circumstances for and against him, and had settled the judgment they would give. The criminal was then brought into the court, for the last time.. If the judgment of the court was favourable and acquitted him, he was placed on the right hand of his judges; but if he was to receive the sentence of condemnation, he was set on their left hand.

Every thing being thus prepared...the parties arranged according to their real condition...heaven and earth, angels and men being the spectators of the equitable and righteous conduct of the Judge, he proceeds to the sentence. For here, there will be no need of other eyidence: Every man's own conscience will attest the justice of the doom pronounced. But that they on the left hand may have an opportunity of pleading in their own vindication, and of urging every circumstance in mitigation of their punishment, or to shew why the

judgment should not be executed on them; the ground of the sentence will be assigned when the sentence shall be pronounced. And,

First; To the good and virtuous among the Gentiles, the gracious Judge will turn his placid countenance; and, extending wide the arms of his mercy, will open his life-giving lips and announce their acquittal in these joyful words, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me." These are all works of mercy and humanity; such as nature, reason, and conscience teach and require; and such as God, the author of nature, reason, and conscience, demands and will accept.

Our Saviour taught the multitude to whom he preached,* to do good to their enemics, to those who hated and did evil to them; to lend, hoping for no reward; not to judge, and condemn, but to forgive what was done against them; and promised that their reward should be great.--that God would forgive their offences against him; and also, that their imitation of God în the works of mercy and love, would make them his children, who is kind and good to all, even to the unthankful, and to the evil; causing his sun to rise, and his rain to descend on the whole world, that all its inhabitants may enjoy the benefit of them. Upon the same principles is the process of the general judgment conducted. Works of goodness and mercy, in which alone our imitation of God can consist, are the only ones required of those Gentiles to whom the Gospel of Christ had not been made known. For though natural ability, reason, conscience, may, in a large sense, be justly considered as talents from our Creator, and lay an obligation on us to use them to the purposes for which they are given A yet they are never distinguished as talents in Holy Scrip.

*Matt. v. 44, &c. Luke vi. 35, &c.

ture, because being common to all men, they make no discrimination between one man and another, except in degree. Seeing, therefore, all men possess them, no account is demanded of them as particular endowments or advantages; only their improvement, as it shews itself in the tempers and works of humanity and mercy, is brought into view by their Judge.

How gracious is God! How holy in all his ways and righteous in all his works! To these Gentiles he had given but little, compared with the blessings and advantages conferred on his Church; and of them but little is required. He will accept them according to what they had, and will not require of them what they had not.... To them the will of their master, the Gospel of Christ, had never been published; they, therefore, are not to be judged by the law of the Gospel, but by the law of that reasonable nature which is the common gift of God to all men. By this law the duties of humanity, and mercy and love, are enjoined; and from it may be clearly deduced by that reason and conscience which are the only foundation of virtue and morality. And wherever

their works appear, they will find the favour and acceptance of God, through the atonement and intercession of him who died for the sins of the world.

In the acquittal and acceptance of these good and virtuous Gentiles, we see an instance of the efficacy of the mediation of Christ---that it does in truth and reality extend to the whole world, from the promise of a Saviour to Adam, to its final period.--even to those who have known nothing of him. For, in the humble reply which they make to the Judge, they disclaim all knowledge of him, or of having ever administered to him: "When saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?" This declaration might be truly made by them, to whom the Gospel of Christ had never been preached. But it could not be truly made by Christians to whom it