It is as I have said, 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,