SERMON VIII.

CHRIST'S COMING TO JUDGMENT.

1 CORINTHIANS IV. 5.

Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall every man have praise of God

THE reception which the zealous, unwearied, and disinterested labours of the apostle Paul met with from mankind, forms the most conclusive proof of human depravity; next to that arising from the contradiction, contempt, and cruelty, which his divine Master had experienced. Not only was this distinguished servant of God" every where spoken against," and treated as "the filth of the world, and the off-scouring of all things," by unconverted Jews and Gentiles: the whole body of Jewish converts also were exceedingly prejudiced against him; many of the churches he had planted were alienated from him, and his Corinthian converts had been so perverted by false teachers, as to entertain the most injurious suspicions, as to the motives of his ministerial conduct. But fervent zeal for the honour of Christ, and affectionate longing after the salvation of souls, kept him from fainting, and rendered him "stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord;" and he even submitted, with the most evident reluctance, to vindicate his character, and magnify his ministry to the disaffected Corinthians; that, by re-establishing his apostolical authority, he might recover them from the delusions into which they had been seduced. In attempting this, he warned them against exalting some and despising others, of those who had laboured among them. "Let a man," says he, "so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God." All Christians are servants of Christ, and the word rendered ministers, denotes those servants who wait on any person, as ready at all times to execute his orders with unreserved assiduity.—But ministers are also stewards of the mysteries of God: they are not mere teachers of morality, as some men imagine; but they are intrusted with the great mysteries of revealed truth, that they may declare them to mankind, as they have received them of the Lord. "Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.' It is not necessary for ministers to be orators, courtiers, philosophers, or even men of distinguished genius or learning; but integrity and faithfulness are indispensible. Any person of common prudence would prefer a downright honest steward, though but moderately qualified, to the most accomplished man in the world, who, he was aware, would oppress his tenants and embezzle his property. Thus faithfulness is the grand requisite in a minister; without which, talents may recommend him to the applause of men, but will not procure him deliverance from the wrath of God. "But," says the apostle, "with me it is a very small thing, that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment; yea I judge not mine own self; for I know nothing by myself, yet am I not hereby justified; but he that judgeth me is the Lord."-It must not be expected, that every one who aims to be faithful, should thus decidedly rise superior to the opinion of men, especially those within the church. At the call of duty, a minister may be enabled to venture giving offence; yet do it reluctantly, and be drawn into many re

ness.

serves, under the notion of prudence, which may greatly impede his usefulChristians should therefore take heed, that they do not inadvertently tempt ministers to unfaithfulness, or render faithfulness uneasy to them. The apostle no doubt did examine his own motives and conduct; but he knew that an appeal lay from his decision to that of his heart-searching Judge; and that reflection gave rise to the caution and warning of the text; "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall every man have praise of God." Let us then,

I. Meditate on the coming of the Lord, and the solemnities of that awful

event.

II. Consider the discoveries which will then be made.

III. Advert to the consequences of those discoveries.

I. I would call on you to contemplate with me, the coming of the Lord, and the solemnities of that awful event.

The sacred Scriptures continually lead our thoughts to this great crisis, when the important and eternal interests of the whole human species will be finally determined. The servants of God from the beginning of the world looked forward to it: even "Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these things: saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all the hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." Jude 14, 15. That profession which Job ardently wished might be "graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever," seems to have had as much respect to the second coming of the Lord, as to his first appearance in our nature; "I know that my Ředeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." Job xix. 23-27.

Omitting various passages from the prophets, that call our attention to this grand event, we may properly make a quotation from the fiftieth psalm, which is a most sublime, prophetical description of a future judgment, "Our God shall come and shall not keep silence, a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the hea vens from above, and to the earth that he may judge his people. And the neavens shall declare his righteousness, for God is judge himself. Selah.” Psalm 1. 3-6. The words of Solomon shall close these citations from the Old Testament. "Rejoice, O young man in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the way of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will call thee into judgment."—" For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Eccles. xi. 9. xii. 14.

In the New Testament the same subject continually demands our attention. Christians are said to "wait for the Lord from heaven, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come," to "look for the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ," and "to love his appearing." Thus the language of the Old Testament relative to the coming of Jehovah, and our preparing to meet God, who is judge himself, is applied to Christ, by his apostles, without the least hesitation. And with a conscious dignity, he spake of himself, in his lowest abasement, as the judge of the world, and the arbiter of men's eternal state, "when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all his holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations." Matt. xxv. 31, 32.

The coming of the Lord signifies, therefore, the appearance of Christ in human nature to judge the world: when he shall exercise omnipotence, omniscience, and every divine perfection; and so'" come in his own glory" as Mediator," and in the glory of the Father," as sovereign Lord of all. This revelation of Jesus Christ will be visible to the whole world, "this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner, as ye have seen him go into heaven." "Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they that have pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him: even so. Amen." Acts i. 11. Rev. i. 7. The man Jesus, in his glorified body, even that body which was crowned with thorns, scourged, spitted on, and nailed to the cross; will then be made visible to all men, to those who thus abused him, and to such as have in every age consented to this deed by despising him and his salvation. He will be seen by "all who have crucified him," as it were, again and again; as well as by them, for whom " he once suffered, the just for the unjust, to bring them unto God."

But how immensely will his appearance, as judge of the world, differ from that of the man of sorrows!-The mount of transfiguration, when "his countenance shone as the sun, and his raiment was like lightning;" yea, the vision of his glory, which caused his beloved disciple, who had once reclined on his bosom, in the familiarity of endeared friendship, to "fall down at his feet as dead;" can give us but a faint idea of that divine light and majesty, with which he will be arrayed, when he shall ascend his awful tribunal. "He shall then be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels:" the angels of his power and authority; the ministers of his vengeance and his love." At the end of the world, the Son of man shall send forth his angels; and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them that do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." "They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; and he shall send his angels, and they shall gather together his elect." Matt. xiii. 41-43. xxiv. 30, 31. Hence it is evident that all the angels are the creatures and servants, as well as the worshippers, of the incarnate Son of God.

His coming will be announced by a summons august and tremendous beyond description; and immediately followed by the resurrection of the dead. "The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel and the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first." "Behold I shew you a mystery! We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."-" The hour cometh, when all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good to the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation." 1 Thess. iv. 16, 17. 1 Cor. xv. 51, 52. John v. 28, 29. Believers will rise first, and then such of the saints as shall be alive on the earth at that time, will be changed; that "death may be swallowed up in victory." Afterwards the multitudes of the wicked will "awake to shame and everlasting contempt."-The bodies of the unnumbered millions, who through succeeding ages have inhabited the globe, wherever laid, or however consumed, will be restored to life, and reunited to their immortal souls, that they may participate their happiness or misery. "Then the dead, small and great, shall stand before God. The sea shall give up the dead that were in it; and death and hell shall deliver up the dead which were in them." Rev. xx. 13-15.

At this important crisis, the earth and all its works, yea, the visible heavens also, shall become one general conflagration: "the heavens and earth which now are, by the same word, are kept in store, reserved unto fire, against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass

1

;

away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also, and all the works which are therein shall be burnt up." 2 Peter iii. 10-22. Yea, "heaven and earth shall flee away, and there shall be found no place for them."

In vain should we attempt a description of this sublime and awful scene: our faculties labour, and our tongues as it were faulter, when we would think or speak of such subjects!-What then will be the feelings of the immense multitudes assembled on this occasion! What the astonishment, terror, and despair of the impenitent! of such as have idolized those things, which are the prey of all devouring flames: of those who have blasphemed that Saviour, who appears to be their Judge, or ridiculed the divine testimony concerning the place of torment, and those evil spirits which are ready to seize upon them? Let us then recollect, that we shall be present, not as mere spectators, but as cited" to give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead." "For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Cor. v. 10. Our present conduct is voluntary; we choose whether we will serve the Lord, or no: but we shall not be allowed to choose, whether we will stand before his tribunal, or decline the awful decision.

It is extremely frivolous to start objections against the doctrines of revelation, taken from our low apprehensions, or levelled against the misinterpretations of injudicious believers. "Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God." He hath declared these things in his authenticated word: "his testimony is sure and giveth wisdom unto the simple:" and he "that believeth not hath made him a liar."

Will any man presume to say, that it is impossible for God to raise the dead? That human nature should be capable of such daring absurdity, ought to cover us with shame, and cause us to tremble.-Let us, my friends, imitate the old patriarch, who "by faith being warned of God of things not seen as yet, was moved with fear and prepared an ark." Let us prepare to meet our God, and seriously inquire "who may abide the day of his coming? or who may stand when he appeareth?"

Neither ought we to regard those "scoffers," who according to the prediction of the apostle, are "come in these last days, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." We know not indeed the precise time when the Lord shall come; but we should not be ignorant that," one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day:" and we are assured that "the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night; for when they shall say, peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape." I Thess. v. 2, 3. Death is very near, and judgment follows. In this sense "The Judge standeth at the door:" and "the end of all things is at hand." "Be ye therefore ready; for ye know not the time when the Son of man cometh." The intervening space will soon elapse: let us " then account his long-suffering to be salvation" and "seeing we look for such things, let us be diligent, that we may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless."-We proceed therefore,

II. To consider the discoveries which will then be made.-" The Lord shall come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts."

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all his holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory; and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats:"-that is, with perfect ease, and infallible certainty. Then shall he be seated on the great white

throne, the emblem of his awful justice and spotless purity," and the books shall be opened."-This expression, referring to the affairs of men, leads our thoughts to the discoveries of that solemn season. The book of the divine law shall be opened, as the perfect standard of good and evil; the book of providence, stating the talents committed to the stewardship of each individual, with the advantages or disadvantages of his situation; the book of omniscience, developing all the particulars of every man's conduct, and all the motives and thoughts of his heart; and the book of conscience or memory, answering to every charge or discovery, however before buried in oblivion. But another book shall also be opened, or no flesh could be saved; even the book of life, in which all the elect of God, all true believers, are registered, with the evidences of their repentance, faith, and love. Then, all" men will be judged out of those things, which are written in the books, according to their works. And whosoever shall not be found written in the book of life shall be cast into the lake of fire." Rev. xx. 12—15.

We know but little of the real characters even of those with whom we are most intimately acquainted; and far less of other mens. A vast proportion of their outward conduct is concealed from us: what strangers then must we be to the dispositions and counsels of their hearts! Perhaps a tenth part of the actions of our nearest relatives or friends, do not come under our notice we must therefore judge as well as we can; and though caution be necessary, a measure of suspicion adequate to our uncertainty, would mar all our earthly enjoyments. David seems not to have suspected Ahithopel, nor the Apostles Judas: yet they were both plausible hypocrites. Many of you, my friends, may perhaps be conscious, that if your neighbours, or relations, knew certain things in your conduct, which you carefully and successfully conceal; your characters would be injured, and yourselves covered with confusion. "But when the Lord shall come, he will bring to light all these hidden things of darkness." Then the dishonesty and extortion which have here escaped detection, and even suspicion; or which have been pleaded for with specious fallacy, will appear in all their deformity before men and angels. The oppression, rapine, and cruelty, which have been gilded over with the splendour of great talents and renowned atchievements, will be viewed in another light: when "the earth shall disclose her blood, and no more cover her slain." Nor will that degrading licentiousness and sensuality, which are often covertly practiced by persons of decent or respectable character, any longer be concealed; though it be now a shame "to speak of those things which are done of them in secret."

But to relieve our minds from such painful reflections, let us take a view of the contrast. The Lord will also bring to light the good works of his believing people: " he saw them in secret, and he will reward them openly." Those fruits of faith and love, which the world perhaps vilified and called by some opprobrious name; and those, in which they scarcely "let the left hand know what the right hand did," will then be disclosed and approved by the righteous Judge. The self-denial of his despised disciples, in sparing from every article of expence and indulgence, to raise a little fund for the relief of the needy, and even of their calumniators and persecutors: their secret prayers, and compassionate tears over the very persons, who counted them harsh and uncharitable, because they would not "speak peace when there was no peace;" Jer. xiii. 17. their scrupulous care to avoid every degree of injustice, when no blame was likely to be cast upon them for it; their earnestness in secret devotion, with deep humiliation and enlarged benevolence: all these will be discovered when the Lord shall come, and greatly tend to illustrate and distinguish the characters of men. The blemishes and misconduct of pious persons are too often visible to their neighbours, and give occasion to their scoffs and impiety: but it will then appear, that these things were lamented before God with many groans and tears; that they condemned themselves more severely than others could condemn them; that they prayed without ceasing not to be left to repeat their sin and folly; and