the laM day. We read that before Christ "shall be gathered all nations/'
All that have ever lived shall one day give account of themselves at the bar of Christ. All must obey the summons of the great King, and come forward to receive their sentence. Those who would not come to worship Christ on earth, will find they must come to His great assize, when He returns to judge the world.
All that are judged will be divided into two great classes. There will no longer be any distinction between kings and subjects, or masters and servants, or dissenters and churchmen. There will be no mention of ranks and denominations, for the former things will have passed away. Grace, or no grace, conversion or unconversion, faith or no faith, will be the only distinctions at the last day. All that are found in Christ will be placed among the sheep at His right hand. All that are not found in Christ will be placed among the goats at His left. Well says Sherlock, '^ Our separations will avail us nothing, unless we take care to be found in the number of Christ's sheep, when He comes to judgment."'
Let us mark, in the third place, in what manner the judgment will be conducted in the last day. We read of several striking particulars on this point. Let us see what they are.
The last judgment will be a judgment according to evidence. The works of men are the witnesses which will be brought forward, and above all their works of charity. The question to be ascertained will not merely be what we said, but what we did, — not merely what we professed but what we practised. Our works unquestion-
m MATTHEW, CHAP. XXV. 343
ably will not justify us. We arc justified by faitli with- out the deeds of the law. But the truth of our faith will be tested by our lives. Faith which hath not works is dead, being alone. (James ii. 11.)
The last judgment will be a judgment that will bring joy to all true believers. They will hear those precious words, " Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom." They will be owned and confessed by their Master before His Father and the holy angels. They shall find that the wages He gives to His faithful servants are nothing less than " a kingdom." The least, and lowest, and poorest, of the family of God, shall have a crov/n of glory, and be a king.
The last judgment will be a judgment that will bring confusion on all unconverted people. They wiD. hear those awful words, " Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire." They will be disowned by the great Head of the Church before the assembled world* They will find that as they would sow to the flesh, so of the flesh they must reap corruption. They would not hear Christ, when He said " Come unto me, and I will give you rest," and now they must hear Him say, ^' Depart, into everlasting fire." They would not carry his cross, and so they can have no place in his kingdom.
The last judgment will be a judgment that wiU strikingly bring out the characters both of the lost and saved. They on the right hand, who are Christ's sheep, will still bo ^' clothed with humility." They will marvel to hear any work of theirs brought forward and commended. — They on the left hand, who are not Christ's, will still be blind and self-righteous. They will not be sensible of any