Thirdly, The trial itself, which hath a dark and a light side. 1. A dark side. It will fall heavy on the wicked : the judge being set, the books are opened, Rev. xx. 12., — the book of conscience, — and the book of God's remembrance. And now the sin- ner's charge being read, and all their sins laid open, — their murder, drunkenness, un- deanness, — Christ will say, " Sinners, what can you plead for yourselves that the sen- tence of death should not pass ?" The wicked being convicted Avill be speechless.
OF THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.
Then follows? that dismal gcntencc, Mat. XXV. 41., lie mah'dicti, — " Depart from rac, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels !" He that said to God, " depart from me;" Job xxi. 14., and to religion, " depart from me ;" must now hear that word pronounced from his judge, " de])art from me ;" — a dreadful sentence, hut righteous ! Ps. li. 4. The sin- ner himself shall cry, Guilty ! Though the wicked have a sea of wrath, yet not one drop of injustice. And when once the sen- tence is past, it is irreversible, there is no appealing to an higher court. 2. The trial hath a light side : it will be for increasing the joy and happiness of the righteous. The day of judgment will be a day of jubi- lee to them.
l.s^. At that day Christ their judge will own them by name. Those whom the world scorned, and looked upon as preci- sians and fools, Christ will take by the hand, and openly acknowledge them to be his favourites. What is Christ's confess- ing of men, Luke xii. 8., but his openly ac- knowledging them to be precious in his eyes ?
2d. Christ as judge will plead for them. It is not usual to be both judge and advo- cate, to sit on the bench and plead : but it shall be so at the day of judgment.
1. Christ will plead his own blood for the saints. " These persons I have paid a price for, they are the travail of my soul ; they have sinned, but my soul was made an of- fering for their sin."
2. Christ will vindicate them from all unjust censures. Here they were strange- ly misrepresented to the woild, as proud, hypocritical, factious ; Paul was called a se- ditious man, the head of a faction, Acts xxiv. 5. ; but at the day of judgment Christ will clear the saints' innocency, then he will " bring forth their righteousness as the light," Ps. xxxvii. 6. As he will wipe off tears from their eyes, so dust from their name. Moses, when he was charged with ambition that he took too mut-h nj)on him, comforted himself with this, " To-morrow will the Lord shew who are his," Numb, xvl. 5. So may the saints, when reproach- ed, comfort themselves with the day of ■udgmeut; Uien will Christ say who arc |
his; then shall the saints come forth as tho wings of a dove covered with silver.
3. Christ as judge will absolve them be- fore men an<l angels ; jis Pilate said of Christ, " I find no fault in this man," Luke xxiii. 4., so will Christ say of the elect, " I find no fault in them, I j)ronounce them righ- teous." Then follows, " come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom," Mat. XXV. 34. As if Christ should say, " O yo happy ones, the delight of my soul, tlie fruit of my sufferings, stand no longer at the bar ! Ye are heii's-apparent of the crown of heaven, enter and take possession." At the hearing of this sentence, with wliat raAnshing joy will the saints be filled? This word, " Come, ye blessed," \\\\\ be music to their ear, and a cordial to their heart.
4. Christ will mention before men and angels all the good deeds the saints have done, Mat. xxv. 35., " I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat ; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink." You that have wept in secret for sin, — that have shewn any love for Christ's name, — that have been rich in good works, — Christ will take no- tice of it at the last day, and say, " weU done, good and faithful servants." Pie himself will be the herald to proclaim youn praises; thus it shall be done to the mani wliom Christ deliglits to honour.
5. Christ will call his saints from the bar, to sit upon the bench with him to judge the world, Jude 14., " Behold the^ Lord Cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all;" 1 Cor. vi. 2., " Do ye not know that tho saints sliall judge the world?" The saints shall sit with Christ in judicature, as jus- tices of peace with the judge, — they shall ap|)hiu(l Christ's righteous sentence on the wicked, and, as it were, vote with Christ. This, as it is a great honour to the saints, .so it must needs add to the sorrows of tho wicked, to see those wliom they ojicc hat- ed and derided, sit as judges upon them.
0. Ti»e saints shall be fully crowned with, the enjoyment of God for ever. They shall; be in his sweet presence, " in whose pre- sence is fulness of joy," Ps. xvi. 11.; and this shall he for ever. The banner of God's love sliall be eternally displayed; the joys
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OF THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.