Inference 1. Is Jesus Christ ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead ? Great then is the security believers have, that they shall not be condemned in that day. Who shall condemn, when Christ is Judge ? If believers be condemned in judgment, Christ must give sentence against them ; yea, and they must condemn them- selves too. I say, Christ must give sentence, for that is the proper and peculiar office of Christ. And, to be sure, no sentence of con- demnation shall in that day be given by Christ against them. For,
First, He died to save them, and he will never cross and over- throw the designs and ends of his own death. That cannot be imagined. Nay,
Secondly, They have been cleared and absolved already. And being once absolved by divine sentence, they can never be con- demned afterward. For one divine sentence cannot cross and rescind another. He justified them here in this world by faith: Declared in his word, (which shall then be the rule of judgment, Rom. ii. 16.) that " there is no condemnation to them that are " in Christ," Rom. viii. 1. And surely he will not retract his own word, and give a sentence quite cross to his own statute- book, out of which he hath told us that they shall be judged. Moreover,
Thirdly, The far greatest part of them will have passed their particular judgment, long before that day, and being therein ac- quitted by God the Judge of all ; and admitted into heaven upon the score and account of their justification ; it cannot be imagined that Christ should now condemn them with the world. Nay,
Fourthly, He that judged them is their head, husband, friend, and brother : who loved them, and gave himself for them. O then, with what confidence may they go, even unto his throne? and say, with Job, " Though he try us as fire, we know we shall " come forth as gold." We know that we shall be justified. Es- " pecially, if we add, that they themselves shall be the assessors with Christ in that day. And, (as a judicious f author pertinently ob- serves,) not a sentence shall pass without their votes. " So as that " they may by faith not only look upon themselves as already in " heaven, sitting with Christ, as a common person, in their right ; " but they may look upon themselves as judges already. So that
* V2y Xh f Goodwin's Triumph, p. 146.
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" if any sin should arise to accuse or condemn, yet it must be with " their votes. And what greater security can they have than this, " that they must condemn themselves, it' they be condemned.r> No, it is not the business of that day to condemn, but to ab- solve and pronounce thein pardoned and justified, according to the sentence of Acts iii. 19. and Mat. xii. 32. So that its must needs be a time of refreshing, (as all scriptures call it,) to the people of God. You that now believe, shall not come into condemnation, John v. 24. You that now judge yourselves, shall not be con- demned with the world, 1 Cor. xi. 31, 32.
////' 2. If Christ be ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead, how miserable a case will Christless souls be in at that day ! They that are Christless now, will be speechless, helpless, and hopeless then. How will their hands hang down, and their knees knock together ! O what pale faces, quivering lips, fainting hearts, and roaring consciences will be among them in that day ! O dread- ful day ! O astonishing sight ! to see the world in a dreadful conflagration, the elements melting, the stars falling, the earth trembling, the judgment set, the prisoners brought forth ; O who shall endure this day, but those that by union with Christ are secured against the danger and dread of it ! Let me demand of poor Christless souls, whom this day is like to take unawares,
First, Do you think it possible to avoid appearing, after that terrible citation is given to the world by the trump of God ? Alas, how can you imagine it ? is not the same power that revived your dust, able to bring you before the bar ? There is a necessity that you must come forth, 2 Cor. v. 1 0. " We [must] all appear." It is not in the sinner's choice, to obey the summons or not.
Second! i/, If you must appear, are there no accusers, nor wit- nesses, that will appear against you, and confront you in the court ? What think you, was Satan so often a tempter to you here, and will he not be an accuser there ? Yes, nothing surer ; for that was the main design of all his temptations. What think you of your own consciences? are they not privy to your secret wickedness; do not they now sometimes whisper in your ears, what you care not to hear of? If they whisper now, they will thunder then, Rom. ii. 15, 16. Will not the Spirit accuse you, for resisting his motions, and stifling thousands of his convictions ? Will not your companions in sin accuse you, who drew or were drawn by you to sin ? Will not your teachers be your accusers ? How many times have you made them complain, Lord, they are iron and brass, they have made their faces harder than a roclc ; they refuse to return. Will not your very relations be vour accusers, to whom you have failed in all your relational duties ? Yea, and every one whom you have tempted to sin, abused, defrauded, over-reached ; all
534 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SEEM. XLII,
these will be your accusers. So that it is without dispute, you will have accusers* enough to appear against you.
Thirdly, Being accused before Jesus Christ what will you plead for yourselves : will you confess, or will you deny the charge. If vcu confess, what need more ? " Out of thine own mouth will I «? judge thee," saith Christ, Luke xix. 22. If you deny, and plead not guiltv, thy Judge is the searcher of hearts, and knows all things. So that it will not at all help thee to make a lie thy last refuge. This will add to the guilt, but not cover it.
Fourthly, If no defence or plea be left thee, then what canst thou imagine should retard the sentence ? Why should not Christ go on to that dreadful work ? " Must not the Judge of all the 44 earth do right ?" Gen. xviii. 25. Must not you render to every man according to his deeds ? 2 Cor. v. 10. Yes, no question but he will proceed to that sentence, how terrible soever it be to you to think on it now, or hear it then.