376 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SER. VI.
Spirit, : Eph. v. 27, ' That he might present it to himself a glorious church, nor having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.' It is begun here, and consum- mated there, Col. i. 22, and Jude 25.
2. Because of the manner of his coming, in power and great glory. Every coming of Christ should be entertained with great reverence. When our first parents heard but the voice of God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, they hid themselves from his presence among the trees of the garden. When he came to give the law, Heb. xii., it was terrible, and made them quake and tremble; much more, now he cometh to judge according to the law, when articles of faith are to be made objects of sense, and God is no longer in a way of trial with the world. Christ, in the days of his flesh, when he came not to judge but to save, yet sometimes beamed out his majesty, as in the iniracle of the great draught of fishes, Luke v. 3, but especially when his enemies fell backward with a look or word from his mouth, John xviii. 6 ; his whipping the buyers and sellers out of the temple, Mat. xxi. 12 ; and at his transfiguration his disciples were afraid. Mat. xvii. 6. If his voice was so terrible in the days of his flesh, what will it be then ? He came at first in the form of a servant, Phil. ii. 6, 7 ; now he cometh as Lord and heir of all things, Heb. i. 2. Then he came in the similitude of sinful flesh, Rom. viii. 3 ; now without sin, Heb. ix. 28. Then he had a forerunner, John the Baptist, ' the voice of one crying in the wilderness,' Mat. iii. 3 ; now the archangel, 1 Thes. iv. 16. Then he had twelve companions, poor fishermen; now with saints and angels, his holy ten thousands, Jude 7. Then he raised some few to life ; now ' all shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live,' John v. 28. Then he came riding upon an ass ; now he shall come in the clouds of heaven, and the Judge shall sit in the throne of majesty, summoning the world to appear before him. As this will be comfortable to the godly, so terrible to the unprepared.
3. Because of his work when he cometh, which is to judge the world, and to make a strict inquiry into the ways of men : Rev. xx. 12, ■ And 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 the things that were written in the books, according to their works.' All actions are set in order, Ps. 1. 21, with such impartiality and strictness, that we should all tremble at the thought of it. Surely if we did believe these things we would pre- pare ourselves accordingly : Acts xvii. 31, ' He hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness.' God governeth. the world now in righteousness, but the justice of God hath not its full scope and measure. God useth patience to the wicked, and doth not give the godly their full reward. God is arbitrary in his gifts, but not in his judgments : all are under a rule, either the law of works or the gospel law : James ii. 12, 13, ' So speak and so do, as those that are to be judged by the law of liberty.'
4. After judgment sentence is passed, never to be reversed again. Here there is a possibility of retrieving it by repentance, for here it is sententia ler/is, but there it is sententia judicis, there is no appeal from this sentence. Here sentence may be repealed, Ezek. xviii. 12, ' If
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the wicked shall turn from his sins that he bath committed, and keep my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.' Therefore we have need to provide for this day.
5. Prepared 'or unprepared, we must all go forth to meet the bride- groom. Therefore we had need to consider with ourselves whether we are in case to meet him or no. Others think we make too much ado about it ; but this is the great thing that should take up our care and thoughts, whether we are upon a sure bottom for eternity : Luke x. 42, ' This is the one thing necessary.' Alas ! that we should make no greater matter of it, and set ourselves about it with no more care and seriousness, Ps. xxvii. 4. It is necessity, and our own necessity, and a necessity for so great an end ; not to live honourably and comfortably in the world, but for ever with God. In reason necessary things should be preferred before superfluous ; that which cannot be spared should be first regarded.
Use 1. Is to quicken you to rouse up yourselves, and to trim your lamps. God's messengers in all ages have raised the cry : Enoch long ago : Jude 14, 15, ' Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints.' He speaks of it as a thing in being, and actually in view ; so do we call upon men. If we had a deeper sense and more lively ap- prehensions of that day, surely we would more bestir ourselves.