The first and most obvious distinction is into grown persons and infants.
The second distinction is those whom Christ shall find dead or alive at his coming.
The third distinction is of good or bad.
The fourth distinction of men whom Christ shall judge are believers and unbelievers.
Fifth, Men of all conditions, high and low, rich and poor ; of these see Mat. xxv. 33, ser. iii.
Sixth, Men of all callings in the church, apostles and private christians, ministers and people ; for the apostle here in the text joineth himself with others, and saith, ' We must all appear belbre the judgment-seat of Christ.' Besides the law of Christianity, by which all shall be judged, the officers and guides of the church must give an account of their faithfulness in their ministration. There is much spoken in scripture of their account : 1 Cor. iv. 4, 5, ' I know nothing by myself, yet ani I not thereby justified, but he that judgeth me is the Lord ; therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and shall make manifest the counsels of the heart, and then shall every man have praise of God.' He speaketh there of the execution of his apostolical office; though he was conscious to himself of no fault in it, yet this was not the clearing of him, only God that searcheth and seeth all must do this. It is a great matter to clear a man's fidelity, first as a minister, then as a private christian. Paul would not venture it upon the single testimony of his own conscience; so again, Heb. xiii. 17, 'They watch for your souls, as they that must give an account.' Their work is to w^atch over souls for their eternal salvation. If souls miscarry through their negligence, they are answerable to God for it ; but if they miscarry throngh their own wilfulness, the loss is the people's ; they liave the crown of faithfulness, if not of fruitfulness. The crown of fruitfulness is spoken of, 1 Thes. iii. 19, 20, ' What is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming ? for ye are our glory and joy.' The Thessalonians were a good people, famous for their proficiency in the faith, and endurance
VeR. 10.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 51
of persecutions ; and this was Paul's crown (who had begotten them to Christ) in the day of doom. Now when they give up their account, not with joy but grief, that is not unprofitable to the ministers ; but to the people it is unprofitable. It may be good unto the ministers, who have been faithful, but not to the people, who have been disobedient.
Seventh, Every individual person, all and every one must appear ; see Mat. xxv. 33, ser. iii. Well then, since there is such a day, let it be our care to approve our hearts and lives to God.
SEEMON XIV.
For loe must all appear he fore the judgment-seat of Christ. —
2 CoR. V. 10.
Thirdly, I come to speak of the judge. — Who shall be the judge? And there I shall prove that the judge of the world is the Lord Jesus Christ ; — ' For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ.' For the evidencing of this, I shall inquire —
1. Why this honour is devolved and put upon the second person.
2. Show in what nature he shall judge the world, whether as God or man, or both.
First, How Christ comes to be the world's judge, and with what conveniency and agreeableness to reason this honour is put upon him. To a judge there belong these four things — wisdom, justice, power, and authority.
1. Wisdom and understanding, by which he is able to judge of all persons and causes that come before him, according to the rules and laws by which the judgment is to proceed. No man can give sentence in a cause where he hath not skill as to matter of right, or sufficient evidence or knowledge as to matter of fact. And therefore, in ordinary judicatures, a prudent and discerning person is chosen for judge, one that knows what is right, and what is law, and that goes upon the evidence that is brought upon the matter of fact.
2. Justice is required, or a constant and unbiassed will, to determine and pass sentence ex aquo et bono, according as right and truth shall require. He that gives wrong judgment because he does not accurately understand the matter, is imprudent, which in his station is a great fault ; but he that understands the matter, yet, being biassed by perverse aftections and aims, gives wrong judgment in a cause brought before him, he is not only imprudent, but unjust, and that is the highest wickedness, the most impious and flagitious.
3. Power is necessary, that he may compel the parties judged to stand to his judgment, and the offenders may receive their due punish- ment, for otherwise all is but precarious and arbitrary, and the judg- ment given will be but a vain and solemn pageantry, a mere person- ating or acting of a part, if there be not power to back the sentence, and bring the persons to the tribunal, that accordingly it may be executed upon them.