(7.) Those that have perverted his ordinances : Mat. xxiv. 48 — 51, * But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart. My lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken : the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites : there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' He that maligneth. envieth, traduceth, and injureth, to his power, his most painful, faithful followers and servants, that strengtheneth the hands of the wicked, and encourageth them against the most serious, whom he seeketh to oppress, shall be most severely punished.
[2.] What is it that is so terrible ?
(1.) He is such a judge as the power of the most powerful cannot daunt; but they shall be all daunted by him: Rev. vi. 15, 16, 'The kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men', and every bondman, and every freeman hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks. Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb : for the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand ? '
(2.) Such a judge as the wealth of the wealthiest cannot bribe. What compensation can they bring Christ for the breach of his laws ? Mat. xvi. 26, ' What shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? '
(3.) He is such a judge as the wit and subtlety of the wisest and most subtle cannot delude : 1 Cor. iv. 5, ' Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart,'
62 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeR. XIV.
&c. ; and Jude 15, ' To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodlily committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him ;' and Ps. 1. 21, ' These things hast thou done, and I kept silence ; thou thoughtest that I was alto- gether such an one as thyself : But I will reprove thee, and set them in order before tliine eyes/
(4.) Such a judge that there is no appealing from his sentence, or hope of repealing of it : his doom shall stand for ever. In the world there is liberty of appeal from one court to another, where there may be a violent perverting of judgment ; as Eccles. v. 8, ' If thou seestthe oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter. For he that is higher than the highest regardeth, and there be higher than they.' But this sentence is definitive.
(5.) He is a judge whose wrath is very terrible: Ps. ii. 12, ' Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little : Blessed are all they that jnit their trust in him.'
Well then, the wicked that oppose his kingdom, and all that stand by as unconcerned, and do not enter into his covenant, they shall be judged by him, in whom they have not believed; by him, whom they have slighted ; by him, whose grace and mercy they have despised ; by him, of whom they have said in their hearts. We will not have this man to reign over us.
2. Here is comfort to the godly. Here I shall show —
[1.] Who may take comfort. Or to whom this comfort belongeth.
[2.J What comfort there is.
(1.) Who ? Believers, that believe his doctrine : John xi. 25, ' He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.' That receive his person : John i. 12, * As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God : even to them that believe on his name.' That enter into covenant with him, and so become members of his mystical body, who, feeling their misery under sin and Satan and the wrath of God, and do believe what Chi-ist hath done and suffered for man's restoration and salvation, thankfully accept him as their only Saviour and Lord, on the terms offered in the gospel, and to those ends ; even to justify, sanctify, and bring them to everlasting glory, — these are owned and accepted by him.
(2.) As by their faith, so by their love : Eph. vi, 24, ' Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity : ' and 1 Cor. xvi. 22, ' If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.' They love him above their lives ; he is the desire and delight of their souls : Ps. Ixxiii. 25, ' AVhom have I in heaven but thee ? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.' They have longed for this day, 2 Tim. iv. 8, They love his appearing. The thoughts of it was their solace in their afflictions.