I. Proof of a general Judgment.— The arguments for this are these: 1. The justice of God requires it ; for it is evident that this attribute is not clearly displayed in tlw! dispensation of things in the present state (2 Tliess. i,G,7; Luke xiv,26). 2. The accusations of natural con- science are testimonies in favor of this belief (Rom. ii, 15; Dan. v, 5, G; Acts xxiv, 25). 3. It may be con- cluded, from the relation men stand in to God, as crea- tures to a Creator. He has a right to give them a law, and to make them accountable for the breach of it (Kom. xiv, 12). 4. The resurrection of Christ is a certain proof of it. See Acts xvii, 31 ; Rom. xiv, 9. 5. The Scrip- ture, in a variety of places, sets it bevond all doubt (Jude 14, 15; 2 Cor. v, 10; Matt, xxv; Rom. xiv, 10, 11; 2 Thess. i, 7, 10 ; 1 Thess. iv, 16, 17). See above. Judg- ment, Last.
II. The Judge. — The Bible declares that God will judge the world by Jesus Christ (Acts xvii, 31). The triune God Avill be the Judge, as to original authority, power, and right of judgment; but according to the economy settled between the three divine persons, the work is assigned to the Son (Rom. xiv, 9, 10), who will appear in his human nature (John v, 27 ; Acts xvii, 31), with great power and glory (1 Thess. iv, 16, 17) ; visible to every eye (Rev. i, 7) ; penetrating every heart (1 Cor. iv, 5 ; Rom. ii, IG) ; with fidl authority over all (Jlatt. xxviii, 18), and acting with strict justice (2 Tim. iv, 8). As for the concern of others in the judgment, angels will be no otherwise concerned than as attendants, gath- ering the elect, raising the dead, etc., but not as advising or judging. Saints are said to judge the world, not as co-judges with Christ, but as a|ii)rovers of his sentence, and as their holy lives and cxliortations will rise up in judgment against their wickctl neiglilmrs (I Cor. vi,2,3).
HI. The Persons that vill he judged. — These will be men and devils. The righteous will probably be tried first, as represented in Matt. xxv. They will be raised first, though ]ierhaps not a thousand years before the rest, as some have supposed [see jMillennium] ; since the resurrection of all the bodies of the saints is spoken of as in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, in order to their meeting the Lord in the air, and being with him, not on earth, but forever in heaven (1 Cor. xv, 52; 1 Thess. iv, 16, 17).
IV. The Rule of Judgment. — We are informed that the books will be opened (Rev. xx, 12) : 1. The book of di- vine omniscience (]Mal. iii, 5), or remembrance (jMal. iii, 15); 2. The book of conscience (Rom. i, IG); 3. The book of Providence (Rom. ii, 4, 5) ; 4. The book of the Scriptures, law, and Gospel (John xii, 48 ; Rom. ii, 12, IG); 5. The book of life (Luke x, 20; Rev. iii, 5; xx, 12, 15).
V. The Time of Judgment. — The soul will be either happy or miserable immediately after death, but the general judgment will not be till after the resurrection (Heb. ix, 27). There is a day appointed (Acts xvii, 31), but it is unknown to men. See Intermediate State.
VI. The Place. — This is also uncertain. Some sup- pose it wUl be in the air, because the judge will come in
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the clouds of heaven, and the living saints will then be changed, and the dead saints raised, and both be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. iv, 16, 17). Oth- ers think it will be on the earth, on the new eartli, on which they will descend from the air with Christ. The place where, however, is of no consequence, when com- pared with the state in which we shall appear. As the Scriptures represent it as certain (Eccles. xi, 9), univer- sal (2 Cor. v, 11), righteous (Kom. ii, 5), decisive (1 Cor. XV, 52), and eternal as to its consequences (Heb. vi, 2), let us be concerned for the welfare of our immortal in- terests, flee to the refuge set before us, improve our pre- cious time, depend on the merits of the Redeemer, and adhere to the dictates of the divine Word, that we may be found of him in peace. See Bates, WorL^, p. 449; Hopkins and Stoddard, On the Lust Judgment ; Gill, Body of Divinitij, ii, 467, 8vo; Boston, Fourfold State; Her- vcy. Works, new edition, i, 72, 75 ; ii, 28, 223 ; iv, 155.— Henderson's Buck. See Kesuurection.
Judgment-hall. See Pr.etorium.
Judgment-seat (ftijfia, properly a step, hence a rostrum or stage for speakers ; as a " throne," e. g. Her- od's in the theatre at Cssarea, Acts xii, 21), an elevated scat or tribunal (in James ii, 6, the term is Kpm'jpiov, a court of justice), especially of the Roman governor (Matt, xxvii, 19; John xix, 13; Acts xviii, 12, 16, 17; XXV, 6, 10, 17) : hence of the final bar of God (Rom. xiv, 10 ; 2 Cor. v, 10). See Pavement.