* Every man, every woman, every infant of days that ever breathed the vital air, will then hear the voice of the Son of God, and start into life, and appear before him. And this seems to be the natural import of that expression, _the dead, small and great_: all universally, all without exception, all of every age, sex or degree; all that ever lived and died, or underwent such a change as will be equivalent with death. For long before that day the phantom of human greatness disappears and sinks into nothing. Even in the moment of death, that vanishes away. Who is rich or great in the grave?
5. And every man shall there _give an account of his own works_, yea, a full and true account, of all that he ever did while in the body, whether it was good or evil. O what a scene will then be disclosed, in the sight of angels and men! While, not the fabled _Radamanthus_, but the Lord God Almighty, who knoweth all things in heaven and earth,
_Castigatque auditque dolos; subigitque fateri Quæ quis apud superos, furto lætatus inani, Distulit in seram commissa piacula mortem._
Nor will all the actions alone of every child of man, be then brought to open view, but all their words: seeing _every idle word which men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment_.[48] So that _by thy words_ as well as works, _thou shalt be justified; or by thy words thou shalt be condemned_. Will not God then bring to light every circumstance also, that accompanied every word or action, and if not altered the nature, yet lessened or increased the goodness or badness of them? And how easy is this to him, who is _about our bed and about our path, and spieth out all our ways_? We know, _the darkness is no darkness to him, but the night shineth as the day_.
6. Yea, he _will bring to light_ not _the hidden works of darkness_ only, but the very _thoughts and intents of the hearts_. And what marvel? For he _searcheth the reins, and understandeth all our thoughts. All things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Hell and destruction are before him without a covering. How much more the hearts of the children of men?_
7. And in that day shall be discovered every inward working of every human soul: every appetite, passion, inclination, affection, with the various combinations of them, with every temper and disposition that constitute the whole complex character of each individual. So shall it be clearly and infallibly seen, who was righteous, and who unrighteous; and in what degree every action, or person, or character was either good or evil.
8. _Then the king will say to them upon his right-hand, Come ye blessed of my Father. For I was hungry and ye gave me meat, thirsty and ye gave me drink, I was a stranger and ye took me in, naked and ye cloathed me._ In like manner, all the good they did upon earth, will be recited before men and angels: whatsoever they had done either _in word or deed, in the name_, or for the sake, _of the Lord Jesus_. All their good desires, intentions, thoughts, all their holy dispositions, will also be then remembered; and it will appear, that though they were unknown or forgotten among men, yet God _noted_ them _in his book_. All their sufferings likewise for the name of Jesus, and for the testimony of a good conscience will be displayed, _unto_ their _praise_ from the righteous Judge, their _honour_ before saints and angels, and the increase of that _far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory_.
9. But will their evil deeds too (since if we take in his whole life, _there is not a man on earth that liveth and sinneth not_) will these be remembered in that day, and mentioned in the great congregation? Many believe they will not, and ask, “Would not this imply, that their sufferings were not at an end, even when life ended? Seeing they would still have, sorrow, and shame and confusion of face to endure?” They ask farther, how can this be reconciled with God’s declaration by the prophet. _If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right; all his transactions that he hath committed, they shall not be once mentioned unto him._[49] How is it consistent with the promise which God has made, to all who accept of the gospel-covenant, _I will forgive their iniquities, and remember their sin no more_?[50] Or as the apostle expresses it, _I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more_?[51]