the sentence passed upon them. This I conceive to be the true sense of the last clause of my text ; which was intended to fortify them against all which was about to be realized in their Lord, and which they themselves also were, in due time, des- tined to experience.]
But we must further consider these words,
II. As addressed to his faithful followers in every
age-
There is, between them and the Apostles, a great resemblance :
1. They answer to the same character —
[Though Christ himself is out of the reach of men, his word, his cause, his people, are treated precisely as he was in the days of his flesh. " Was he despised and rejected of men ? " So is his Gospel, wherever it is proclaimed. It is " to some a stumbling-block, and to others foolishness," as much as ever. Nor is there, in the whole universe, a faithful servant of his who has not a cross to bear for his sake. But they are all firm in their Master's cause : they suffer nothing to turn them aside from following him : yea rather, instead of being intimidated by sufferings, they rejoice that they are counted worthy to suffer shame, or even death itself, for his sake ]
2. For them, also, are reserved the same honours —
[At the table of the Lord above is Abraham sitting, and Lazarus next to him, with his head, as it were, reposed on Abraham's bosom d. And there shall every true Disciple feast
with his divine Master for evermore e To them, also,
shall be assigned " thrones and kingdoms," even as God the Father has assigned them to his well-beloved Son. It is by an express covenant that these were given to Christ f; and by covenant does Christ also confer them on his people : they " inherit a kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world." And they, too, shall be assessors with Christ in judgment. Of this there can be no doubt. St. Paul says to the Church at Corinth, " Know ye not that the saints shall judge the world? yea, know ye not that we shall judge angels e?" What then shall influence us, or what shall we regard in comparison of these things ? Let us be content to hun- ger now, if we may but feast then : and if called to surrender thrones and kingdoms, and to lay down our lives as martyrs, let us willingly make the sacrifice, knowing how abundantly we shall be recompensed through eternal ages ]
d They reclined on couches at their feasts. e Rev. xix. 9.
f This is the force of hariOefjau e 1 Cor. vi. 2, 3.