The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 479

lrn'"e seen him in those whom they relieved. them" (Wied. i. lS, eto.). Into everlasting Such stories arc told of Saints Augustine, fire ( .-b ,rvp .-b a1~v,o,, the fire whioh i& ever- Christopher, J\J nrtin, and others. And fed thee uuting). To the poignant regret for the ( Mplii,aµ,v). Instead of " gave me to eat" loss of happiness and of the presence of God ('"er. 35). Siok or in prison, and came unto there is added physical anguish, expressed thee. Instead of" sick, and ye visited me; in metaphorically by the term "fire." TI.ii& is prison," rte. The Lord oould not more oalled everlasting, and however in these emphntioolly have recommended works of days of compromise we may seek to minimize mercy as ha'"ing the highest valne in hi■ or modify the attribute, it was so understood estimRtion. "There is a mystery in mnny by our Lord's hearers (see below on ver. of the actions 'of men, which needs the 46). Prepared for the devil and hia angels. interpretation of the Master" (Morison). This region or sphere of torment was not \'er. 40.-The King shall answer. The 118 the kingdom of the righteous, prepared royal Judge condescends to explain the for man originally; it was p,uticnlarly de- meaning of the seeming pe.radox. Inasmuch signed (.-b '1,.-o,µa<Tµevov) for Satan and his as; •<P' ;,<Tov, rendered in the Vulgate quam- myrmidons (see 2 Pet. ii. 4, 9), and will not diu, rather, quatenm, in which sense the be perfected till the last judgment (Rev. :u:. phrase is found also in Rom. xi 18. Unto 10). There is no hint of its being remedial one of the least of these my brethren. That or oorrective; and what it is to the devil is, not the apostles, nor specially Christians, it must be to those who share it with but all the afflicted who have fellowship him. It is man's own doing that he is unfit with Christ in his sufferings and sorrows. for the company of saints and angels, and, Any such he is not e.shamed to call his having made himself like unto the evil brethren. Ye have done (J/e did) it unto spirits by rebellion and hatred of good, he me. The Lord so perfectly identifies him- mDBt consort with them and she.re their doom. self mth the human family, whose nature It eeems as though there· were no proper he assumed, that he me.de their sorrows and place for man's punishment ; there is no sufferings his own (ls&. lili. 4 ; !xiii 9 ; eh. book of death corresponding to the book of viii 17), he 61Iffered nth the sufferers; his life (Rev. :u:. 12, eto.); the wioked are in perfect sympathy placed him in their posi- an anomalous state, and, shut out by their tion ; in all their affliction he was afflicted. own action from their proper inheritance, From this identification it follows that he fall into the sooiety of demons. How to re- regards that which is done to others as done ooncile this destiny, whioh seems inconceiv- to l.iimself. Thus he could expostulate with ably terrible, with God's mercy, love, and the persecutor, "Saul, Sa.nl, why perse- justice, has al ways proved a stnmbling-blook cutest thou me f" And we have the amazing to free-thinkers. It is, indeed, e. mystery revelation that he receives with the same which we oannot understand, and which gracioUBDess the pious workings of natural Obrist has purposely left unexplained. We religion in the oase of those who know no oan only bow the head and say, " Shall not better. the Judge ofe.ll the earth do right?" (Gen. Ver. 41.-Unto them on the left hand. :xviii 25). The sentenoe on these is comprised in vers. Vera. 42, 48.-The Lord gives the ground 41-45. It is conveyed in terms parallel to of the sentence, which proceeds on the same that on the righteous ; but how infinite the terms as the former one. The crimea for difference I Depart from me! Not" Come I" which these souls rue punished are those of (ver. 84). What B world of misery is con- omission and negligence; they failed to per tained in this word, "Depart " I As 1.he form the most elementary d11ties of oharity liglit of God's oountene.noe is happinese, so and brotherly love whioh consoience and banishment from his presence is utter woe. nature.I religion enjoin; they had lived What it implies we know not ; we will not utterly selfish and unprofitable lives. If attempt to imagine. God preserve us from sins of omission are thus punished, we may '3Ver knowing I Ye cursed. He had called infer that positive transgressions shall meet the righteous, "blessed of my Father: " he with still heavier retribution. doe11 not term these, "oursed of my Father," Ver. 44.-Then shall they also answer because God willeth not the death of a [him]. Not in words, for at that timeobjeo- sinner. "Not he laid the curse upon them, iion and e:xpostnle.tion would not be allowed, but their own works" (St. ChryBOStom, in but in thought, "standing at the judgment,. we.). It was no part of God'■ clesign that - t , yet 0868ing not to sin." There is a any of his creatll1'811 should suffer this oerte.in self-oonfldence in their reply, very misery. "God me.de not death, neither he.th different from the humility and misgiving he plelll!ure in the deBtruction of the Ii ving. of the righteo11B. When 1aw we thee, eto. P For he crea~ e.11 thinga, that they migh& They put all these negleoted dutie11 in a have their being ... but ungodly men with careless summary. They had never thought their wordii ud worb calied death unto of Christ in the matter : were they to be ou, xxv. 1--HJ.J THE GOSPEL ACOORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 485