of tho Olcl Toslnment pitioth his ohildr~n, clifficult, but moro comprchensiblo. As far ancl knowoth thoir fmmo (Ps. ciii. 13, 14), as this world is concerned, those who arn encl the Fnther of Jesus Chriet loves tho clothed upon with the honae not mado with worlrl, and oounts tho very hairs of our heo.cla. hands-those who are with Christ, nrc to all '.rho Son wlll not exorciao this judgment appearance dead, and in their "graves," in with leas regard to the claims of eterno.l theil' memorial-places: but they will all justice tho.n the Father; but his knowledge hear the voice of the Son, and they will of humanity is, by tho nnture of the caee, e. come forth; they that have done I good guarantee of such application of the justice things, to the resurrection of life; they that of God to tho caso of every individual, the.t h&Ve praotiaed evil things, to the resurrection man's knowledgo of himself will be able of judgment. They will come forth from personally to justify and verify it. The these hiding-places of fading memories. Divine ju<lgment will go forth from the heo.rt Even tombs of prophets and kings are them- of man himself. selves buried, covered by the graves of the Vera. 28, 29.-lt is impossible not to draw many gcnerntions that have followed. The a distinction between the theme of these grave-hidden will come forth into what we verses and tho.t of vers. 2-l, 25. The Lord call the reality, visibility, tangibility, of announces an event which is in the future things. The hour is coming on apace when altogether. 1'he" and now is," which charac- Death himself shall be dead, and the mys- terized the fu·st resurrection of which he tery of time be finished. They that rise will spoke, is here omitted. '.rhe description of divide themselves into two classes. The ana- the subjects of the resurrection ns those " in stasis will have two forms. There is a '· re- their graves," contra.distinguishes them from surrection of life" and a "resurrection of "the dead'' of ver. 25-o. phrase which will judgment.'' Those who have indeed passed suffer several interprete.tions. Thfl univer- from spiritual death to life will not come into se.lity of the summons, and the impossibility "judgment" (not ,cplµa. or ,caTcl.,cp,µa, but of neglecting it or ignoring it, form another ,cpltns) when their anastasis is complete, marked contrast to the resurreotion already their judgment is over, their life is secure. referred to. Marvel not at this ! At wba.t ? When those who ha.ve not heard the voice Clearly e.t the entire statement that the of the Son of God, have not come to the resurrection of dead souls will be the un- light, who a.re not of God nor of the truth- doubted issue of e.ccepting Christ's word e.nd men who have deliberately practised "evil identifying it with the word of God. Marvel things" without compunction or amend- not the.t the judgment of the world is en- ment,-when these are called from their trusted to "the Son," because he is both tombs, from their shadowy hiding-places, Son of man as well as Son of God. " Marvel into the presence of him who executes judg- not" is a relative word. It means obviously ment, it will be to undergo the (,cpiuis) that there is a gree.ter marvel still in store. jurlgment (2 Cor. v.10). We must, indeed, all Beoauae the hour is ooming; always coming, be made manifest before the judgment-throne though it seemeth long-coming swiftly, of Christ, to receive the consequences of "the measured on the great olock-face of the uni- doing of well" and "the practice of evil." verse. Geological time, astronomical mons, The issue of the one is lije, and of the other should before this have rebuked our imper- is judgment. The suggestion seems to be tinence about the dele.ys of God, e.nd our that such judgment may issue nnfe.vourably, shallow criticism of the fulness •of the times. but the thought is centred npon the process " One day is with the Lord as e. thousand of the judgment. The effort of Reuss e.nd years, e.ud a thouse.nd years as one day." others to draw e. marked distinction between As compared with geological annals, still the esohatology of the synoptists and of less with Go<l.'s eternities, it is only the de.y John fails. Christ does not represent the before yesterday when Adam fell; it is only spiritual resurrection as "greater work" yesterclny that Jesus died o.nd rose again, than the physical resurrection. On the con- and to-morrow that he will come in his glory. trary, while he speaks of the marr,elling of The hour is coming when all who are in his heE1rers at his claim to quicken the the graves shall hear his voice. The same spiritue.lly dead, yet the ground of their voice that wakes the spiritue.lly dead shall pierce the clods, shall find the buried dead, 1 no,<i'v and 1rpcluu•1v a.re compared with
shall bring once mol"0 into the world of the eaoh other in eh. iii. 20, 21 (see notes). The visible nnd tangible the long-forgotten livea. two places where these words are used, are Every solitary life lives with him 1111d be- mutually explanatory. Those that ho.ve fore him. 1'he orgnnio clothing of the spirit, done good and come to the light, will at which goes on, as St. Paul suggests (2 Cor. the last pass into resurrectiou-liJ'e-those v, 1) from the death of the physical body who have practiseu evil things and dreaded ttll the coming of the Son of God with iwd turned a.way from Divine illumination, glory, does not render this stntement more will rise to judgment of condemno.tiou, 218 THE GOSPEL ACG'ORDING 'l'O ST. JOHN [en. v.1-1?,