Ver. 10.-Thejuagment. I. THE JUDGYENT rs CERTAIN, 1, It is a matter of most definite revelation. 2. It is necessary for the vindication of Divine justice, II. CHRIST WILL BE THE JUDGE. "The judgment-seat of Christ." 1, A very solemn f3:ct (1; for ~ose who have r~j~ted his salvation 11-nd bis rule; (2) or wb.o ·have treat.ed his clmms with neglect and md1fferenc.e ; (3) or who have professed to believe on him, but in works have 1enied him. 2, A ".ery joyous fact for tho.se who have loved, confessed, and served hlill, 3. A very impressive fact that the O»e who died for men will judge men. . . Ill. ALL WILL BT~"ll BEFORE CHRIST'S JUDGMENT-SEAT. Not one will be missing; How vast an assemblage! A great multitude, and yet no on11 lost in the crowd I We shall be conscious of the great number which no man can number, and yet b!l im_pressed with our own individuality. "Each one" will receive (ver. 10)-one by one, Every day we are brought a day nearer to that dread convocation. _ _ , IV. AT THE JUDGMEST-SE.AT OF CHRIST TIIERE WILL BE A GREAT REVELATION, 1. Of character. 2. Of condition. 3. Of life. We shall be "made manifest.'' Life- secrets will cease. Successful deceptions will be successful no longer. All veils ,and disguises will be tom off. The world as well as God will see us as we are. V. AT THE JUDGMEJIT-BEAT OF CHRIST WE SHALL RECEIVE OUR 000111. This will be according to the deeds of our life. Will the faithful then be justified by faith ? Yes; by faith which produces works. Profession will then go for very little, "Lord, Lord," will be but an empty cry. Ability to pray fluently or to preach eloquently will not come into the account. Nor the ability to look extremely pious. Nor facility,of talk respecting "blessed seasons" enjoyed on earth. What faith has wrought in us will be the guestion. What our Christianity has amounted to really and practically. "A name to live " then will be nothing if we are found " dead.'' Upon the branch pro- fessedly united to the Vine/ruit will then be sought. "Faith without works is dead." At the judgment it will seem very dead indeed. Yet not by the mere outward act shall we be judged. The motive will be considered as well as the actual deed. "Faith which worketh by love" (Gal. v. 6) will be diligently sought for. Note: 1. The dis- tinction between good and evil will be strictly drawn at the judgment'. 2. There will be degrees of reward and punishment. Some "saved as by fire; 1' some bavin" an "abundant entrance; " some beaten with few stripes, some with many, It will be "according to what he hath dooe." 8, '.l'he dependence of the future upon the present. We shall receive the things done in the body. A remarkable expression. What we do now we shall receive then. We are now writing the sentence of the judgment I Time is sowing, J udgment is reaping. "What manner of persons ought we to be? "-H. Ver. 14.-The constraining influence of the love of 0/irist. I. CONSIDER THE LOVE OF CHRIST. Shown in: 1. .Advent. Relinquishment of heavenly glory, The highest c11, v, 1-21.] THE BEOoND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 13,j
plaoo above- excbe.nged for one of the lowest on earth. 2. Assumption of h'IJlfll,(J/f/, natUtre. A vast condescension, A most striking proof of love. 3. Life. Miracles, acts of kindness, words, spirit, 4. Death. A transcendent proof. (1) Death for enemies. (2) Death at the hands of those he came to save. (3) Most painful death, (a) physically, (b) mentally, and (o) spiritually. "My God, my Cl-od, why bast thou forsaken me?" (4) A deo.th the object of which was the redemption, purification, exaltation, and eternal happiness of men. 6. Intercession. " He ever liveth to make intercession " (Heh. vii. 25). II. CONSIDER THE EFFECT OF THE LOVE OF CHRIST. It constrained the apostle-" com- pressed with irresistible power all his energies into one channel." "Constraineth "- its influence was continuous. Its power was not soon spent ; rather that power increased as the love of Christ was increasingly realized. 1. Negativdy. Not to live to himself (ver. 15). There was now a greater power operating upon him than the mighty power of self. 2. Positively, To live to Christ (ver. 15). The love of Christ overmastered him. He felt that through it he had been purchased with a great price, and therefore sought to glorify Christ in his body and spirit which were peculiarly his. (1) By a blameless.life. (2) By seeking to show forth Christ in bis character, spirit, acts, etc. (3)-lly submitting his will to Christ's in all things. (4) By cherishing a deep love for Christ. (5) By seeking to extend the kingdom and to increase the glory- of Clhrist. (6) By being wholly devoted to Christ. He was wont to speak of himself as the "slave of Christ."-H. Ver. 17.-" A new creature." I. How THE NEWNESS ORIGINATES. 1. The believer has died with Ghrist. (Ver. 14.) Christ is his Substitute, has borne his sins, has I:1Bde complete satisfaction for his guilt. By faith he is so united to Christ that what Christ has done is imputed to.him. He is thus new in relation to God. He was condemned; now he is justified. 2. The believer partakes of the life of Ghrist. He is " risen with . Christ" (Col. iii. 1). He bas received the Spirit of Christ. Having been jnstified. he is now being sanctified, The likeness of the Redeemer is being wrought upon and in him by the Holy Ghost. 'l'here is thus a " new creation." The old life was a life of sin, but the new life-to which he has risen is a life of righteousness. The love of Christ constrains him (ver. 14) to live, not to himself, but to Christ. II. How THE NEWNESS IS MANIFESTED. In the believer's (1) spirit; (2) speech; (3) character; (4) acts; (5) plans, purposes, desires, etc. "All things are become new" (ver. 17). There is no, part of the believer's life from which the newness should be absent. Whilst not yet perfect, manifestly a great change has taken place: " Old things are passed a.way" ( ver. 17). III. Tms NEWNESS ·FURNISHES A TEST. What have we more than onr profession of Christianity? Have we been transformed; made new creatures? " Ye must be born a.gain" (John iii. 7), Can faith save a. man-faith which bas a name to live, but is dead; faith which we only know a man possesses because he tells us so? We are not in Christ at all unless thereby we have become new creatures. The test is beyond appeal. The sentence of the judgment will proceed upon the assumption of its infalli- bility (ver. 10). All men in Christ become new creatures. "If any man," etc. l,. decided change takes place in the best as well as in the worst. All men may become new creatures in Christ. The vilest can be re-created equally with the most moral. This newness is not to be waited for till we enter another world. It belongs to this sphere in which we now are. Unless we are new creatures in this world we shall not be new creatures in .another. It is on earth that "new creatures " are specially needed.-H.