The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 439

where the ·term "decision" is from a word thn.t deoot.ee a, threahing,-imttuiae~ by1 which the wheat is &eparated from the chalf; and the word ••multitudes,. iB from DDI, that signifies" a hum," and brings vividly b~fore the miod the confuaed noiae ot& v,in· c.towd. Crowds on crowds! One: li:ving, surging sea of human soul$. A thceeldng, process is being carried on. and " He shall seimrate them one from another I ,. -1 V. THI: LIFJ:•WOR!t OP :MEl1 WILi, BllJ FIKISBED ON 'l'llAT ,DAY. .. To. give evwJ'· ma.n according u his work shall be." Not his w~ks, a,s if th,ey were.iaolated det&ils; but work, as if it were a definite whole. Eveo f!O. n. f/llOTk ia 41 tha man ia. . Oil' the side of good or of evil, iu he has taken his stand, t.hffl! wUl< hia w«k be· ni.npl. "Ye did it unto me," "'Ye did it not unto me,". are. ph~ so compreheulre.u .iOJ . include -and to classify all mor&l acts whatsoever. · And however doubtful it mt,y lla"Wf li88llled at life's earlier stages, on which side apy roe might be ranged, no doubt~•- pcssihle when whe11.t and tares ,alike a.re ripe at the great harv~y. As we-, Jla9-, shown in an earlier homily, we can know men by th11ir fru.its. . ,Ooa knows th#m O)': their ten<iencies. And when tendencies hue developed. to i1J!111ea, .tlMJ righteousuM, r4 God io judging accordingly will be made manifest. ]'or~_ : , . ' V'I. A RIGHTEOUS BBOOlll'BNBll WILL, BB A WARDED- ~. THAT DAY, '" To give ev~ry man aocol'lling. as hia: work shall, be." Hel'1t we -have the dilltinct ,stat&ment !)f; the m~a11ing nd ,obj!.'l,t .of Dur Lord'.s .second· l'dvent---a me,ming and an ohjeot BP momen(ous, that we cannot dislocate thi~ reappearing. without seriously alfecti~g oua: conception of the. whole- plan•·of mEtD:lption. · U. we look •t OW' Lord as counng to bring in a. regeMration. whfoh the gospel hu-deaignedly~failed to achieve, our view3 of our dnty and .of the glorio11&. gospel will be T&ry serwuals lowered. But it la .11ott thus that Scriptlll'l81eca.ies. the,great day. It ia .the deeisive day, the day of ripenee!IJ; the day of separation, t\e day ,uf. filllll awaro {of. ea. uii. ,12). , Then Goo will jud.;e the aecrets of men. We shall aU be made manifti4 before tho.iribunal of Christ. VIL RBSU'LTS tm.J. <ioNT&AST AS WID&LY AS OQ:A~CTEB8, Ol1' T.HAT DAY. "What.. aoever a man soweth,that shall he also reap." Every man wUl reQeivt::inhiB body'*~ things done, whether good or bad. "The heav8Dll 1,1;14 ,he ~th shall 11h,\l[e, ))ut •~ Lord shall be the Hope of his people, and the Strength of the_ohil<lren of Israel." On one side we read that the wicke4 "shall be J)U:nis:b,ed •lth.evetlasting destruction," etc. On the other," He shall"come- to be glorified in his saints, and 'to be admired in all them that believe." So that it is eas_y to see th(! reason why, on the one hand, the aeeond coming of'ourlird is ~the, bl85Sed ho[18t' while oi1 t~ other it la -"the·great and t.,rrible day." . It lVi.Ube toi\ man gloriqna or·tetfibte licoorJing to the attitu_de,ef the man towards his God and •~viour. _There iB" a,dgy OODiing thlit shall burn ,a.-.," ove11, r,:lien men will •" return, and discern beti:een the righteooa' and ;t~ wickeitJ betw~n hitn that St'rteth God.1Utd him th11t se~ ihSm not;" · · n• · , , · VUI.1'u.&s11. REsur.Tii A'!t'B FnfA-L'. So faias th&'duicloeUrell'ef tbe:WmJ,of .God ani mllde,1 the horizon ii'' lioun<ied'.by, 'theee •two lBll'iles-glory to the rlglitecAIII, ooil- demnation to the wicked. On the question-Wg1,1t do these,l!i\\ler.&1ly iliealt't we tf!11Q llftefwards.1 But the ~rea&:·upet:t ·<;>f4inality:wltich·ijb&~f.eri:Mls the va'ried:~61 of ~e Word of God wbleh ilpelrk or-thiNl<i(?m of the wiclred, pte<illidtlll us ftoffl aM1:1tig'"- Wbirt. Heii beyond these i\itdo!!u~?'· Where&riptu.re'ooitnds its tett.larony, we IMllt end our thinkings, fut the b'lie and' 1mfficie!it reasen th&t•thought ,has oo further heal• on which to act. For out, part, we can a.ffitm neither the endl!l88n1111s of futu~ prinishtneut; ii.or annihilabion, n·ot restoratii>n, "But,"· it may :be·· demurred, "the )11.tima'te i11S11e must be one Of' the other." Pll!!slbly so. But even if it be ·so, it d08II trot follow that we can telh,iiy individual soul kow it will be with Aim. Ifwe be 1115\:ed again," Why can yoii not affirm either?" we'reply-We cannot aflinri restor'II-. tion, beca•.ise many passages seem to us to preelude it. · We cannot affirm annihi~oW, because it Ioslls sight bf tM faet th11t, according to the twus loque,uU of ScriptUN, there may be hrstencti, m a state of death. We cannot affirm the endlessaeu of punbihment, :&ecil.mie :·(1) T_hat would be affirming the tremendous doctrine &h&t lin 'l1rill \a.at 1111 long as God lasts. (2) The a!IS8rtion would go beyond the neee1111&ry ttl8$ning of the phrases used to imply dumtion, which only~ far as &v'tl is ooncerned--tndicata indefinite rather than endless duration. · (8) It would also ignore '1ie fact tha& thla 1 Of. ihe writer's • Future Punishment,' eh. vii. 1 Cf. homilr on 'TLe Second Death: the Lake of Fin.'  M THE' REVl!:LATl()N 'OF ST.' JOllN' 'THE m.1NE. [cR., xx. t.---15.