The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 443

to jud~ Such ~ · a a Ps. cii.J!S~27; Matt. ;w;xiv,,,35; m. 2&;:lleb.J, 12-;-H; 8 Pet. ill. 7, 10-12; lJohn ii..17, prepare us to e.xpec~ V4st changes. i•tf there ill any analogy between what has bee11 and what is co be, t ~ DJAY yet be ,rnpth,tr eat.a.strophe .on the llllriaee of the earth by virt11e of which present forms. of hijj wiil G9llt!8 to be, and give place to others .of. a higher, order than ever earth ~ known.'' Now, tlie Bible presents to ua a moral develop=~ • Science shows U8. J>byiiie&l development. .And we ate led, by comparing both together,: to the oouolllBi.on whic~ we ban before exprellsed, that as in the pas~ iO in the future, moral aod. physical events will synchronize, and that when the eart.4.Je ripe for geologic change it will also be npe for a moral one. Planting our feet :firmlyon.tlie ,rordswhich the Holy Gbost.t.eacheth we say-There cometh a. great decisive day, BS tremendous .in its moral aud spirit~ revelations and issues as it will be august in, its physical changes. We -l'ecogni.11! Divine disclosures concerning the latte, as welt as ooi:icef!}ing the former,, '.fh,ete ar;11 Divine disclosures to reason in the stone-book of nature, and Divine decla,aUoiui ·to faith in the ~tten revelation, W.here- ~ienc1,1 ends. revelation carries us forward, and while the former forecasts the re-prepara.tioll'.of.tbe stage for further 111\tiou, the.other revealil the·&etion which ill.to take place•on that stage. Science bringiJ to v~w natural law ; revelation, a serie.u>f laws equally firm and sure; even tqose of a moral govjn-n:. ment auperadded to physkal coutrol, and of a r,edemptive work inserted into a m9ni,l ad:ministr~tion. There is a day coming whe~ the working of these val"!,ed ,~ts ol law,li wtll oulm1uate. In tbe "ooonQmy of the filling up of t~e seasons," thxng11 are.ke~ In store.against that day,. It is very remarkable to. :finq such vast ~vents. in,dioated ui so few words 8B we find here. But the faoHs that all physical charges are but ■ub(!rdm,,~ to the supreme moral and spiritual issues.which •e. p,,uding•.pn those.we at OlWll proceed to dwell. · · . .., ., . ... . ,,·, , \ · · · L "THII QUAT .DAY~ WILL PROVE ,lT.(INOII A m.nu.x e, lll8T68Y ...P. "'· ~LA- 'l'ION oir CBARAC'NIB, Its bearing on the ,human mes. ill iBdica.red ey .~ words, ~• day of ju.dgment; "in .which tera there are included.: 1. The appearing of ~iud.befor11 God. 2. 'l'.he m;mifestat.ion.:of oha.moter. . & Appwval ·, or di11&pprovaL 4-. ~".' pense ot penalty. , "It has for a. long tune ~ d:ispJ~ whether the j ~ t Df the world will be an ctfflaGl, ,""'1Jl., /O'f"lll,(J}, transaction. or whetl\er •the ~ . re,pecUng the dmfitiiy of man; thit',aotn•l taking .eftee.t of retributfon ia ~esented ~u. under the image of a. judicial prooeedlng1 like wha,t is, c,ommon among IJlWl- ~ 1 '.Che Iatt.er opinion would have more on its side if i~ Wlll'-8 tmly in euch a qml:Joliq :OOOk 611 this that the latter is suggested. But the Scn~\U'ei of tb.e Old and Nel" '.\'!l~tamelapi combine in presenting the judgment as a:vaat aolf!Blll last assize. • ., . , ,•··, . , , , . IL "JHB· x.... nam. ADKINll!'rRa'rlolf w, JBllUMEli:T ;i:s llf• THE HANDS .QI! .nm LqB;p JBeue.CHBIST. (John 'l'.22,27; Acta L.!12,; il:Vil.·31; ~om •. :J.iv.10;.2·~.v.1O; Phil, ii. 11.) •· He is the Head of the human. cl'~ both. by: his original positi,on. as &p of God, and bJ<his·auu~d position aa Son of man, H.e"both,died,aud tOl!EI,~~ re-lived, that he might be Lord both o£the det\d. and ofthe living." · . , , III. SCBIPTURX TBLiaS, U8 WBO WILL BE OOliOIUl!IED 01' 'l'HE 'l'BA1'8Aj7rD:IU.. OT . ~ JUDG~Du... Devils (Jude 6; 2 Pet. ii. . 4 • )ilatt. viii.. 28). ... Men (Rom. ii. 4-11), including pagaris, .'rews, Christians, nom~Laud real. All (Rom. xiv. 10). None will eh1de :the judgment of God (Rom.. ii. &). - " ~very one shall giv• =UDt of himself" (Rom. xiv.; 12). · . .' · .,. . , • . IV. WE iaB .aUlSO TOLD WHAT WILL BB roDCJW:D, l. Deeds (2 Cor•. v. 10). 2. Words (Matt. xii. 36, 37),.. 8. Thoughts (l_ Cor. iv. 3--5). 4, f.',ecret things (Rom. ii. 16)•. 5. "Every secret thing " (Eccles. ·xii. 14). ".There ill nothin& covered, iha.t shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known." v. J.b:N'•WILL B■. JUOOED AOCORDINe TO THE LIGHT THE':!' lJ~D; i.e. according to the use they made of the light God had granted them (Rom. ii. 11-15 ; Matt. L 15 ; ::d. lll--24; Luke ii. 31,112, xii. 4:7, 48; Acta x. a4, 36). The principles here .laid ~lewn are· those of most manifest equity, a.nd we are quite sure that there will be nothing contrary thereto in the sentence of God. 'l'he late Dr. Lawson, of Selkirk. was once asked by a flippant young man how he could think that any, such as Plato and Socrates, would be lost because they had not heard of Jesus Chrjst. He replied," ll it ple8118 God in his mercy, and through faith in his Son, to take you and mo to hea.v,cn, • Kaapp; 'Christian Theology,' lleO. eb·., Mia. (!)(J THE ;RBVELATlmt OIi' ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. [ell'. u.1---1&-