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CHRIST’S COMING TO JUDGE THE WORLD
WE cannot behold the state of the world around us, but we must feel a need of some future day of retribution. Multitudes there are, in every place, who are racked with incessant pains, or pining all their days in want and misery; while others, in no respect superior to them in moral qualities, pass their time in ease and affluence. From hence it is reasonable to conclude, that there will be a period wherein the present inequalities in the dispensations of Providence shall be so adjusted, as to mark more clearly God’s regard to equity. If we look into the Church of God, this argument receives additional strength: for there we see the holiest and best of men, men “of whom the world is not worthy,” hated, reviled, persecuted; while their proud oppressors exult in their tyranny, and glory in their shame. Can it be imagined that God will never recompense the fidelity of his servants, or notice the impiety of his enemies? Shall religion always suffer? Shall iniquity always triumph? It cannot be. The very existence of such enormities is “a manifest proof,” or demonstration, that there will be a “righteous judgment of God,” wherein he will shew it to be “a righteous thing with him to recompense tribulation to the troublers of his Israel, and rest to the troubled.” The mention of this period is introduced by the Apostle in this very view: and, to impress the thought more powerfully on our minds, he describes, in most energetic terms, the manner in which our Lord will come to judgment, and the ends for which he will come. Let us consider,
I. The manner in which our Lord will come to judgment—
[This, though solemn and instructive, must not occupy much of our attention at this time, because of the superior importance of the latter part of our subject. “The Lord Jesus” is the person that is “ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead [Note: Act_17:31.].” He is at present in heaven, whither he ascended from Mount Olivet, and “where he will continue till the time of the restitution of all things [Note: Act_3:21.]:” but at the appointed time he “will be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire. When he first came into the world, his advent was obscure; but at his second coming it will be exceeding glorious. He will be attended with an innumerable host of angels, who, on account of their inconceivable strength and power, are called “mighty;” and who are represented as “his” angels, because they were created by him, and are continually employed in his service. At the day of judgment in particular they will be actively engaged, in separating the righteous from the wicked [Note: Mat_13:49.],” in “binding up, as it were, the wicked in bundles to cast them into the fire” of hell [Note: Mat_13:30; Mat_13:39.], and in “gathering together the elect [Note: Mat_24:31.],” in order to their more complete enjoyment of the glory prepared for them. The majesty of his appearance will be greatly increased by his being surrounded with “flaming fire.” When formerly he descended on Mount Sinai, “the whole mountain burned with fire,” in so awful a manner, that the whole nation of Israel, and even “Moses himself, exceedingly trembled and quaked [Note: Exo_19:16; Exo_19:18. with Heb_12:21.].” But on his future descent from heaven, “his throne will be like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire; and a fiery stream will issue and come forth from before him [Note: Dan_7:9-10.]:” at the same time the earth itself also shall be on fire, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the whole globe whereon we live shall burst forth in one vast and universal conflagration [Note: 2Pe_3:10.].
How terrible this scene will be, no words can express, no imagination can conceive: but that day is justly characterized as “the great and terrible day of the Lord [Note: Joe_2:11; Joe_2:31.].”]
This description is doubly awful as connected with,
II. The ends of his coming—
These are,
1. The punishment of the wicked—
[It is commonly thought, that if we be moral in our conduct, we need not trouble ourselves about religious principles. But whom will the Lord punish in that day? the immoral and profane? Yes, doubtless: but shall these be the only monuments of his indignation? No: he will “take vengeance also on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In these words are comprehended not only the idolatrous Gentiles, and the unbelieving Jews, but all amongst ourselves also who do not practically know God, and unreservedly obey the Gospel. Theoretical knowledge, or hypocritical profession, will be of no avail: we must feel our obligation to God as our Benefactor, our duty towards him as our Governor, and our dependence on him as our Father and our Friend. We must, moreover, embrace the salvation which he has offered us in the Gospel, trusting solely in the merit of our Redeemer’s blood, living wholly on the fulness that is treasured up for us in him, and devoting ourselves entirely to him, as his redeemed people.
Would to God this point were sufficiently considered! Brethren, mark attentively the declaration in the text, and then see what becomes of those presumptuous sentiments which are so confidently asserted, and so generally received. See whether morality be all: see whether you are at liberty to disregard the Gospel: see whether the principles of Christianity are of so little consequence, that you may be saved without them: see whether that obedience to the Gospel, which is derided as fanaticism, be a matter of indifference, or deserving of the odium cast upon it. Ah! be assured that, whatever the ungodly world may say or think, all they who do not truly know God, and cordially obey the Gospel, shall perish for ever [Note: 1Pe_4:17.].
Nor let it be thought that the punishment of such persons shall be light, or of short duration. The Apostle enlarges on the idea, in order to fix it more deeply in our minds. Such persons shall be banished “from the presence of the Lord,” and from all the bright displays of “his power and glory.” Nor shall they merely suffer this loss (though that were inexpressibly dreadful): they shall also be exposed to pain and anguish, such as God alone can inflict, and such as would destroy their very existence, if the same power that inflicted it did not uphold them under it. To this punishment there shall be no mitigation, no intermission, no end: it will be “everlasting:” they will have “no rest day or night; and the smoke of their torment will ascend up for ever and ever [Note: Rev_14:11.].” The Judge himself will pronounce this sentence on them, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels [Note: Mat_25:41. Mar_9:43-48.].”]
2. The salvation of the righteous—
[As the honour of God is pledged for the condemnation of the wicked, so is it also involved in the happiness of the righteous. But who are the righteous? Mark the description given of them in the text: they are “the saints,” and “those who believe.” Here then again let infidels and scoffers read their doom: the people, the only people that shall be saved, are they who believe in Christ, and are sanctified by his Spirit. Let the term “Saints” or “Believers” be used as expressions of contempt: the time is coming, when they who are worthy of those names shall be held in different estimation, and receive a juster recompence.
The Saviour, at his coming, shall be “glorified and admired by them.” Now he appears exceeding glorious in their eyes, even “fairer than ten thousand, and altogether lovely [Note: Son_5:10; Son_5:16.];” and now he is the one object of their love, their praise, their glorying [Note: Isa_45:25. 1Pe_1:8.]: but, in that day, how will they be filled with wonder at the sight of him! How will they admire his sovereign grace, that chose them from the midst of an ungodly world; his love, that undertook to save them by his own blood; his patience, that bore with them under all their backslidings; his power, that kept them amidst so many enemies; his faithfulness, that accomplished to them so many promises! How will they adore his wisdom and goodness, in every one of his dispensations towards them! And how will the countless multitudes of the redeemed unite in one universal chorus, singing, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain;” “Salvation to our God, and to the Lamb, for ever!”
Then also will the Saviour be glorified and admired in them. While they were in this world, they sinned as lights in it, and were “his epistles, known and read of all men.”
But how will he be glorified in them in that day, when all their unworthiness shall be contrasted with his goodness, and the work that he has wrought in them shall fully appear! If, in beholding a curious work, we begin to admire the artist, how will he be admired when all the millions of his redeemed shall stand together, all of them “his workmanship,” transformed from the image of the devil into the very image of their God! How will the virtue of his sacrifice, the prevalence of his intercession, the efficacy of his grace, and all the wonders of his love, then appear! When all, without exception, shall ascribe their salvation to him, how, I say, will he be admired in all, and glorified by all!
For this end then will he come, as well as to condemn the wicked: he will come to consummate the happiness of his saints, by discovering to them fully his own unveiled glory, and by putting upon them such a measure of his glory as their diversified capacities shall enable them to bear.]
Infer—
1. How studious should we be to obtain the knowledge of the Gospel—
[It cannot be too often repeated, that our salvation depends on our “obeying the Gospel of Christ:” yea, there is the greater necessity to repeat it, because men are so riveted to the idea, that morality is all. But before we suffer ourselves to be thus deceived, let us contemplate the inevitable consequences of yielding to that delusion: perish we must, as sure as God is true. Read but the text, and judge for yourselves. If it be the word of man, reject it; and suffer nobody to disturb your peace: but if it be the word of God, remember that neither you nor all the world can alter it. And let the recollection of what is there spoken dwell upon your minds, till it have brought you to the foot of the cross, and “determined you to know nothing but Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”]
2. How earnest should we be in diffusing the knowledge of the Gospel—
[If we have spoken strongly on this subject, we have done so, because we believe the declaration in the text, and are convinced that they who now deny or disregard it, will find it true to their cost. Does not then this earnestness become us? If you were in as imminent danger with respect to your bodily life, as you are with respect to your souls, should we not be inexcusable, if we neglected to warn you, and to warn you with all earnestness? Surely, if all ministers felt the importance of these truths, they would “cry aloud, and not spare.” If we had a due concern for the welfare of others, there would also be a greater readiness amongst us to go unto the heathen, and to shew unto them the way of salvation. Would a few trials or difficulties discourage us, if we considered the benefit that would accrue to our perishing fellow-creatures, or the recompence which we ourselves should in due time receive?
Beloved brethren, let us not fear the face of man; let us not regard a few scoffs or reproaches for the Lord’s sake; let us not be backward to endure hardness as good soldiers: but let us look unto the end of all things; when the state of all shall be fixed in perfect correspondence with their present characters and conduct, and every individual in the universe receive a just “recompence of reward.”]