DISCOURSE: 1916
THE FUTURE JUDGMENT
Romans 14:10-12. We shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
THERE is in the morality of the Gospel a sublimity of which even the godly themselves have a very indistinct perception. We are apt to lay down broad principles of action, without taking into consideration other principles which should influence us in the application of them. For instance; where the calls of duty seem to interfere with each other, we are apt to lean to one side or the other with an exclusive preference, instead of studying how the two may be made to harmonize, in just order and mutual subordination. To most persons it would appear an unquestionable truth, that if one thing be right, its opposite must be wrong; whereas, if an action be in itself indifferent, the doing or forbearing of it may be equally right, and equally acceptable to God. This was the case with regard to the eating of meats forbidden by the Jewish law, and the observance of particular days which had been held sacred under the Mosaic dispensation. There was nothing morally good or evil in these enactments: they depended on the will of Him who had imposed them: and, when they were abrogated, they remained as purely matters of indifference, as if nothing had ever been enjoined respecting them. But the contending parties in the Church at Rome could not see this: those who had been educated in Jewish habits, not only maintained their own forms, but judged and condemned the Gentiles who rejected them: those, on the contrary, who knew that those ordinances were abrogated by the Christian dispensation, not only asserted their own liberty, but held in contempt the persons who were yet in bondage to their forms. Now, both of these parties acted right in complying with the dictates of their own conscience; but wrong, in presuming to sit in judgment upon each other. To mark the true line of duty in this matter, was the Apostle’s object in this part of his epistle. He shews, that, provided a man endeavoured in such matters to approve himself to God, doing only what he really judged to be right, God accepted him; and that, whilst we commend ourselves to the judgment of our God, we should also leave to his judgment those who differ from us; assured, that in the last day he will dispense to all, not according to our narrow views, but according to what he knew to be the real disposition of their minds.
Leaving, for the present, the primary subject of the chapter, namely, candour in judging one another, I shall draw your attention to that which is here incidentally introduced; namely, the certainty and awfulness of the future judgment.
I. Its certainty—
There shall be a day of future retribution—
[Reason itself might tell us this: for how else are the inequalities of the present state of things ever to be rectified? At present, “all things come alike to all;” or rather, the ungodly triumph, and the godly are oppressed. But can we suppose, that God will never recompense to his servants the troubles they sustain for his sake, or to their enemies the injuries they inflict? No: there shall be a time when God will deal with men in a way of perfect equity; and he has fixed a day for “the revelation of his righteous judgment.” To this the Scriptures bear ample testimony. They even declare, with great precision, the very mode in which the judgment shall be administered. They declare that Jesus Christ shall be the Judge; (for “the Father hath committed all judgment to the Son [Note: John 5:22.]:”) that, at a period fixed in the Divine counsels, “he will come in his own glory, and in the glory of his Father, with myriads of his holy angels,” and will sit upon the throne of his glory; and that “before him shall be gathered all nations [Note: Matthew 25:31-32.]:” that “the books,” in which the transactions of the whole human race are recorded, “shall be opened,” and “every one be judged according to his works [Note: Revelation 20:11-15.]:” that, for this end, “all who were in their graves shall come forth” in their own proper bodies; “some to a resurrection of life, others to a resurrection of damnation [Note: John 5:28ave.],” the one only source of good to a ruined world. By “living water” we understand all the blessings of salvation; “all fulness” of which is treasured up in him at this moment: and “out of his fulness may every sinner in the universe receive.”]
Our Saviour’s address to her yet further shews us,
II.
The benefits which will accrue to us from the knowledge of him—
If once we get a just view of his character,
1. We shall surely apply to him for his benefits—
[If temporal blessings, however great in value, were spread before us, we might conceive of their being beheld with indifference: a conviction of their emptiness might well raise our minds above them, so that we would not condescend even to ask for a participation of them. But can all the blessings of grace and glory be contemplated with indifference? Can we behold an inexhaustible treasure of them laid up expressly for us, and not desire them? No: it would be impossible.; especially if we knew that they were all to be obtained by asking. To every creature under heaven may our Lord justly say, “If thou knewest what I have to bestow, thou wouldest ask of me.” We may as well suppose hell to be opened to our view, without calling forth a desire to escape it; and heaven, without creating a desire to obtain it; as imagine a view of Christ, under the foregoing characters, to be disclosed to the soul, and no desire to be excited there for the enjoyment of his blessings.]
2. We shall infallibly be made partakers of them—
[Not even the Samaritan woman, stranger as she was, and profligate, should have solicited his favour without obtaining it: much less shall any person now be suffered to seek his face in vain. He says to all, “Ask, and ye shall have; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Nor would he have us straitened in our requests: his promise to the trembling suppliant is, “Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.” Nothing would be too great for him to give, if only we sought him in humility and faith. Pardon, peace, holiness, and glory, should all be poured into our souls in rich abundance; yea, “his Spirit, which he would give us, should be within us a well of water, springing up unto everlasting life.”]
Know then, all of you,
1.
That the Lord Jesus Christ is here present with you—
[We see him not corporeally, as the Samaritan woman did: nevertheless, he is spiritually present with us, as he has said, “Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world;” and, if you will seek communion with him, you shall not be disappointed of your hope. He is, in reality, the same as ever he was. Still is he the great gift of God to man. Still is he the fountain of all spiritual good. Still does he complain of our forgetfulness of him, and declare he will impart out of his fulness to every inquiring soul. He put the Samaritan woman upon asking of him; saying, in fact, “Ask of me.” So says he now to every one of us, “Ask of me, and I will give you living water.”]
2. That you, no less than the poor Samaritan, need the blessings which he offers—
[Which of you needs them not? Which of you can find any other fountain from whence to quench your thirst? Which of you will not one day bitterly lament that you lost the present opportunity? I pray you, then, avail yourselves of your Lord’s present condescension and grace; and let your souls take of him, and live for ever.]