Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

became incarnate. And his appearing in the glory of his holy angels, implies the reverence and homage which they will pay to him, into whose hands they are given, as ministering spirits, to fulfil his pleasure, and who always rejoice in the advancement of his kingdom,

The angels shall not indeed be employed in raising the dead, for that is a work too great for finite power; but we read of their ministry as subservient to the glory of the solemnity, as consisting in their appearing with Christ as his retinue; so it is said, that he shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him,' Matt. xxv. 31. These, indeed make up his train; but do not convey to him the least branch of that glory or character he is invested with: but it is their honour to attend him, whose servants they are; their work is to praise and adore him, and to shew their readiness to fulfil his pleasure, without desiring to usurp the least branch of his glory.

The first thing they are represented as doing, is, their attending his coming with a shout, or the word of command first givenforth by Christ, and transmitted by them to the whole world, whereby they shall be summoned to appear before him. This shall doubtless be attended with universal joy and triumph expressed by them. And whereas Christ is said to come with the sound of a trumpet, 1 Thess. iv. 16. this is either to be considered in allusion to the custom of calling the hosts together, which was by the sound of a trumpet, Num. x. 2. &c.* or else we may understand it in a literal sense, for some sound like that of a trumpet, which shall be heard throughout the world, which shall have a tendency to excite the joy and triumph of the saints, and to strike terror into the wicked. And as this trumpet gives an alarm to all to appear before Christ's tribunal; the angels are represented as assisting in bringing them thither. It is by them that the saints which remain alive, shall be caught up with others in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, 1 Thess. iv. 17. and they are said to gather together the elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other. And elsewhere, our Saviour, speaking of the end of the world, which he calls the harvest, represents the angels as reapers, Matt. xiii. 39. which he explains as denoting that at the end of the world the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, ver. 49. which plainly intimates

See Vol. II. Quest. LVI

Matt. xxiv. 31. This is the most common sense of those words; and how far soever they are supposed, by some, to be taken in a figurative sense, for the preaching of the gospel throughout the whole world, after the destruction of the Jewish state; which some have supposed, is principally intended by what is mentioned in the foregoing verses; yet most conclude that several things in this account of Christ's glorious appearance, are not without some allusion, at least to what shall be more emi xently accomplished, when he shall come to judgment.

that they are to gather the elect together. And inasmuch as there must be a separation between them and the wicked, so that one shall be set at Christ's right hand, the other at his left; this, as it is more than probable, shall be done by the ministry of angels, chap. xxv. 32. And then the Judge is represented as sitting on his throne, ver. 31. this is called elsewhere a judgment-seat, agreeable to his character as a judge; and it is here styled his throne, as expressive of the majesty and royal dignity with which he shall perform this great work. Which leads us,

III. To consider the persons who are to be judged, things being thus prepared for it; and these are said to be angels and men, i. e. all who are summoned to appear before Christ's tribunal. Whether the holy angels are included in the number of those whom Christ will judge, it is not safe for us to pretend to determine, since scripture is silent as to this matter. That they are the subjects of moral government is evident, because they are intelligent creatures; and it follows from hence, that they are accountable to God for their behaviour as such. It is also certain, that they are employed by our Saviour, in fulfilling his pleasure; and pursuant thereto, they are sent forth by him to minister to the heirs of salvation, Heb. i. 14. and upon this account it may not be reckoned foreign to the work of the day, for Christ to give a public testimony to their faithfulness in the discharge of every work which has been committed to them; especially since the saints, who, in some respects, may be said to have been their charge and care, have received no small advantage from the good offices which they have performed for them by Christ's appointment: but more than this, I think, cannot be determined, with respect to their being judged by Christ. Therefore, many conclude, that, properly speaking, they are not included in the number of those that shall be judged by him; and that either because they are represented as attending him, when he comes to judgment; and are never spoken of as standing before his tribunal, as persons whose cause is to be tried by him; or because they are considered, as long before this confirmed in holiness and happiness, and as beholding the face of God in heaven; and consequently not to be dealt with as those who are to undergo a farther scrutiny, in order to their having, a new sentence passed upon them.

As to what respects the fallen angels, they are to be brought as criminals before Christ's tribunal, in order to his passing a righteous sentence upon them. Whether the charge of their apostacy from God, shall be again renewed, and hereby sin traced to the very first spring and fountain of it, we know not: but all the guilt that they have contracted since they they were, by a former sentence, cast out of heaven, shall be laid to their

charge all that they have done against the interest of God in the world, begun in the seduction of our first parents, and continued ever since, with all those methods of revenge and subtilty whereby they have opposed the kingdom of Christ in the world, and endeavoured to ruin his people, will be alleged against them, as well as the bold attempt they made on him in his own Person, whilst he was in a state of humiliation. Thus the fallen angels, though represented as cast down to hell, are yet said to be delivered into chains of darkness, and reserved unto judgment, 2 Pet. ii. 4. Jude, ver. 6. This they are, at present, apprehensive of, and are accordingly said to tremble, Jam. ii. 19. at the fore-thoughts of it: it may also be inferred from what they said to our Saviour, Art thou come to torment us before the time, Matt. viii. 29. and, as the result hereof, it is said, that the devil was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, Rev. xx. 10. i. e. adjudged to endure a greater degree of torment in proportion to the increase of his guilt.

But that which is more particularly insisted on in scripture, in which we are immediately concerned, is what relates to men, as those who are to be judged by Christ. This is set forth in universal terms; the apostle says, We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad, 2 Cor. v. 10. men of all ranks and conditions, small and great, Rev. xx. 12. quick and dead 2 Tim. iv. 1. i. e. those who died before, or shall be found alive at his coming, the righteous and the wicked, Eccl. iii. 17. and among these, not only them that have lived under the gospel-dispensation; but others, who have had no other light but that of nature; As many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law, Rom. ii. 12. We have no account, indeed, in scripture, of their being adjudged to eternal life, for their doing, by nature, some things that are contained in the law; to suppose this, is to be wise above what is written; and, indeed, it seems contradictory to those scriptures which assert the necessity of faith in Christ to salvation; but these are generally described as suffering punishment proportioned to their works. Thus we read of the men of Nineveh, Matt. xii. 41. the queen of the South, ver. 42. the inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon, chap. xi. 22. and those of Sodom and Gomorrah, ver. 24. as appearing in judgment, and exposed to a less degree of punishment than those that sinned against greater light; but there is not the least intimation given of their being discharged from condemnation. Our Saviour, indeed, speaks of the servant which knew his master's will, and 'prepared not himself to do according to it, who should be beaten with many stripes,' i. e. exposed to a greater condemnation: nevertheless, he, at the same time, intimates that the

servant who did not know, i. e. who sinned under greater disadvantages for want of gospel-revelation, even he should be beaten with few stripes; or adjudged to suffer a less degree of punishment.

The Pelagians, indeed, have endeavoured not only to exempt the Heathen from the consequences of this judgment; but some have insinuated as though they were not concerned in it at all: thus one* supposes, that the persons who are represented as appearing at Christ's tribunal, Matt. xxv. and sentenced, by him, according to their works, are only those who made a profession of the Christian religion. And the principal argument that he brings to support this opinion is, because they, on whom a sentence of condemnation is passed, are accused of not ministering to Christ's members, which is interpreted as not giving him meat, when he was hungry, or drink when he was thirsty, &c. which charge could not have been brought against those that never heard of Christ; or if it had, they might have excused themselves by alleging that it was impossible for them to shew this respect to him whom they never knew. But to this it may be replied, that though our Saviour's design here, is to aggravate the condemnation of those who sinned under the gospel, and to charge some with crimes of the highest nature; yet there is nothing mentioned, exclusive of others, so as to give occasion to suppose that the judgment of the great day will respect only those who have set under the sound of the gospel. Therefore we have ground to conclude, that as the resurrection of the dead will be universal; so all that have lived, or shall live, from the beginning to the end of time, shall be the subjects of the judicial proceedings in that solemn and awful day; which leads us to consider,

IV. The manner in which Christ shall proceed in judging the world. It is evident, that the design of this glorious transaction is to determine the final state of all men, which will be done in a public and visible manner, that it may appear that the Judge of all does right: this differs very much from that particular judgment that is passed on every one at death; in which, though their state be unalterably determined, yet it is not done in an open and visible manner; but with a design that the cause should be tried again in that day which is appointed for it. The account we have in scripture, of the manner in which this shall be done, bears some resemblance to the proceedings in human courts of judicature; accordingly the day is set in which causes are to be tried; the Judge appears with the ensigns of his authority; and being seated on the tribunal, the persons to be tried appear before him; the cause is heard; and since all are to be judged according to law, the law is sup • Curvellous in Dissert. de necessit. cognit. Christ, § vi

posed to be known, or the particular statute, which is the rule of judgment, must be produced; and whatever charge is to be brought against any one, it is drawn up in the form of an indictment, and supported by sufficient evidence, and the persons hereupon acquitted or condemned. In allusion hereunto we read of Christ's appearing in a visible manner, seated on a throne of judgment; or, as it is expressed, of the Son of man, as appearing with all the holy angels with him; and his sitting upon the throne of his glory, and all nations being gathered before him, Matt. xxv. 31, 32. the judgment seat, and the books opened, Dan. vii. 26. Rev. xx. 12.

The righteous, who are a part of those that shall stand before Christ's tribunal, shall be separated from the wicked; the former placed at his right hand, the latter at his left. With respect to the wicked, an indictment shall be brought in, in which they shall be charged with the violation of the holy law of God, with all the aggravating circumstances thereof, the subject-matter of which is contained in the books that are said to be opened. And this charge shall be supported by evidence; in which case men shall be witnesses against one another, so far as they have been apprised of each other's behaviour, or immediately concerned therein: and it is not improbable, that since the holy angels are conversant in this lower world, as they are sometimes represented as being present in worshipping assemblies, 1 Cor. xi. 10. and observing the actions of men, 1 Tim. v. 21. that they shall appear as evidences against the wicked. And it may be farther observed, that the Judge himself will be a witness against the criminals, which is not usual in human courts of judicature; though it does not savour of the least injustice: thus it is said, I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger 'from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts,' Mal. iii. 5. The divine Omniscience will put the charge out of all manner of doubt; from whence there can be no appeal; since it is impossible for God, either to be deceived himself, or to deceive others.

But besides this, there shall also be the testimony of conscience, whereby persons shall stand self-convicted; their own hearts shall condemn them,' as well as God, who is greater than their hearts,' 1 John iii. 20. Thus it is said, that' the con⚫ sciences of men bear witness, and their thoughts, in the mean 'while, accuse or else excuse one another, in the day when 'God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ;' and accordingly every mouth shall be stopped, and all the world' of

« AnteriorContinuar »