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the judgment-seat of Christ." But our Savior openly asserted, he had nothing to do as a judge in this world. "If any man," says he, "hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." This, I think, is plain additional testimony to what has already been made evident, that we may expect to be judg ed in a future state; for we find Christ is a judge; all shall stand before his judgmentseat; and yet, when he was here he judges Then in a future state we appear before his judgment seat; and in the same state is the day of judgment.

no man.

But we have still more testimony; which may be found by attending to the language of St. Paul. "Whilst we are at home in the body," says he, "we are absent from the Lord. We must all appear before the judginent-seat of Christ, that every man may receive the things done in his body, whether it be good or bad." Query; how shall we appear before the judgment-seat of Christ? in presence, or in absence ? At home in the body, says St. Paul, we are absent from the Lord, and in the third verse from this expression, he states we must all appear before his judgment-seat. Could he possibly mean in this life, when he had just said, we, that is, he and his christian brethren, "in the body are absent from the Lord ?" The conclusion therefore must be evident, that either the opposers of judgment in a future state, or the good old apostle Paul were in the wrong.

Our next and last testimony is from the same apostle as follows: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment; so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." This expresses in so many words that judgment is after death. But some evade the force of it by understanding the death to be a spiritual instead of a temporal one. The contrary, I think, is evident from the comparison of men's dying, with the offering, or death of Christ; as well as from a plain allusion to the passages we have been considering. As it is appointed unto men once to die, so Christ was once offered, or died. Or to state it shorter. As men die once, so Christ was once offered. Christ did not die a spiritual death, was never dead in sin; but offered his natural body, and this body died. Man, likewise, by divine appointment, must yield his body to death once, and but once. Now as man yields his body to death once, so Christ on the cross once offered his ; and as man comes to judgment after death, so Christ, after he was offered, will appear the second time without sin unto salvation to them that look for him. This appears to be the true import of the text. If a more rational and scriptural interpretation can be offered, it would merit the greater attention. Till such is found, let us be content with its natural import. For

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it is to be remembered, no prophecy of scrip-ture is of any private interpretation.

Looking over all the passages placed at the head of this lecture, with a view to learn when we are to expect the day of general account, can we not now rest fully persuaded that the evidence of a day of judgment in future life is equal to what the interest and solemnity of the subject would naturally require? Nor ought any scripture that represents the judgment of any nation or people in the present tense, to be brought to weaken the testimony of those we have been considering. Each may be fulfilled according to the time designated, without one's interfering with another. Finding this part of the subject so plain, and I hope clearly understood by every hearer, we will now attend to some other important points of doctrinal instruction, which our subject reveals.

We remark, secondly, that every work of men will be manifested and known, and every individual of the human family share a part in this day of general judgment. This is plain from the following scriptures: "But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." Every idle word must include all works of a wicked and trifling nature, if no more. The word men, unqualified by any limited term in the phrase, that men shall speak, carries an idea of the human race. "He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world. For we all shall stand be

fore the judgment-seat of Christ,every knee shall bow,every tongue shall confess, so then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." 1 Cor. iii. 13, "Every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; for the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." Eccl. xii. 13, 14, "Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."

Thirdly, every work of man will then be approbated or disapprobated, according as it is good or bad; and the then present character of every one plainly shown by Him who judges the world in righteousness. These I think are not fanciful ideas, but contained in the scriptures before us. If it be more tolerable for Sodom in the day of judgment than for Capernaum; for Tyre and Sidon than for Chorazin and Bethsaida, it is evident Sodom, Tyre and Sidon will be condemned; but Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida will re. ceive the greater condemnation. This condemnation presupposes a plain manifestation of character; for what law of the divine Being condemns a man before it hears him, or shows him his case? Our Savior says, "By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." He has told us, that we shall know men by their fruits; so it seems, God will declare to men

their character "in the last day." Good words are the fruit of a good disposition; and evil words of a corrupt heart. Good and evil words, in a greater or less degree, and at different times, have dropped from the lips of all men. Every man, therefore, it appears will receive his share of approbation and disapprobation "in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men." None are to escape as being free from guilt; "For whatsoever things the law saith, it saith to them that are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God," Rom. iii. 19. If some enthusiastic preachers seriously thought of this scripture, it seems they would not be so fond of summoning their sinful and obstinate hearers to the day of judgment, promising to be witnesses against them there, though, perhaps with good intention; for as all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, we have no reason to fear their testimony at the bar of judgment, when every mouth is stopped, and the whole world becomes guilty before their Judge. In the court of heaven, we read of neither witnesses nor jury. They are not needed in the presence of the Judge of quick and dead. "He needed not that any should testify of man; for he knew what was in man." "Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world."

Although we have every reason from scrip. ture to believe every hidden work of iniquity will then be brought to light; yet every one

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