Part 17 (1/2)

Civil judges may give judgment according to law and evidence, on those brought before them for trial--so may the church on those arraigned at her tribunal. These are necessary to the subsistence of civil and ecclesiastical communities; therefore ordered of G.o.d. It is another species of judging which is here forbidden; judging the characters of men, especially such as profess G.o.dliness, and appear to act sincerely; pretending to determine their moral state, before the motives which actuate them are disclosed. This is judging before the time, and without evidence on which to ground a judgment; which the wise man observes to be folly and a shame to him who doth it.

This had been done at Corinth, by the enemies of the apostle; and hath been done by others in every age. There have ever been people who have dared to scatter their censorious decisions at random, according to the prevalence of humor, caprice, or prejudice; often to the wounding of the faithful; and rending of the body of Christ.

This occasions temporary mischief; but the day is coming when all those disorders will be rectified. The censurer, and the censured, will stand at the same bar, and be tried by the same Judge. Every wrong judgment will then be reversed, and every injurious suspicion be removed. For,

II. Every _man's character will be known when the Lord comes--who will bring to light the hidden sufferings of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts_.

Many things necessary to determine the moral characters of men are hidden from mortal eyes. We are ignorant of _the counsels_ of the hearts--do not know their purposes and views. Without this knowledge, right judgment cannot be formed.

Our knowledge of ourselves is imperfect. For self knowledge we have advantages which we have not for the knowledge of others. We can turn inward, and contemplate the motives which govern, and the views which actuate us. But pride, pa.s.sion, prejudice, or the corrupt bias, operating in ways unperceived, often blinds the mental eye, and renders us strangers at home. ”Whoso trusteth his own heart is a fool.--The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?” It requires great attention to form a just judgment of ourselves--yea, to attain that self knowledge which is necessary for us. With regard to the knowledge of others, the difficulty is still greater. We can neither see the heart, nor know the thoughts and designs.

We are often at a loss for the motives which occasion things which fall under our observation. Other things which might cast light upon them, are hidden from us. But when the Lord cometh, the veil spread over secret matters will be removed. ”There is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed, or hid that shall not be known.”

_The Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts_.

How hearts will be opened to view, we know not. Perhaps when the veil of flesh is removed, minds may possess an intuitive knowledge of each other--be able to look into one another, as while in the body, they look into themselves. Here, this is mercifully prevented; but may be no longer necessary in another state of existence. It may be requisite, to that investigation of characters which we are taught to expect at Christ's coming. For it is the language of the text, and other Scriptures, that every impediment to the complete knowledge of each other, will then be done away; that no person's character will longer remain problematical. _The hidden works of darkness will be brought to light, and the counsels of the hearts made manifest_.

Astonis.h.i.+ng scenes of wickedness will then, no doubt, be disclosed.

Probably each one will discover things in himself which he had not suspected--depravity, unfairness, disingenuity, the bare suspicion of which by others, would be resented as affrontive.

When the prophet forewarned Hazael of the cruelties which he would exercise when he should be king of Syria, his nature seemed to revolt --he could not suspect himself capable of such enormities. ”But what! is thy servant a dog?” But all was verified when he had ascended the throne!

But though a world of hidden iniquity will appear when the counsels of the hearts shall be made manifest. Good things will also be opened to view which had till that day been concealed--yea,

III. Some _things commendable will be found in all, Then shall every man have praise of G.o.d_.

All are sinners. ”There is none good but one, that is G.o.d.” Some ”are sinners exceedingly.” Some will continue such till they shall have time no longer--die as they have lived, and be sentenced to ”have their part in the lake of fire--which is the second death.”

But though numbers of this description will be found when the Lord comes, it is presumed that there will be none among them in whom there wilt be nothing commendable--who will never have done a praise worthy action.

When ”every work is brought into judgment and every secret thing, whether it be good or evil,” every thing commendable which hath been done by the wicked, will come into the reckoning. Nothing will be overlooked, because done by sinners. The prejudices inherent in mankind often render them blind to what is commendable in an enemy, and cause them to magnify his failings; but not so the Deity. G.o.d is perfect. ”The way of man will he render unto him,” whatever may be his general character.

The saints are not equal in virtue and the attainments of grace.

Therefore the differences which will be made among them. When they shall stand before the Judge, their whole probation, with all its circ.u.mstances, will be reviewed, and every praise worthy purpose, desire and action will be considered and rewarded. On the other hand, every neglect of duty and every deviation from it will come into the account and make deduction from the weight of glory reserved for them.

And among the enemies of G.o.d, some will be found greater sinners than others--to have sinned longer--against greater lights, and to have been guilty of more and greater crimes. To such will be reserved the greater weight of woe. In order to these discriminations their whole probation will be considered. And in those on whom sentence of condemnation will pa.s.s, the righteous judge will take due notice of every pause which they shall have made in the ways of sin--of every instance in which they may have denied themselves, out of regard to the divine authority, though it may have been out of fear of G.o.d's judgments, and of every act of kindness done by them, to a fellow creature. Every thing of this nature, will be considered, and make some deduction from the punishment which would otherwise have been inflicted on them. The judge will pa.s.s nothing of this kind unnoticed, condemning the sinner to the same degree of suffering, as though it had not been found upon him. A cup of cold water given to a disciple of Christ, will not lose its reward. *

* Matthew x. 42.

”Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him he did many things, and heard him gladly.” Herod's punishment will not be, in every respect, the same, as though he had paid no attention to John's teaching. He will not be punished for refusing to hear John, when he did hear him or for refusing to do, what he did do, in compliance with his counsel: Though he will be condemned as, eventually the murderer of that holy man. His partial obedience might be extorted by fear; but this is preferable to disobedience; otherwise fear would not be urged as a motive to obedience. ”Fear him who is able to destroy soul and body in h.e.l.l.”

If preferable to disobedience, a difference will be made between those who obey from no higher principle, and those who disobey.

Here G.o.d certainly makes a difference between them. When Rehoboam humbled himself in the time of his affliction, ”the wrath of the Lord turned from him that he would not destroy him: And also in Judah things went well.” But his repentance was not unto life. The character given him at his death is that of a wicked man.

When Ahab, affrighted by the preaching of Elijah, as he was going to take possession of the vineyard of murdered Naboth, ”humbled himself and walked softly:” G.o.d signified his approbation of his legal repentance and partial amendment, in preference to his former course; though he afterwards cut him off in his sins.

These are unequivocal evidences that partial obedience, though dictated by the servile principle of fear, is preferable, in divine estimation, to allowed disobedience. G.o.d makes a difference in his treatment of people here, on this account: suspends his judgments, and mitigates somewhat of their severity, where he sees this kind of relenting in sinners. If G.o.d doth this here, is there not reason to believe that he will do it hereafter: The rules of divine administration are doubtless uniform in time and eternity. Where he gives a comparative preference here, he will do the same hereafter.

So we observe our Savior noting things commendable in some who did not belong to his kingdom. When the young ruler who came to inquire what he should do to inherit eternal life, declared that he had kept the commandments from his youth up, he was viewed with comparative approbation.--”Then Jesus beholding him, loved him.” It is not conceivable that his partial conformity to the divine law had not made him to differ from those who had allowedly disregarded it--that his character was as bad as theirs--though he soon made it evident that the one thing needful was not found upon him. *