een obliged to
discard. But instead of attempting to remove these, I shall at present
pass them by, leaving them to be tacitly and satisfactorily answered
by the positive truth regarding the judgment, which I shall now
endeavour to establish.
THE JUDGE.
The Judge will be _Jesus Christ_:--
"We must all appear before the judgment-seat of _Christ_."
"_Jesus Christ_, who shall judge the living and the dead, at his
appearing and kingdom."
"The day when God will judge the secrets of men _by Jesus Christ_."
"The Father judgeth no man, but hath _committed all judgment unto the
Son_."
Now, there are several reasons discernible by us why Jesus Christ
should thus be "appointed to judge the world."
1. From the constitution of His _person_. As God, He is possessed of
omniscience to discern every thought and intent of the heart; unerring
wisdom and unsullied righteousness to try every case; with omnipotent
power and sovereign authority to execute every sentence. On the other
hand, as "the Son of man," He will appear in His human nature, for
"every eye shall see Him." This "_same Jesus_" said the angels at His
ascension, "who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in
like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." Men will be judged by
one who is their Brother, "who, in all points, was tried like one of
us;" "who in all things was made like His brethren."
2. Another reason why Jesus Christ will direct all the proceedings of
the day of judgment, arises from the peculiar relationship in which,
as the only Mediator between God and man, He stands to the human race.
Let us dwell for a moment upon this point.
We are informed in Scripture, that _Jesus Christ is the Creator of
this world_:--
"All things were made by him." "He was in the world, and the world
was made by him." "God who created all things by Jesus Christ." "All
things were created by him and for him."
He is also _Governor of the world_:--
"God raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in
the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might,
and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world,
but also in that which is to come; and hath put all things under his
feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church which
is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all."
To accomplish the various ends of this glorious government, He is
_King of nature_; all the element
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