e
is no hope of their mending or repenting, or of any good being put
into them, or coming out of them. So that this feeling of shame is
a spiritual feeling, which has to do with a man's immortal soul,
with his conscience, and the voice of God in his heart.

Now, consider this: that there will surely come to you and me, and
every living soul, a day of judgment; a day in which we shall be
judged. Think honestly of those two words. First, a day, not a
mere time, much less a night. Now, in a day there is light, by
which men can see, and a sun in heaven which shows all things
clearly. In that day, that brightest and clearest of all days, we
shall see what we really have been, and what we really have done;
and for aught we know, every one round us, every one with whom we
have ever had to do, will see it also. The secrets of all our
hearts will be disclosed; and we shall stand before heaven and earth
simply for what we are, and neither more nor less. That is a
fearful thought! Shall we come to shame in that day? And it will
be a day of judgment: in it we shall be judged. I do not mean
merely condemned, for we may be acquitted: or punished, for we may
be rewarded; those things come after being judged. First, let us
think of what being judged is. A judge's business is to decide on
what we have done, or whether we have broken the law or not; to hear
witnesses for us and against us, to sum up the evidence, and set
forth the evidence for us and the evidence against us. And our
judge will be the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is sharper
than a two-edged sword, piercing through the very joints and marrow,
and discerning the secret intents of the heart; neither is anything
hid from Him, for all things are naked and open in the sight of Him
with whom we have to do. With whom we _have_ to do, mind: not
merely with whom we _shall_ have to do; for He sees all _now_, He
knows all now. Ever since we were born, there has not been a
thought in our heart but He has known it altogether. And He is
utterly just--no respecter of persons; like His own wisdom, without
partiality and without hypocrisy. O Lord! who shall stand in that
day? O Lord! if thou be extreme to mark what is done amiss, who
shall abide it? O Lord! in thee have I trusted: let me never be
confounded!

For this is being confounded; this is shame itself. This is the
intolerable, horrible, hellish shame and torment, wherein is weeping
and gnashin