September 14

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. - Matthew 25:41.

THIS solemn sentence is designed not for declamation, but for belief. It has been given, not to be known, and explained, and comprehended, but to be left in undefined terrors, the forebodings of imagination. Let us, therefore, at once, passing by both the nature and duration of this punishment, briefly notice three things. The first regards its certainty. Let none imagine that these words will be found an idle tale. They are not the offspring of enthusiasm, nor the invention of priest-craft. No; the consciences of sinners often tell them so, notwithstanding all their wishes and endeavours to get rid of it. Such is the misery (however they may explain or soften it) that, if there were only a possibility or a probability of their enduring it, prudence would more than justify their submitting to all the self-denial which the gospel requires in order to avoid it. But before they can suppose that there is only possibility or probability in this case, before they can question the certainty of this sentence, they must prove either that he did not utter these words, or that, if he did utter them, they are unworthy of credence. What a task, then, a sinner imposes upon himself, before he can lay his apprehensions at rest and defy this denunciation! -that is, to prove either that the Bible is untrue, or that Jesus Christ is a deceiver.

The second regards the state as not originally designed for man, but “prepared for the devil and his angels.” But when once prepared we see it will do as well for any other order of rebels, as well as for them. Those who do the works of the devil, having shared his guilt, will also share in his punishment. And thus they make the place their own, as Judas did; who, therefore, it is said, “went to his own place.”‘

The third regards the conduct of those who fall under this dreadful malediction. And here some may be ready to exclaim, “Surely it must consist in crimes too great for human nature often to commit; surely the criminals must be Cains, or Pharaohs, or Belshazzars, or Herods, or Julians, or robbers, or thieves, or murderers,-murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers.” No such thing: the criminals are not here so described. They were free from many vices; they lived in easy circumstances; they were approved of by many of their fellow creatures. What were they? They were dry-eyed and close-fisted; they were flint instead of flesh; they lived only for themselves. “For I was an-hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in, naked, and ye clothed me not, sick and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an-hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer and say unto them, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal.”