Who are they that will Stand Perfect in the Day of Judgment?
Those who will stand perfect in the day of judgment are those who, by the grace of God, have been enabled to trust in, and wait on, the Lord for salvation from sin and its consequences; for, by the Holy Spirit working in them, they see their sin, and feel the anger of God.
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer. xvii. 9); and, when we see and feel a little of our wickedness, we despair, and Satan begins to torment us, and say, "You are too wicked to go to heaven." But Jesus says, "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out" (John vi. 37); "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. xi. 28).
Jesus says "heavy laden," showing that, no matter how wicked, how laden, His word to all those who are weary of sin, and "heavy laden" with sorrow for sin, is, "Come, and I will give you rest"—rest from Satan and his temptations, rest from the world and all its busy cares.
His rest is so different from all other, for He says, in John xiv. 27, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
Those who will stand perfect are those who have been chosen by God as vessels of mercy, for Peter says, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ."
Then, when sprinkled by the blood of Jesus Christ, they are perfectly free from sin; as the hymn says—
"There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel's veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains."
And this is how God's people stand before Him—
"Dear, dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed Church of God
Be saved to sin no more."
And when the final judgment is pronounced, those whose names are not recorded in the book of life will hear those awful words, "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt. xxv. 41). But if our names are written in God's book of life, how sweet to hear, "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matt. xxv. 34).
Oh, that we may be found at God's right hand, perfect in Christ's righteousness, singing and praising God through all eternity! "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father: to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen" (Rev. i. 5, 6).
"But can I bear the piercing thought—
'What if my name should be left out
When Thou for them shalt call?'
"Let me among thy saints be found
Whene'er the archangel's trump shall sound,
To see Thy smiling face:
Then loudest of the crowd I'll sing,
While heaven's resounding mansions ring
With shouts of sovereign grace."
Grace Annie Osmotherly
(Aged 12 years).
45, Cutmore Street,
Gravesend, Kent.
[We have received many tolerably good Essays for this month, among which the following claim special notice—E. B. Knocker; Lilly Rush; Margaret Creasey; J. E. Wright; P. Rackham; Jane Bell; Florrie Rush; Claude Rush (aged 10 years); Laura Creasey; E. Wightman; E. B. West; D. Newbury; B. M. Dennis; A. M. Cray; W. E. Cray, &c.]
[The writer of the above Essay receives a copy of "The Life of John Newton."
The subject for June will be, "What Marks do the Lambs of Jesus Christ Bear?" and the prize to be given for the best Essay on that subject, a copy of "The Dairyman's Daughter." All competitors must give a guarantee that they are under fifteen years of age, and that the Essay is their own composition, or the papers will be passed over, as the Editor cannot undertake to write for this necessary information. Papers must be sent direct to the Editor, Mr. T. Hull, 117, High Street, Hastings, by the first of May.]