Nor will all the actions alone of every child of man, be then brought to open view, but all their words:seeing every idle word which men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.[48] So that by thy words as well as works, thou shalt be justified; or by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Will not God then bring to light every circumstance also, that accompanied every word or action, and if not altered the nature, yet lessened or increased the goodness or badness of them? And how easy is this to him, who is about our bed and about our path, and spieth out all our ways? We know, the darkness is no darkness to him, but the night shineth as the day.
6. Yea, he will bring to light not the hiddenworks of darkness only, but the very thoughts and intents of the hearts. And what marvel? For he searcheth the reins, and understandeth all our thoughts. All things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Hell and destruction are before him without a covering. How much more the hearts of the children of men?
7. And in that day shall be discovered every inward working of every human soul: every appetite, passion, inclination, affection, with the various combinations of them, with every temper and disposition that constitute the whole complex character of each individual. So shall it be clearly and infallibly seen, who was righteous, and who unrighteous; and in what degree every action, or person, or character was either good or evil.
8. Then the king will say to them upon his right-hand, Come ye blessed of my Father. For I was hungry and ye gave me meat, thirsty and ye gave me drink, I was a stranger and ye took me in, naked and ye cloathed me. In like manner, all the good they did upon earth, will be recited before men and angels: whatsoever they had done either in word or deed, in the name, or for the sake, of the Lord Jesus. All their good desires, intentions, thoughts, all their holy dispositions, will also be then remembered; and it will appear, that though they were unknown or forgotten among men, yet God noted them inhis book. All their sufferings likewise for the name of Jesus, and for the testimony of a good conscience will be displayed, unto their praise from the righteous Judge, their honour before saints and angels, and the increase of that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
9. But will their evil deeds too (since if we take in his whole life, there is not a man on earth that liveth and sinneth not) will these be remembered in that day, and mentioned in the great congregation? Many believe they will not, and ask, “Would not this imply, that their sufferings were not at an end, even when life ended? Seeing they would still have, sorrow, and shame and confusion of face to endure?” They ask farther, how can this be reconciled with God’s declaration by the prophet. If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right;all his transactions that he hath committed, they shall not be once mentioned unto him.[49] How is it consistent with the promise which God has made, to all who accept of the gospel-covenant,I will forgive their iniquities, and remember their sin no more?[50] Or as the apostle expresses it,I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more?[51]
10. * It may be answered, it is apparently and absolutely necessary, for the full display of theglory of God, for the clear and perfect manifestation of his wisdom, justice, power and mercy toward the heirs of salvation, that all the circumstances of their life should be placed in open view, together with all their tempers, and all the desires, thoughts and intents of their hearts. Otherwise how would it appear out of what a depth of sin and misery the grace of God had delivered them? And, indeed, if the whole lives of all the children of men were not manifestly discovered, the whole amazing contexture of Divine Providence could not be manifested: nor should we yet be able in a thousand instances,
To “justify the ways of God to man.”
Unless our Lord’s words were fulfilled in their utmost sense, without any restriction or limitation,there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, or hid that shall not be known,[52] abundance of God’s dispensations under the sun would still appear without their reasons. And then only when God hath brought to light all the hidden things of darkness, whosoever were the actors therein, will it be seen that wise and good were all his ways: that he saw through the thick cloud, and governed all things by the wise counsel of his own will: that nothing was left to chance or the caprice of men, but God disposed all strongly and sweetly, and wrought all into one connected chain of justice, mercy, and truth.
11. And in the discovery of the divine perfections, the righteous will rejoice with joy unspeakable; far from feeling any painful sorrow or shame, for any of those past transgressions, which were long since blotted out as a cloud, washed away by the blood of the Lamb. It will be abundantly sufficient for them, that all the transgressions which they had committed, shall not be once mentioned unto them, to their disadvantage; that their sins and transgressions and iniquities shall be remembered no more, to their condemnation. This is the plain meaning of the promise: and this all the children of God shall find true, to their everlasting comfort.
12. After the righteous are judged, the King will turn to them upon his left hand, and they shall also be judged, every man according to his works. But not only their outward works will be brought into the account, but all the evil words which they have ever spoken; yea, all the evil desires, affections, tempers, which have or have had, a place in their souls, and all the evil thoughts or designs which were ever cherished in their hearts. The joyful sentence of acquital will then be pronounced upon those upon the right hand: the dreadful sentence of condemnation upon those on the left: both of which must remain fixt and unmoveable, as the throne of God.