The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-11-21

Sermon by the Rev. DR.. AlcSweeney-ssTho
Necessity Of "A Last Judgmcnt.'o

Sermon by the Rev. DR.. Alcsweeney.-"Tho
Necessity Of n T4ast .Jutgmcnt.'o
The Rev. Dr. McSweeney delivered the sermon ar
the Cathedral yesterday. He took Tor his text the
twenty-fourth chapter Of St. Matthew from the ff
teenth to the thifiyfourh verse. The necessity of
"last Judgment ne ssid commends itself to every
reasonable miad. Even though there were 10 pro-
pnecy Of the great event laid down the gospel,
ourselves, enlightened by own good
sense, would be able TO prophecy that such
a thing mast necessarily occur; for II there
Is a God He must be just Goa. II He was not just
then lie was not a real Gods but reason told us that
the God we adore Is a God who made u.s. who viii
reward the good aud punish the wicked-a Cod OF
infinite justice, with whose justice no one can find
fault, 10 whose justice be bind. During
TINS life 1t very frequently happens that the
! Of God prosper They are men VINO deny HIS JUS
lice even tiis very existence ana endeavor TO prove
1t by facts which to the ignorant nina, seem quite
plausible. the blasphemer acquires Kind OF right
! 10 vomit forth
TIL MOST HORRIBLE BLAsPuEMIFs
against God, because to human minds. limited az
they are, certain things done IN this world are not
recon liable with The Justice Of God. The wicked
wear mask o. piety, not only for few
years but for long lifetime when in
phemers. This must be set right. The wicked can
not 90 forever unpunshed for II they did the moral
universe would get out OF JOINT In this Is the
completeness OF the doctrine Of Jesus Christ. he
condemns the biasphemer, but at the same
time justlaes the condemnation. Many things
done IN this world are uneXplanable, but 1t should
be remembered that there is reckoning day To
come when al the NILS would be laid low, the val
CROOKED WAYS MADE STRAIGHT.
How often do we ind from the instructions OF the
Church and even from our own little experience IN
lie that the surest sign by which TO dstin gnsh the
vrtuous fcom the impious Is their condition
IL me World oood The yruous are deprived
receive no reward for their good acts. LOOK at the
nyrads u saints In the early history OF the Church
who suffered ana died rather Than yield up their
faith So accustomed has the world become to w.t.
Messing the wicked prosper and the virtuous suffer
In life that wonder IS excited when the contrary
happens In TACT, we have got INTO the habit OF dis
cerOing between the good and the bad simply by
looking a. wnat the one has ana the other has
seeing the Justice OF God dsregarded that we lean
tC the BELIEF that
NOBODY HIS RIGHT TO BE RICH
and well TO do but the wicked. The last Judgment
would set all TINS right. Then would Gods justice
be indicated and the wicked be known To- what
they are and punished for what they are. God must
punish the wicked IL the end in order 10 vindicate
HIS Justice ana TO show the intnity OF His mercy.
He viii pronounce the sentence or depart from me-
We wicked 10 everlasting hre.n and lapse OF time
VIII ever satiate II 5 divine vengeance. How could
TINS be reconcned with Gods mercy. He woud
make pass IN array before his throne these crea-
lures condemned for all My, ana even the
wicked wi have 10 eXclaim thai Ills justice right
Then on thai awful day, lie viii bring up In
TERRIBLE ARRAY AGAINST TIE SINNERS
the snfierngs OF Ills divine son, HIS death and the
days AMI years during life which he gave tnem TO
avert the sentence. Men VIII never see the full ex
tent OF the mercles which He accorded them on
eartn and the hundreds Of opportunities lie gave
them 10 follow the path Of righteousness. Men
would then learn that all In thls world was but
vanity excep the love Of the Lord and the service of
HIM alone. On the last day there would be no need
OF sermons, OF examples, Of suiierings, OF death.
IN THE TwINKLiNG OF AN EYE,
when all men would fly 10 Judgment, the lesson
would be learned perfectly, conclusvely, mat the
highest blessing OF the earth was nothing in COM
pafison win the lowest throne OF the elect IN
heaven hen VIII Jney look back and see the folly
OF the sacrifices they made for the world. But it
viii be late for doomsday Is not called the day
OF the Lord because IL VIII be a day OF mercy, but
because IL VIII be day OF Justice.
The reverend speaker thea concluded with an
earnest exhortation to the congregation to avail
themselves OF the present which IL the acceptable
time. TO do good and thus avoid on the day OF juGg-
ment The sentence OF eternal DEATH