Evening capital., 1888-05-05
TIE JUDGMENT DAY.
LESSON VI, SECOND QUARTER. NJ
TERNATloNAL SERIES. NAY 6.

Golden Text, Matt. XIV, 40-1Eemorize
Verses 3s-aO-Commenss by Rev. II.
S. Holman.
Tcondensed from Lesson Helper Quarterly, hy
permission of II. S. Hoffman. Philadelphia. pub
lisher.l
Notes. Nations, the whole human race. /
Cor. v, 10; Rev. Xxx. l2. Is. Sheep, a COM
mon term for Christ's people John <,
lilo; xxi, l5-l6 Inherit, possess as heirs.
excludes their own merit. Did it to me,
what Is dono to Christ's people out Of
love to him, he regards as done to himself.
Matt. x, 40; Acts tx, 1 Everlasting, eternal,
the same Greek word for both and means
endless duration. The original word, aio-
nion. occurs sixty-six times in the New Tes-
lament. OF these. in fifty-one instances it is
used to describe the duration of the happi-
ness of the righteous; in two, of Gods exist
ence; in six, of the church and Christ's king
dom, and in the remaining seven of the
future punishment of the wicked.
In the last days Of our Lords earthly life,
less than three days before bis cruci1xion, he
parts the veil which separates from the great
future, and by wonderfully interesting pic
ture of the final Judgment unfolds to us lis
kingly and judicial character and glory, and
how he viii exercise Judgment upon all the
nations of the earth and upon all the genera-
tions Of men. He shows that men viii be
| Judged by the view they take of him and the
conduct Of men toward his followers because
they are his followers. His sentence intro
| duces a separation which must bring the
earth itself, in its ancient form, to an end
The good are received into the kingdom of
his father and the wicked are cast into hell
| This presupposes the general resurrection
and forms the conclusion of the Lords coming
and paroasia in this present state of things.
! Y. 81 Within less than two days of his
crucifxion be fitly sets forth the glory Of his
triumph He looked beyond the cross. Ho
had never said SO much until he was about TO
suffer. His foresight was more than human;
| it was divine
| The word when" points TO definite occa-
! sion, namely, in connection with his second
coming. When now speaking be was in a
state of humiliation, man, poor. despised.
unknown, rejected and to be crucified. But.
| looking forward, he spoke OF coming ain his
glory" in his own true nature, divine. hon
ored and worshiped as King of kings Now
he was about being elevated on a cross. then
he would ascend 1.-THE throne of his glory.u
sharing the glory with '%the ancient of DAYS.
Instead of few humble followers as now. be
then would have an immense retinue of "holy
/ angels with him." Seated on his throne inn
| plies his complete victory. The contrasts
are striking Now in the position of q pris-
oner before earthly judges, then he would be
q king and judge; now the cross, then the
crown; now in shame, then in glory; now
the conflict then the triumph: now the
judged, then the judge of ALL
v. 80. The assembly at the Judgment seem.
to include all mankind; the 'snations" vepre-
senting oil peoples of all climes and regions.
The lesson presupposes the universal nominal
Christianization Of the world.
That tho verse should teach, as some sug-
gest, that only heathen nations and all ex-
cept Christians, should be judged, does to the
simple reader seem strange and perplexing.
The obvious meaning seems to be that the
whole human race will appear before Christ,
the King and Judge. The earthly distinc-
tions and dividing lines will then disappear.
Sheep and goats pasture together, and east
ern travellers say that only the practiced eye
Of the shepherd can distinguish them. At
night they are separated by him. Thus now
| good and bad are intermingled and the
keenest observation often cannot discern the
difference Christ, the Great Shepherd, all
the while knows his people; and there is a
day coming when he viii declare publicly
who are, and who pretend to be, his true dis
ciples
v. SO. The gentleness, inoffensiveness,
peacefulness and tractability of sheep SYM
| bolizes the character of Christ's true people.
| Goats combine uncleanness and stubbornness.
and thus typify the evil character of the un-
godly. In the Hebrew there is one word
which means both goat and demon The
fright handn was the place OF honor
Y. 81. Here for the first and only time
does the Lord give himself the name Of
king Afford. The kingdom was inherited, !"
not purchased nor earned; not theirs by any
human merit but Gods free gift to them. It
was prepared in the councils OF eternity
that such kingdom should be the inheri-
tance Of each one Of Gods believing children
Jesus further prepared it after his as
/ cension.
| v. $3.50 u, .T, y ssunto men-ssnot unto
me''-indicate how all good works done ON
/ earth to bear remembrance at the day Of
| judgment had to be done with regard to
| Christ, prompted BY his spirit and love, done
for and 70 him, for bis sake and glory. Good
! works are TO be remembered and rewarded
only when performed for him.
n. 31-i0 They bad thought more Of the
one in whose name they did these acts than
they thought of the acts themselves They
/ recognize 10 merit in their works; they are
surprised that the loving master should deem
/ them worthy Of mention The works are
/! not commended. but the love which prompted
| them TO the works.
1 " 4t-46 Separation from the righteous is
/ the preface to final and eternal separation
| from Christ. to the Ii west deEths Of misery
and despair. The good which the wicked