The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-05-20
THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.
sunday school Lesson in the Inter-
national Series for May 20, 1s9S
- Matthew 25s31-46.


THE SECTION includes the three para
bles OF Judgment In this chapter.
TIME.-Spoken Tuesday afternoon, April
{, A. d. 90 Immediately after the last
essen.
PLAcE.-The Mount of Olives. where
Jesus stopped with His disciples on his way
from Jerusalem to Bethany.
LESSON NOTES.
/. The Parallels of Judgment
This lesson is not a parable, but pic
ture and prophecy. It does not iken
the kingdom of God to anything, but
describes 'sthe literal Son of Man, in His
literal person, at His literal coming to a
literal Judgment" in that language and
picture form which can most wildly
and truly express to us the great real
ity.
II. The Scene on the Day of Judg-
ment.-Vs. 31-33. 81. when the Son
of Man." Jesus Himself, shall come"
referring to His great final coming lin
His glory" Not in state of humilia-
ton, as a man, poor, unknown, despised
and rejected of men, crucified; but in
His own true nature, divine, honored,
and worshiped, the glorious King OF
kings and Lord of lords. "And all the
holy angels with him." Instead of
few humble followers, He will have a
glorious retinue of the most noble and
powerful and radiant beings in the
universe, to be His attendants, to exc
cute His will, to be His messengers
with the speed of light.
80. sAnd before Him shall be gath
cred all nations:" The phrase is
equivalent to the whole human race.
Not only those who shall be alive at
His coming, but all who have ever lived
are embraced within the scope of the
Saviour's conception. Shall separate
them one from another" Into two,
and only two well-defned classes. From
the nature of things there can be only
two classes. All men either love God
supremely, or they do not. They have
begun the heavenly life, or they have
not. There are grades and degrees in
each class, but there is real and wide
distinction between the classes.
SO. "And He shall set the Sheep"
Who represent the righteous, because
they are gentle, obedient, peaceful,
ready TO follow their guide, affection
Inequalities which, when shown by
men toward Christ, will lead to right
eeusness. ION His right hand:" The
place of honor. But the goats" The
goat is especially a repulsive animal,
and SO fit image for wicked men; and
in Hebrew there is single word which
seems TO designate the goat" and
demon"
III. The Judgment of the Righteous.
VS.. 34-40. "a. "Unto them on His
right hand:" The sheep, the righteous.
''Come:" Draw near to your Elder
Brother, TO your Father, to your home,
fer here is the place for you. ''Ye
blessed of my Father" means exactly
my Fathers blessed Ones" denoting
not simply that they have been blessed
by Him, but that they are His. 'Tn-
herit:" Receive, not by purchase, or by
labors, but by being children of God,
like God, and therefore heirs-heirs of
God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.
The Kingdom:" The Kingdom of
Heaven, in which saints reign over in
finite forces and powers to make them
minister to happiness and good.
IS, SO. II was hungered:" In the
persons of His younger brethren, His
earthly friends, who were His repre-
eentatives. 'sMeat:" Food. 'eTook Me
in:" To your hearts and homes.
37-39. Lord, when saw we Thee
hungered," etc: The righteous stand
amazed that the Son of Man should SO
overwhelm their trifing services with
glorious reward. Nay, they can hard
ly recollect any service at all.
40. "Inasmuch as ye have done It unto
one of the least of these My brethren"
etc.: The obscurest, the poorest, the
most despised of His disciples, and those
with the least of His spirit and char
acter. Moreover, "the least of these
My brethren" is not limited to Chris
help for His sake, as He has taught us
in the parable of the good Samaritan.
". The Judgment of the Wicked
VS.. 41-46. Al. Depart from Me, ye
cursed:" Those who are far from God
in character are punished by being
made to live far from His home, his
Heaven, His Joy, His intimate friend
ship. "Into everlasting fire." Fire that
cannot be quenched or escaped. Not
literal fire, for we cannot conceive of
literal fire consuming spirit, or
spiritual body even; but the words
mean some punishment as terrible to
the soul as literal fire to the body.
Hprenaro6 for fha devil and biS on
gels" The Kingdom was prepared for
you, but the fire has been prepared for
the devil and his angels, not for you.
~. 43. For was q hungered, and ye
gave Me no meat" etc: Only sins of
omission are mentioned here; showing
that the absence of good works. the
restitution Of love, or the dominion OF
selfishness, disqualifies man for bless
edness, and is sufficient, even without