The true northerner., 1900-06-20
MIR. uardy ioined IN fhe service with

had come To Il from the reading of his
Bible instead OF the reading of the
morning paper and from prayer In
stead OF from thoughts OF his business
or yawning stroll through his library.
His mind was receptive OF the best
things In the service. He entered into il
with the solemn feeling that IL was his
last.
And when the minister gave out the
text. "For we must all appear before
| the judgment seat OF Christ, that ev
cry man may receive the things done
In his body. whether they be good or
bad" he started and leaned forward
intently. feeling that the message OF
the preacher was for him and him
alone and strangely appropriate for
his own peculiar condition. The first
statement OF the sermon arrested his
attention and held him to the argu-
ment irresstibly to the end:
THE Judgment seat Of Christ VIII
not be dreadful place to a man whose
sins have been forgiven in this world,
but If he comes up TO 1t scanned and
SCARED and stained with sins unre-
pented OF and unforgiven because he
| has not asked God TO forgive him 1t
will be a place of awful fear 10 his
soul. There are men here in this au-
dlence who are as ready to die now as
they ever will be. They have made
their peace with God. They have no
quarrel with their neighbors. Their
accounts are all square In business.
They are living in loving relations
with the home circle. They have no
great burdens Of remorse or regret
weighing them down, and If God
should call them this minute TO step up
to the judgment seat they would be
ready.
"But there are other men here who
are not at all ready for such tremen-
dous event. They may think they are,
but they are mistaken. How can they
stand before the greatest being in all
the universe and have no fear when
they are unprepared to answer hisques-
tions; why did you not confess me be-
fore men? Why did you not do as
commanded and bear the burdens of
the work instead Of pleasing yourselfY
What will the man say then?
'It is true that Christ is all merciful,
all loving. But will it make no differ
ence with n soul whether it comes up
TO his judgment seat out OF life of
selfish ease and indulgence or out of n
life of. self sacrifice and restraint?
When every possible offer of mercy is
held out TO men on earth and they will
not accept it, Will it be all the same as
if they had when they come before the
judgment seat of Christ? Why, that
would be to mock at the meaning of
the incarnation and the atonement. 1t
would be TO cast scorn and contempt
on the agony in the garden and the
crucifixion. 1t would make unnecessa-
ry all the prayer and preaching. What
possible need Is there that men preach
a gospel of salvation unless there is
danger of the opposite?
"If we are all going TO be saved any
way, no matter whether we accept
Gods love in Christ or not. what use is
the church? And why should we be
anxious any more about our children
And what difference does it make
whether they go to the bad here in this
world if ia the world to come they will
all be saved? For eternity will be so
much grander and sweeter and endur-
ing than time that we might as well
take il easy here and not pay much at
tention TO the message, God so loved
the world'-that is, If we are going to
be saved anyway.
"Why should we care very much If it
does say in the revelation of Gods
word that the wicked shall go away
into everlasting punishment If we
don't believe it? Why, the wicked will
stand just as good a chance of eternal
glory as the good II the judgment seat
of Christ does not mean a separation
of the good from the bad. Let us close
our churches and go home. Let us eat
and drink and dance and be merry, for
tomorrow we may die: and after death
the judgment, and after the Judgment
glory and joy and power and peace and
life eternal in the presence of God.
"It Is true we scorned him on earth,
but that won't make any difference;
he will receive us just the same. 1t is
true we refused TO believe in his only
shame and agony for us, but that
makes no difference; he will say, Enter
into the JOY of thy Lord 1t is true we
made fun OF Christians and mocked at
prayer and sneered at faith, but that Is
not much 10 be afraid of. 1t Is true we
hated our neighbor and would not for
give an insult, but that Is a little thing.
1t is true when the Holy Spirit pleaded
with us q year or six months ago to
confess Christ In public we told him to
leave us; we were ashamed to do II In
the presence of men. to confess him
who spread out his arms on cross OF
bitterest agony for us, but for all that
we feel sure that when we march up to
the judgment seat of Christ he will
treat us just the same as he treats the
disciples who have laid down their
lives for the Master.
"Then let us tear out of the Bible
every line that speaks of retribution or
punishment or judgment-for we don't