Fallen angels also will be judged. They are said "to be reserved unto the judgment of the great day." Jude, 6. They shall receive their final sentence, and be shut up in the prison of hell. Matt. 8: 29. 25: 46. 1 Cor. 6: 3. 2 Peter, 2:4. Rev. 20: 10.

§ 13. The matter for which men will be judged will be their actions, words and thoughts. Prov. 24:17. Eccl. 12: 14. Matt. 12:36. Rom. 2: 16. 1 Cor. 4 5. Jude, ver. 15.

All sins, whether secret or open and visible, shall be accounted for; for " God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ." Rom. 2: 16. The sins of omission as well as commission will be charged on the conscience of the sinner. Men are generally more sensible of the guilt contracted by sins committed than by duties omitted; but in that awful day they will be convinced of their error; for "to him who knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is a sin." James, 4: 7. The Judge himself will say, "I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not." Matt. 25: 42, 43.

The neglect of improving all the means, advantages and opportunities of doing or receiving good, will be a great part of that judgment. The Lord called his servants to an account for the talents committed to their trust, and required profit in proportion to their number and worth; and he who had buried his talent, though safely kept and not wasted, yet, because he had not improved it, was severely punished.

§ 14. The rule of judgment is the Divine constitution. We are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judg

ment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But, after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his deeds." Rom. 2: 2-6.

The heathen will be judged by the light of nature: "For as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law." Rom. 2: 12. Our people the Jews will be judged by the law of Moses: "Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust." John, 5: 45. "As many

as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law." Rom. 2: 12. Those who are favored with the means of grace will be judged by the Gospel. "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him; the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." John, 12: 48. Saints will be judged by the book of life. Luke, 10: 20. Rev. 3: 5. 20: 12, 15. § 15. The evidence produced in judgment will be abundantly clear and convincing. The temper of divine justice is very observable in particular judgments recorded in Scripture. In the first process of justice on earth, we read that God made inquiry of Adam, "Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat?" Gen. 3 11; and by palpable evidence convinced him before he condemned him. Thus, before the fiery vengeance upon the wicked cities, the Lord said to Abraham, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it that is come unto me." Gen. 18: 20, 21. Thus we read of the profane king of Babylon, Belshazzar, "that he was weighed in the balance and found wanting," Daniel, 5: 27,

before he was sentenced to be deprived of his kingdom and life. And in the last day the righteousness of God's proceedings shall be universally manifest and magnified. It is therefore called "the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God." Rom. 2 : 5.

In allusion to the proceedings in human judgments, where the information and charges are produced from writings for the conviction of the accused, the Scripture informs us that the evidence is to be produced by opening the books.

We read that God keeps a book of remembrance. Mal. 3: 16.

On the day of judgment, contrary to the practice of human tribunals; the Judge himself will be a witness against the criminals. For thus says the Lord, "I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me." "Mal. 3: 5. Then shall the Lord Jesus Christ say 66 unto them at the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them saying, Verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me." Matt. 25: 41-45.

The omniscience of God will give most convincing evidence to all our works. "All things are marked and open to his eyes with whom we have to do" in judgment. Heb.

4:13. He discovered the sacrilege of Achan, the lie of Gehazi, and the deceit of Ananias. Saul's disobedience in sparing the spoils of the Amalekites, devoted to destruction, had the colorable pretence of piety, and a sacrifice was laid on the altar; and David's murder of Uriah was imputed to the chance of war as a sufficient excuse; but though they might have deceived others, they could not deceive God. Hence says the wise man, "Doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works." Prov. 24: 12.

Another book that will be laid open is every man's own conscience.

Now the records of conscience are often obliterated, and the sins written therein are forgotten; but on the day of judgment they will appear in so clear an impression, that the wicked will be inexcusable to themselves, and conscience will subscribe to the sentence of condemnation, and the sinner become speechless.

§ 16. Other numerous witnesses will appear. Not as if God, who knoweth all things, wants information; but for the public conviction of the wicked, many of their own friends and ministers will have to appear against them.

The righteous will bear witness against the ungodly. They will rehearse the several circumstances which prove their earnest desire and endeavor to reclaim and reform them. They will repeat the advice and counsel which they once tendered them; they will relate how often they reproved them, how earnestly they entreated and besought them, and how affectionately and importunately they prayed for them.

17. Yea, even the wicked will bear witness against their wicked companions. Luke, 16:27, 28.

In this world, fellow-sinners usually conceal one another's wickedness, restrained by their own obnoxiousness

to punishment; but all that have been jointly engaged in the commission of sin will impeach each other. In all sins of combinations, the inferior instruments will accuse their directors and tempters for their pernicious counsel; like Adam, who laid the blame upon Eve, and Eve upon the serpent. This awful subject, my dear Benjamin, reminds me of the story about the Lucian Lamp, of which a heathen writer relates thus: "That the soul of a very guilty wretch was after death arraigned before one of the severe judges below. At his trial, because his atrocious crimes were done in secret, he stood upon his defence, denying all. The judge demanded his lamp to be produced, that was an eyewitness of his wickedness. The lamp appeared, and being demanded what it knew of him, answered with a sigh, ‘O that I had been conscious of nothing, for even now the remembrance of his villanies makes me to tremble. I wish my light had been extinct, that the oil that maintained it had quenched it. But I burned with disdain and cast about some sparks to fire his impure bed, and was grieved that my little flame was so weak as not to consume it. I said within myself, if the sun saw these villanies it would be eclipsed, and leave the world in darkness. But I now perceive why I was constrained to give light to him, that, being a secret spy of his uncleanness, his thefts and cruelties, I might reveal them.'

§ 18. Devils too will appear as witnesses against the wicked.

As it respects the righteous, Satan, the accuser of the brethren, will be silenced by the Judge himself, who is their advocate. This we have represented to the prophet Zechariah; "Joshua the high priest," a type of the church, "standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him and the Lord said unto Satan, the Lord rebuke thee, O Satan, even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee." Zech.