Gathering of the Flock.
Let us remember this; it is "charity" in the true sense of the word, - love to God, generating all those loving virtues, of which love is the parent, which will decide our final bliss or woe. Religion, if true, can never be quenched in an unloving, selfish life. The criterion on "that day" will not be, what we have well said, but what we have well done! Semblances will be nothing then- party distinctions will be nothing then- appearing to be a Christian will be nothing then- flaming orthodoxy, the most evangelical creed in Christendom, apart from a loving nature, will be nothing then. It will be doers alone who will be justified. The demand will be, "Show me your faith by your works." Not that these works will unlock the gates of heaven. God forbid! In themselves, and as pleas of merit, they will be but "wood, and hay, and stubble." It is evident in this passage, and well worth noting, that from the righteous expressing their astonishment at the Judge's commendation, - they at least deemed these works and charities utterly valueless as a ground of justification and acquittal. "We your sheep," they seem to say to their Shepherd, "what have we done?" But Christ does see, and does accept, what has been by them done to His people, as if it had been done to Himself. "He commends not the works as such, but the love which prompted them." And when He turns to those on His left hand, who are destitute of all such evidences of life and love, it is as if He said, "You have been selfish, and niggardly, and unfeeling, and avaricious- you cannot have kept the first table of the law, and loved your God, seeing you have broken the second to your brother." "Be no deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap." The theme of this chapter, of which we have given the feeblest outline, is a most solemn one. The oldest recorded preacher, - in the oldest recorded sermon, takes this very subject for his text and discourse. "Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these saying, Behold the Lord comes with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deed which they have ungodly committed." Every fresh age should give augmented emphasis to these words of thrilling warning. Each day we live, the shadow of that Throne is deepening on our path- the noise of the approaching chariot-wheels becomes more audible. "Yet a little while," (and that 'little while' is becoming less every day), "and He that shall come, will come and will not tarry." Are we ready to meet Him? Are we ready for the "Come" of welcome? Could we say in looking upwards to His advent-throne, "Lo! This is our God, we have waited for Him!" Would He be to us the true Melchizedek, King of Salem, come to bless? Or, terrible alternative! Have we no portion in that advent-scene but the curse and the depart! Despise that first "Come" of pardon and love - and the second "Come" of welcome cannot be ours. Reject the Savior on the Throne of Grace, and when the Throne of Judgment is set, and the books are opened, there can be no more blessings. The reign of mercy is over. The priestly intercession is at an end. The prayer for the cumbering fig-tree, "spare it" - is no longer heard- the pleading Voice is silenced- the door is shut. The Shepherd can no longer gather- the Shepherd's crook can no longer rescue- these terrible words alone linger on the Shepherd's lips - "You are not of my sheep!" Great God, avert us from such a doom! Gather us to Your fold of grace, before we be overtaken by the hour of eternal separation! "The Lord grant unto us, that we may find mercy of the Lord on THAT DAY!"
Let us remember this; it is "charity" in the true sense of the word, - love to God, generating all those loving virtues, of which love is the parent, which will decide our final bliss or woe. Religion, if true, can never be quenched in an unloving, selfish life. The criterion on "that day" will not be, what we have well said, but what we have well done! Semblances will be nothing then- party distinctions will be nothing then- appearing to be a Christian will be nothing then- flaming orthodoxy, the most evangelical creed in Christendom, apart from a loving nature, will be nothing then. It will be doers alone who will be justified. The demand will be, "Show me your faith by your works." Not that these works will unlock the gates of heaven. God forbid! In themselves, and as pleas of merit, they will be but "wood, and hay, and stubble." It is evident in this passage, and well worth noting, that from the righteous expressing their astonishment at the Judge's commendation, - they at least deemed these works and charities utterly valueless as a ground of justification and acquittal. "We your sheep," they seem to say to their Shepherd, "what have we done?" But Christ does see, and does accept, what has been by them done to His people, as if it had been done to Himself. "He commends not the works as such, but the love which prompted them." And when He turns to those on His left hand, who are destitute of all such evidences of life and love, it is as if He said, "You have been selfish, and niggardly, and unfeeling, and avaricious- you cannot have kept the first table of the law, and loved your God, seeing you have broken the second to your brother." "Be no deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap." The theme of this chapter, of which we have given the feeblest outline, is a most solemn one. The oldest recorded preacher, - in the oldest recorded sermon, takes this very subject for his text and discourse. "Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these saying, Behold the Lord comes with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deed which they have ungodly committed." Every fresh age should give augmented emphasis to these words of thrilling warning. Each day we live, the shadow of that Throne is deepening on our path- the noise of the approaching chariot-wheels becomes more audible. "Yet a little while," (and that 'little while' is becoming less every day), "and He that shall come, will come and will not tarry." Are we ready to meet Him? Are we ready for the "Come" of welcome? Could we say in looking upwards to His advent-throne, "Lo! This is our God, we have waited for Him!" Would He be to us the true Melchizedek, King of Salem, come to bless? Or, terrible alternative! Have we no portion in that advent-scene but the curse and the depart! Despise that first "Come" of pardon and love - and the second "Come" of welcome cannot be ours. Reject the Savior on the Throne of Grace, and when the Throne of Judgment is set, and the books are opened, there can be no more blessings. The reign of mercy is over. The priestly intercession is at an end. The prayer for the cumbering fig-tree, "spare it" - is no longer heard- the pleading Voice is silenced- the door is shut. The Shepherd can no longer gather- the Shepherd's crook can no longer rescue- these terrible words alone linger on the Shepherd's lips - "You are not of my sheep!" Great God, avert us from such a doom! Gather us to Your fold of grace, before we be overtaken by the hour of eternal separation! "The Lord grant unto us, that we may find mercy of the Lord on THAT DAY!"
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