Falling into the Hands of the Living God!

Matthew Mead, 1629-1699
 

"It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!" Hebrews 10:31

I. I have opened these words to you, and showed you in what sense God is called the living God, in opposition to idol gods. He is the living God originally, having life primarily in himself, the living God by way of communication of life. He is the living God with respect to his eternal power, by which he is able to avenge himself for sin, and that is the reason why he is called the living God.

I showed you what is meant by the hands of the living God. There are various senses in Scripture, but in this place his hand denotes his power, and so you read in Scripture:

1. Of the protecting hand of God, "None shall pluck them out of my hand."

3. Of the correcting hand of God; "day and night your hand lies heavy upon me."

3. Of the revenging hand of God, and that is the hand in the text, "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

I showed you what is meant by falling into his hand. It implies three things:

1. Having to do with God immediately, as every sinner in that state shall.

2. Having to do with God necessarily.

3. Having to do with God everlastingly.

I have given you its demonstration, that to fall into the hands of the living God is a terrifying thing. I demonstrated it to you:

1. From that which is the chief subject of this misery, and that is the soul of man. When a man falls into the hands of the living God—it is his soul that is the chief sufferer.

2. From here I showed you that the withdrawings of God, even from the souls of believers in this life is so dreadful. Let God but withdraw from his people a little here, suspend the influences of his grace—and it is a Hell to the soul.

II. I showed you what this withdrawing of God is, and gave you several conclusions about it, and then made it clear what a dreadful thing it is to be under the withdrawings of God, the greatest misery that can befall a believer in this world. This I made evident to you by five things, in that a believer accounts his imperfect communion with God here a misery.

The common notion and general sense of believers gives evidence for this, and it sufficiently appears by their behavior, when God withdraws.

(1). It occasions hard and unfitting thoughts of God.

(2). It occasions desperate conclusions concerning themselves.

(3). Sometimes it occasions them to speak harshly and unfittingly of God.

(4). It stirs up dreadful passions, as fear and trembling.

(5). It sometimes works a fearful despondency of soul.

In this way the behavior of believers under God's withdrawings, shows it to be a dreadful thing. This is that which turns living hopes, into killing fears. It is not only a burden, but makes other things a burden too. It is a very wounding thing, it makes sad wounds in the spirit and conscience of a believer—and such as lie out of the reach of all medicines—that no hand can cure, but that of God himself. And if it is such a terrible thing for a believer to be under the withdrawings of God for a moment—then what is it for an unbeliever to fall into the hands of the living God forever?
 

III. I come now to demonstration that it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God! The fearfulness of this falling into the hands of the living God, will be evidenced from that terror which sinners themselves many times feel under the sense of God's wrath in this world. God sometimes gives them some tastes of his wrath here in their souls, and it becomes very dreadful when it is so—and this I take to be the fire not blown, which Zophar speaks of in Job 20:26, "A fire not blown shall consume him."

What fire is that, but the wrath of God? When this fire burns, it kindles such a flame in the conscience, that a sinner cannot bear its burning. It is worse than Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace, when it was seven times heated hotter. Never any have been so scourged and tormented, as those that felt these burnings of conscience within. God sometimes in this life, lets in his wrath into the soul of sinners, as a present rebuke for sin, as he puts joy into the heart of believers in an immediate way, by the, "light of his countenance," (Psalm 4:6). What is this light of God's countenance on a believer, but the irradiation and discovery of his love in an immediate way?

So when God punishes for sin, he does it by way of discovery, filling the soul with terror, from the immediate stroke of his wrath. It is not such a sort of punishment as falls wholly on the flesh in pain and agony—but such as is internal, which falls on the spirit of a man.

This, many times on sinners has so much of the wrath of God in it, that it becomes intolerable, and cannot be borne. So it was with Judas. The wrath of God entered into his soul, and filled his conscience with terror, and he could not bear it, but hanged himself to be rid of his burden.

There is not a livelier emblem of the torments of Hell in this world than a conscience filled with God's wrath. So it was to Cain, and that made him cry out, "my punishment is greater than I can bear!" This was it that made poor Spira cry out, "I feel the wrath of God upon my soul, and I am in Hell already!" Of all the miseries that are incident to the wicked in this world, there is none like these distresses of conscience, being tormented with the sense of immediate wrath.

And yet these distresses in their utmost extremity, if compared with what the miserable sinner feels in Hell—are but like sipping of the top of that cup, the dregs of which are reserved to the eternal state. Psalm 75:8 says, "In the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red. It is full of mixtures, and he pours out the same (here in this world)—but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them." It is but the top of the cup that is tasted of now, but the utmost bottom of this cup of fury is reserved for hereafter.

Whatever of the wrath of God sinners at any time feel here, in comparison of what is to come—is but as the flame of a candle compared to a fiery furnace. This may be another demonstration of this truth, that it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. If the beginning of Hell is so dreadful here—then what shall the consummation of it be hereafter? If the first fruits are so bitter—then what shall the full crop of divine vengeance be? Now, you feel a little touch of God's finger, but then you fall into his omnipotent hands!
 

IV. It is further evident from the sense Christ had of this wrath of God, when he as our surety fell into the hands of the living God. For Christ did not only suffer in his body a cruel painful death, but he suffered in his soul too, and indeed the sufferings of his soul—are the soul of his sufferings. They are the greatest part of what the Lord Christ underwent, therefore speaking of Christ, in Psalm 22:14, He cries out, "My soul is like wax, melting within me." And Christ tells his disciples in Matthew 26:38, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful even to death." And Luke 22:44, "He was in an agony, and sweat drops of blood which ran down to the ground."

Now what is it that so worked on the holy soul of Christ, that should make a man in perfect health and strength, in the vigor of his days—in such a dreadful agony, to sweat drops of blood? Where does this come from? We do not read of any devil let loose to torment him, for they are tormented at his presence. We read of no other angel that had any commission to torment him, nor is there any reason to think, that the fear of a bodily death now approaching, was that which forced these drops of blood from him—for then he would have revealed more weakness than many martyrs. His nature was surely as strong as theirs to bear it, had not his sufferings had infinitely more in it, than any of the martyr's sufferings. The martyrs suffered as great physical sorrows as Christ did, and that with courage.

But alas! Christ's was another kind of death than theirs. He suffered under the weight of his Father's justice, and his great conflict was with the wrath of God! Christ standing for us and in our stead, suffered under a vindictive punishment of God's wrath, for he was made a curse for us. The curse that was due to our sin, was transferred from us to him, who became our surety. Galatians 3:13 says, "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us."

So there is a great difference between the death of martyrs, and the death of our Redeemer. Christ in his death, conflicted with sin, and wrath, and Hell, with enemies whose force was never broken before. There was a curse in his death, but the curse was taken out of theirs. Christ did not only conflict with a temporal, but an eternal death. This, the martyrs knew they were delivered from. Christ endured the torments of Hell in his sufferings, the martyrs felt nothing of that, for Christ had freed them from it. Christ's death had infinitely more in it than the death of all the martyrs ever had. All the punishments from all the soldiers in the world, could not have drawn out one doleful cry from his blessed lips—had not the wrath of God drawn it out.

Jesus fell into the hands of the living God! "Awake, O sword against my Shepherd, against the man that is my fellow," therefore he is said, "to be smitten of God, and afflicted," (Isaiah 53:4). So that our Lord Christ had to do with the wrath of God in his soul, and this made him to cry out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" He does not say to his friends or disciples, why have you forsaken me? But why have you my God, forsaken me?

What a deluge from Heaven fell on this, our ark, of which Noah's was a type! It must be more than a finite sorrow which so melted his holy soul in the garden. One drop of the wrath of God, is infinitely bitterer than all human wrath and revenge can be!

It is clear there was a negative hand of God in denying Christ the comfortable presence which was due to him, and could not be denied to his humanity as it was united to the second person in the Godhead, had he not been in another capacity on the cross, and not precisely as the Son of God.

If the wrath and justice of his Father did not immediately fall on him—then how could he be said to satisfy his Father's justice? The fire which consumed the sacrifice on the typical altar, came down from Heaven, and so did the wrath of God which consumed our sacrifice, therefore it is said, "it pleased the Lord to bruise him," (Isaiah 53:10).

Now then, if the wrath of God was so dreadful to the Lord Christ himself, as to put him into such an agony—then what will it be to the impenitent sinner in the great day? Our Lord Christ endured it but for a time—but the sinner falls into the hands of the living God, and must bear it to eternity! If the wrath of God was so heavy on Christ—then how heavy will it be on the damned? What will become of those who slight this blessed Redeemer, and have no part in his death, no benefit by it, because they tread it under foot?

If Christ died to this end, that God might with a regard to his justice, pardon believing sinners—then what will become of those who do not believe in him? The death of Christ is a bitter consideration to unbelieving souls—to consider what wrath Christ himself underwent when he stood in the stead of sinners. If he who stood in our stead suffered so much—then what must they suffer when they stand in their own stead, and must bear their own guilt?

If Jesus drank so deep of this bitter cup of God's wrath—do you think that you shall escape? What will become of you who neglect so great a salvation? You who make light of the threatenings of God, and cannot believe that God will be so severe against sinners as the Scriptures speak, and ministers tell you—do but see the justice of God against Christ, and tremble at your unbelief!

Did He sweat great drops of blood under the wrath of God—and do you make light of it? Did it stagger Him—and will it not confound you? God has indeed accepted Jesus' sacrifice for sin—but if any man sinfully refuses Christ, "there remains no more sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall consume the adversary!"
 

V. It is evident that it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God from that judgment which God will pass upon every soul in the great day. Let me show:

1. What this judgment is.

2. That such a judgment there shall be.

3. What the nature of this judgment is.

1. What this judgment is, though it has various senses in Scripture—yet it is most usually put to signify the proceeding of a righteous God in the last day with saints and sinners. And this judgment is a judicial act of God, which he will exercise in the last day by Christ, both on angels and men, pronouncing the elect blessed, and making them sharers in his glory; and pronouncing the wicked cursed, and condemning them to eternal misery.

2. That there shall be such a judgment as this is most plain and evident, if you consider these six things:

(1). The unerring testimony of Scripture. The Scriptures are the perfect revelation of the mind of God, called the word of truth. Whatever is contained in them, is of undoubted verity; whatever is foretold in the word, shall most certainly come to pass, as all things here in their appointed seasons have done.

The Scriptures foretold of Christ's coming in the flesh some thousands of years before he was born, and it came to pass accordingly. "In the fullness of time God sent his Son." It foretold his dying for sinners and bearing the wrath of God for us—and it came to pass accordingly. It foretold the casting off of the Jews, and the coming of Antichrist, which is now come to pass, and whatever it has foretold which is yet to be accomplished, shall certainly be made good.

Now this Scripture foretells and forewarns us of a final judgment day coming. It makes it as sure as death, "It is appointed for all men once to die—and after this the judgment." No, it makes it more sure than death, for not everyone will die. The Apostle says, "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed," (1 Corinthians 15:51). Those who are found alive at the coming of Christ, shall not die, but though they shall not die—yet they shall all be judged.

No, the Scripture foretells what we shall be judged for, our works. "He will judge every man according to his works," (1 Peter 1:17). Matthew 12:36-37 says, "I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment, for by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned." Yes, we must give an account of our very thoughts, (Romans 2:16). "God shall judge the secrets of men"—the most hidden and secret sins that we have done at any time, shall all come into judgment! "There is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed, nothing hidden, that shall not be known," (Matthew 10:26).

The Scriptures foretell what the rule is which God will proceed by, in judging in that day. Romans 2:12 says, "As many as have sinned without law, shall be judged without law; and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law." But what shall be done to those who lived under the gospel? They shall be judged by the gospel. John 12:48 says, "The word I have spoken, the same shall judge you at the last day." It is evident then, that there shall be a judgment—the word of God has plainly foretold it.

(2). The justice and righteousness of God makes a day of judgment, to be a thing of necessity. This righteousness of God is an attribute that is equally infinite with his other attributes. Now God will glorify every attribute. His other attributes have had their day.

The power of God had a day when he made the world. He made all out of nothing by the word of his power. Creation work is said to show forth his eternal power and Godhead.

The love and mercy of God had a day when he redeemed the world in giving Christ to die for us, then was love and mercy made visible, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," (John 3:16).

The patience of God has had his day. The time of man's life here, is the place of patience, in which he bears with sinners and crying provocations, and waits for their repenting, returning, and believing. All the time we live, and are on this side of the grave, is so much taken off from eternity, for God to exercise his patience for sinners in. The life of man is nothing else but the season of God's patience, in which he waits on him, and calls to him to believe and repent and secure the interest of his soul.

Now then shall the other attributes of God have their day, and shall not the justice and righteousness of God have a day as well? How else shall his righteousness be made known and made manifest? It cannot be known in this world—the wicked prosper and the righteous are afflicted. Is this righteousness? Therefore, a day of judgment is highly necessary, for that is "the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God." The justice of God makes this necessary both with respect to believers and lost sinners.

1. With respect to BELIEVERS.

(1.) That the wrongs they have undergone and sustained in this world might be righted. You know the interest of religion is a very suffering interest here, and those who own it, and will adhere to it, must expect to share in its reproaches and sufferings. Sometimes they suffer from Satan, sometimes they suffer from wicked men, sometimes they suffer in their names, sometimes they suffer in their persons, and sometimes in their possessions. Now is it reasonable that the righteous God should always allow this? Is it consistent with his justice, to let his people be run down in the world, and never vindicate them? You cannot think so. There is a time coming in which God will do them right.

2 Thessalonians 1:4-5, "The persecutions and troubles you endure is a manifest token, (make note of this) of the righteous judgment of God," that is, it is an evidence, a sign, a witness, that there shall be a day, in which God will set things right.

When we see the righteous causelessly suffering such injurious things from wicked men, and they in the meantime go unpunished, they go on and prosper—we may well take this as a token of judgment. How else can we vindicate the righteousness and wisdom of God in governing the world?

When Solomon saw so much corruption in private communities, and so much unrighteousness gotten into the seat of justice, what does he infer from that? Surely a day will come in which there shall be a more righteous administration of things, (Ecclesiastes 3:16-17). All these unrighteous judgments shall be judged over again, and the Apostle puts this in conjunction with the righteousness of God, "God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from Heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed." 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10

It is a righteous thing with God—to give his people rest, and to punish the wicked. This tribulation to the wicked, and rest to believers, is the fruit of God's righteousness. He will right his people in every way. If their persons have been dishonored and despised, God will vindicate them. If they have been condemned for a generation of hypocrites, God will in that day manifest their sincerity before all the world.

2. A day of judgment is necessary that believers may receive the glory which is due them from the foundation of the world, and purchased for them at the cost of Christ's blood. Heaven is the believers' due, his right. I do not say by virtue of any works done by him—no, the apostle disclaims that, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done," (Titus 3:5), but it is due by virtue of God's promise. A believer stands firmly entitled to the promises, and he may claim them boldly, whatever is contained in the promise. It is an engagement on God. There is nothing more just than that a righteous God should make good his promise.

So then if I believe and have closed with Christ and have ventured my eternal all on the promise of God, I may lay claim to Heaven as my just due because God has promised Heaven to every true believer, "he who believes shall be saved." And shall not the righteous God make good his word?

And besides, it is a purchased possession. It cost the blood of Jesus and he bought it for the believer's use and on his behalf, "for their sakes I sanctify myself," Christ says. The great design of Christ in the flesh in all he did and suffered, was to bring many sons to glory; therefore a day of judgment is absolutely necessary with respect to believers, that they may receive the inheritance that God has prepared, and Christ has purchased at so dear a rate as his own blood.

(2.) Judgment day is necessary with respect to LOST SINNERS, here, "All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good man, so with the sinner; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them." (Ecclesiastes 9:2). What a strange administration of things is this—if there is not a future state! Therefore there must be a day in which God will set these matters right, and a difference put between one and the other, though not now.

Now, the wicked devours the man who is more righteous than he, and yet God is said to hold his peace. Here, "the wicked are not in trouble as other men," (Psalm 73:5). "Therefore they set their mouths against Heaven, and they say: How does God know?" Therefore there must be a reckoning to come. Here, "they prosper in the world, and have their good things in this life. Their belly is filled with this hidden treasure, where waters of a full cup are wrung out to his people." Therefore there must be a day to set matters right. Here sinners take advantage of the patience of God to sin with the greater courage. Because God does not strike the sinner immediately—therefore their heart is fully set to do evil. Therefore if there is a righteous God, there shall be a day of judgment.

(3). There is that in the CONSCIENCE of every man which proves this. The apostle speaking of the Gentiles says, "their consciences bearing witness, and their conscience excusing or accusing within themselves." In doing evil they accuse, in doing good they excuse—and this proves a judgment, for the judgment of the conscience is with respect to the judgment of God; "if our hearts condemn us," the apostle says, "God is greater than our hearts, and knows all things." It is said, "when Paul reasoned of righteousness and judgment to come, Felix trembled," (Acts 24:25). Why did the doctrine of the judgment to come make him tremble? Because his conscience filled him with terror at the remembrance of that day.

(4). That there shall be a judgment day is evident from the RESURRECTION. That there shall be a general resurrection of the body from the grave, we all believe. Daniel 12:2, "Those who sleep in the dust shall awake—some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." It is as plain as words can make it in 1 Corinthians 15:22, "As in Adam all die—so in Christ shall all be made alive." It is not meant of universal redemption, as the Arminians pervert it, but it is meant of the universal resurrection, as the context proves it. The resurrection of the dead is an article of our creed, and it is made by the Apostles, one of the fundamental articles of the Christian religion, (Hebrews 6:2).

Now resurrection of the dead necessarily infers a day of judgment, for if there is no judgment day, what do the dead rise for? It is in order to judgment, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10). Therefore the body must be judged as well as the soul. John says, in the representation of the last judgment in Revelation 20, "I saw the dead, small and great stand before God," how can they stand before God, but in a resurrection state? And what do they stand before God for, but to be judged according to their deeds?

The Apostle gives you a full proof of this in John 5:28-29, "For the hour is coming in which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and come forth—those who have done good unto the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of damnation." Why is it called a resurrection of life and damnation, but because of the judgment which at the resurrection shall pass on everyone, either to life or damnation?

(5). The present condition of Christ makes this day of Judgment necessary. Christ is now an advocate for us with the Father, he is gone to Heaven to transact for us at the right hand of God by his intercession—and must Christ be always at that work? Must he be always interceding to God for us? Shall he never put off his priestly garments? Yes, the scripture tells us, "the time is coming, when Christ shall deliver up the kingdom to God the Father," and when is that? When does he give up the kingdom? When the judgment is past. He must judge the world first, for the Father has committed all judgment to the Son, and one end of this judging the world by Christ is, that those who would not bow to him, might be broken by him. Those who would not submit to the golden scepter of his grace, might feel the iron rod of his power. You read what the sentence shall be at last, "Those enemies of mine, who would not have me reign over them—bring them hither and slay them before me!" And when his enemies are subdued, then his mediatorial kingdom is ended, for he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. Therefore the present condition of Christ makes a judgment necessary.

(6). I might show this from the faith of the people of God. There has not been one saint on the earth from the beginning of the world to this day, but has believed a judgment to come. This I could prove from Adam, from Enoch, from Noah, from David, and from all the Old Testament saints. And would God have fixed the faith of his saints in all ages, on a thing which could not be? I tell you it cannot be, and if there is no judgment, then, (as the Apostle says of the resurrection of Christ), "our preaching is in vain, and your faith is vain." It is most evident, therefore, that there shall be a judgment.

3. I come now to speak a little to the NATURE of this great and last judgment, to bring it home to demonstrate that it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

(1). It is UNIVERSAL judgment. None can be exempted from it, "before him shall be gathered all nations," (Matthew 25:32). Jews, Arabs, Heathens, Christians, all nations, (Romans 14:10). "We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." We shall, the apostle here includes himself, and all believers to show us that saints shall be judged as well as sinners.

First Christ shall judge the saints. Then as assessors with Christ, they shall judge the rest of the world. 1 Corinthians 6:2 says, "Don't you know that the saints shall judge the world?" They do not do this by an equal authority and commission with Christ, but as the present approvers of his approvers of his righteous proceedings.

"I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God." The greatest princes on the earth shall stand at the bar of Christ, as well as the poorest peasant. No man shall be excused from the trial of that day, neither ministers nor people, young nor old, godly or ungodly—all must receive their final sentence. No shifts or indirect means can escape this, or bias the judgment. There is no hiding of sins from God. You may hide them from men and the devil, but not from God. Men may say now as they did in Ezekiel 9:9, "The Lord has forsaken the earth, and the Lord sees not," but then it will appear otherwise. When one guest came who did not have on a wedding garment—how soon did Christ find him out? "He knows vain man, he sees his wickedness—will he not consider it?"

(2). It is CERTAIN judgment. "You yourselves know perfectly well, that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night," (1 Thessalonians 5:2). The word of God is not more positive and full in fixing any one truth in the book of God than this. Jesus Christ would never have revealed, and the prophets and apostles would never have preached it, had it not been a thing of the greatest certainty. No, it is made so by the very oath of God. "As I live, says God, every knee shall bow to me." God has sworn it. "Every one of us shall give an account of himself unto God."

(3). It is SUDDEN judgment. It approaches quickly, the apostle says so. Philippians 4:5, "The Lord is at hand." James 5:8 says, "The coming of the Lord draws near," and our Lord Christ speaks of it, as at hand in Revelation 3:11, "Behold, I come quickly." In Revelation 22:20, the last words of Christ, and those with which he seals up the canon of Scripture are, "Surely I come quickly!" Therefore it cannot be long before Christ comes to judgment.

(4). It is IMPARTIAL judgment. He is said to, "Judge without respect of persons," (1 Peter 1:17). God forbids acceptance of man's person in judgment, that is to esteem one person above another, or carnal advantages or by ends. And, "there is no respect of persons with God," the enemies of our Lord justified him in this, that he did not regard the person of men, and in the great day, there shall be no esteem of one above another. Every man must stand or fall, as the merit of his cause is.

(5). It is a STRICT and JUST judgment. He has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness. There shall be no wrong verdict given. Now is the time of God's forbearance with sinners. Now he rules the world with patience, but then he will rule in strict justice. No persuasion or bribery can take place at God's bar. These may do much with corrupt man, but they will not be done with the righteous God. Righteousness is said to be the belt of his loins, and he will never put off that belt. No man shall there suffer wrong, "Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?"

(6). This judgment is FINAL and AUTHORITATIVE. There is no appealing from it if matters go against you. Here, you may be cast in one court, and find relief in another—but there is no appeal from that bar. The sentence that day is conclusive and binding forever. If God then binds guilt upon the soul it shall lie there until eternity. Here God may bring a judgment on a man and remove it again—but there the judgment of that day shall never be removed, but it shall lie on the soul forever. The present wrath of God may be reversed, for God deals here in a way of grace. But there, every man shall be in his final state, and God will deal with him in the way of justice. It shall be judgment without mercy and without remedy.

He who is happy in the sentence of that day, will be happy forever; and he who is miserable, then, is miserable forever. If any man dies in his unbelief and impenitence—then he is as sure to perish as ever he was born. "This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from Heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power!" (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).

This is the nature then of the great judgment day, and if there is such a day of judgment as this, so universal, so certain, so impartial, so sudden, so strict and just, so authoritative and final, then it is sufficiently demonstrative that, "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!"