sometimes given expression; a tribute of praise may be offered by all to the justice and providence of God. " My feet," says the Prophet, were almost moved, my steps had well nigh slipt; because I had a zeal on occasion of the wicked, seeing the prosperity of sinners:" and a little after: " Behold! these are sinners, and yet abounding in the world, they have obtained riches; and I said, then have I in vain justified my heart, and washed my hands among the innocent; and I have been scourged all the day; and my chastisement hath been in the morning." [1] This has been the frequent complaint of many, and a general judgment is, therefore, necessary, lest, perhaps, men may be tempted to say that God, " walking about the poles of heaven," [2] regards not the earth. Wisely, therefore, has this truth been made one of the twelve articles of the Christian creed, that should any be tempted to doubt for a moment, their faith may be confirmed by the satisfactory reasons which this doctrine presents to the mind. Besides, the just should be encouraged by the hope, the wicked appalled by the terror of a future judgment; that knowing the justice of God, the former may not be disheartened, and, dreading his eternal judgments, the latter may be recalled from the paths of vice. Hence speaking of the last day, our Lord and Saviour declares, that a general judgment will, one day take place, and describes the signs of its approach; that seeing them, we may know that the end of the world is at hand. [3] At his ascension also, to console his Apostles, over whelmed with grief at his departure, he sent Angels, who said to them: " This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come as you have seen him going into heaven." [4]
That this judgment is ascribed to Christ our Lord, not only as God, but also as man, is expressly declared in Scripture: for although the power of judging is common to all the Persons of die blessed Trinity, yet it is specially attributed to the Son, because to him also in a special manner, is ascribed wisdom. But that as man, he will judge the world, is confirmed by the testimony of our Lord himself when he says: " As the Father hath life in himself; so he hath given to the Son also, to have life in himself; and he hath given him power to do judgment, because he is the Son of Man." [5] There is a peculiar propriety in Christ's sitting in judgment on this occasion; that as sentence is to be pronounced on mankind, they may see their judge with their eyes, and hear him with their ears, and thus learn their final doom, through the medium of the senses. Most just is it also, that he who was most iniquitously condemned by the judgment of men, should himself be, afterwards seen by all men sitting in judgment on all. Hence the prince of the Apostles, when ex pounding, in the house of Cornelius, the principal dogmas of Christianity, and teaching that Christ was suspended from a cross, and put to death by the Jews, and rose the third day
