Think Well On't/Day 9
THE NINTH DAY.
On the particular judgment after death.
CONSIDER, that the soul is no sooner parted from the body, but she is immediately presented before the Judge, in order to give an account of her whole life, of all that she has thought, said or done, during her abode in the body; and to receive sentence accordingly. For that the eternal doom of every soul is decided by a particular judgment immediately after death, is what we learn from the gospel in the example of Dives and Lazarus: and the sentence that passes here will be ratified in the general judgment at the last day. Christians, how stand your accounts with God? What could you be able to say for yourselves if this night you should be cited to the bar? It may perhaps be your case. Remember that your Lord will come when you least expect him; take care then to be always ready.
2. Consider how exact, how rigorous his judgment will be, where even the least idle word cannot escape the scrutiny of the Judge. Oh! what treasures of iniquity will here come to light, when the veil shall be removed, which hides at present the greatest part of our sins from the eyes of the world, and even from our own; and the whole history of our lives shall at once be exposed to our view. Good God! who can be able to bear this dreadful sight? Here shall the poor soul be brought to a most exact examination of all that she has done, or left undone, in the whole time of her pilgrimage in this mortal body: how she has corresponded with the divine inspirations; what use she has made of God's graces; what profit she has reaped from the sacraments which she has received; from the word of God which she has heard or read; what advantage she has made of those favourable circumstances in which God Almighty has placed her; how she has employed the talents with which he has entrusted her: even her best works shall be nicely sifted; her prayers, her fasts, her almsdeeds; the intention with which she has undertaken them; the manner in which she has performed them: all shall be weighed, not in the deceitful balance of the judgment of men , but in the scales of the sanctuary. Ah! how many of our actions will here be found to want weight, according to that of Dan. v: Thou hast been weighed in the balance, and art found of too little weight. Oh I enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord; for no man living shall be justified in thy sight. Ps. cxlii.
3. Consider the qualities of the Judge before whom we must appear. He is infinitely wise, and therefore cannot be deceived; he is infinitely powerful, and therefore cannot be withstood; lie is infinitely just, and therefore will render to every one according to his works. No favour is to be expected at this day: the time of merit and of acceptable repentance is now at an end. Ah! Christians, think well on it now whilst it is your day: you may now wash away your sins by penitential tears, and thus hide them from the eyes of your future Judge: you may at present tie up his hands by humble prayer; you may appeal from his justice to the court of his mercy, and cause him to cancel the sentence that stands against you: but at that day you will find him inexorable: your prayers and tears will then come too late.
4. Consider the inestimable comfort that the souls of the just shall receive at this day from the company of their good works, which, like an invincible rampart, shall surround them on all sides, and keep their hellish foes at a distance. Oh! my soul, let us take care to provide ourselves with such attendants as these against that hour, which is to decide our eternal doom. These are friends indeed, that will not forsake us even in death; and will effectually plead our cause at that bar where no other eloquence will be regarded.
5. Consider in what a wretched plight the sinner, who has taken no care to lay up any such provision of good works, shall now stand before his Judge. Oh! how all things now speak to him the melancholy sentence, that is just now going to fall upon his guilty head. Whatever way he looks, he sees nothing that can give him any comfort; but, on the contrary, all things contribute to his greater anguish and terror. Beneath his feet he sees hell open ready to swallow him up: above his head, an angry Judge prepared to thunder out against him the irrevocable sentence of eternal damnation: on his right hand, he sees his guardian angel now abandoning him; on his left, the devils, his merciless enemies, just ready to seize upon him, and only waiting for the beck of the Judge: if he looks behind him, he discovers a cheating world which now retires from him; if he looks before him, he meets with nothing but a dismal eternity. Within him he feels the intolerable stings of a guilty conscience: and on all sides of him he perceives an army of hideous monsters, his own sins, more terrible to him now than the furies of hell. Good God! deliver me from ever having any share in such a scene of misery.
6. Consider, that in order to prevent the judgment of God from falling heavy upon us after our death, we must take care, now during our life, to judge and chastise ourselves, by doing serious penance for our sins. Thus, and only thus, shall we disarm the justice of God enkindled by our sins. Let us follow the advice of him who is to be our Judge, who calls upon us to watch and pray at all times, that so we may be found worthy to escape these dreadful dangers, and stand with confidence before the Son of man: Luke xxi. 36. Ah! let this judgment be always before our eyes: let us daily meditate on this account that we are one day to give. Let us never forget that there is an eye above that sees all things; that there is an ear that hears all things; that there is a hand that writes down all our thoughts, words and deeds, in the great accounting book; and that all our actions pass from our hands to the hands of God; and what is done in time, passeth not away with time, but shall subsist after all time is past. Oh! that men would be wise, and would understand these truths, and provide in earnest for their last end! Deuter. xxxii.