The Great Commission. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. IVMackintosh, Charles Henry
Religion
The Great Commission. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. IV
Mackintosh, Charles Henry
Theology
Nor is this all. Not only does God's present government take
cognizance of the conduct of men, causing them to reap, even here, the
due reward of their deeds but when Scripture opens to our view, as it
does in manifold places, the awful judgment to come, it speaks of
"books being opened." It tells us that men "shall be judged _every man
according to their works_." In short, we have close and accurate
discrimination, and not a promiscuous huddling of men and things.
And further, be it remembered, that the word of God speaks of degrees
of punishment. It speaks of "few stripes" and "many stripes." It uses
such words as "more tolerable" for one than another.
What mean such words, if there be not varied grounds of judgment,
varied characters of responsibility, varied measures of guilt, varied
degrees of punishment? Men may reason; but "the Judge of all the earth
will do right." It is of no possible use for people to argue and
discuss. Every man will be judged and punished according to his deeds.
This is the teaching of Holy Scripture; and it would be much better
and safer and wiser for men to submit to it than to reason against it,
for they may rest fully assured of it that the judgment-seat of Christ
will make very short work of their reasonings. Impenitent sinners will
be judged and punished according to their works: and, although men
may affect to believe that it is inconsistent with the idea of a God
of love that any of His creatures should be condemned to endure
eternal punishment in hell, still sin must be punished; and those who
reason against its punishment have only a one-sided view of God's
nature and character. They have invented a god of their own who will
connive at sin. But it will not do. The God of the Bible, _the God
whom we see at the cross_, the God of Christianity will, beyond all
question, execute judgment upon all who reject His Son; that judgment
will be according to every man's works; and the result of that
judgment will, inevitably, be "The lake that burneth with fire and
brimstone," forever and forever.
We deem it of the utmost importance to press on all whom it may
concern the line of truth on which we have been dwelling. It leaves
wholly untouched the real truth of the no-difference doctrine; but, at
the same time, it qualifies and adjusts the mode of presenting that
truth. It is always well to avoid an ultra one-sided way of stating
things. It damages truth and stumbles souls. It perplexes the anxious,
and gives a plea to the caviler. The full truth of God should always
be unfolded, and thus all will be right. Truth puts men and things in
their right places, and maintains a holy moral balance which is
absolutely priceless.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account