,the ,blessed ,dead4    ,,the ,,state   
,,of ,,the  ,,blessed ,,dead4  ,by      
,,henry ,,alford1 ,d4 ,d41  ,,dean ,,of 
,,canterbury4  ,,london3  ,,hodder ,,and
 ,,stoughton1  #bg1 ,,paternoster ,,row4
  ,,mdccclxix4    ,the following        
,discourses were delivered in           
,canterbury ,cathedral during ,advent1  
#ahfh1 and appeared in the ,pulpit      
,analyst1 #ahfi4    ,the ,state of the  
,blessed ,dead4  ,i4  ,i ,,have already 
announced that during this ,advent      
season ,i would call your attention to  
the state of the blessed dead4 ,my      
object in so doing is simply that we may
 recall to ourselves that which         
,scripture has revealed respecting them1
 for our edification1 and for our       
personal comfort4 ,and ,i would guard   
that which will be said by one or two   
preliminary observations4  ,with ,death 
as an object of terror1 with ,death from
 the mere moralist's point of view1 as  
the termination of human schemes and    
hopes1 we ,christians have nothing to   

do4 ,we are believers in and servants of
 ,one who has in these senses abolished 
,death4 ,our schemes and hopes are not  
terminated by ,death1 but reach onward  
into a state beyond it4  ,again1 with   
that state beyond1 except as one of     
blessedness purchased for us by the ,son
 of ,god1 ,i am not at present dealing4 
,it is of those that die in the ,lord   
alone that ,i speak4  ,and this being   
so1 it is clear that the first point    
about them demanding our attention is1  
the very commencement of their state at 
the moment of death4 ,and this will form
 our subject to-day4  ,we shall be      
guided in its consideration by two texts
 of ,holy ,scripture4 ,the one is that  
where ,our ,lord answers the prayer of  
the dying thief that ,he would remember 
him when ,he came into ,his kingdom1    
,luke xxiii4 #dc3 ,,verily ,i ,,say     
,,unto ,,thee1 ,,to-,,day ,,shalt ,,thou
 ,,be ,,with ,,me ,,in ,,paradise4  ,and
 the other is an expression of ,st4     
,paul1 ,phil4 i4 #bc1 not improbably    

taken from those very words recorded in 
the gospel of that evangelist who was   
his companion in travel--,,to ,,depart  
,,and ,,to ,,be ,,with ,,christ4  ,now  
in both these one fact is simply        
declared1 viz43 that the departed spirit
 of the faithful man is ,,with ,,christ4
 ,it is as if one bright light were     
lifted for us in the midst of a realm   
brooded over by impenetrable mist4 ,for 
who knows whither the departed spirit   
has betaken itself when it has left us  
here8 ,one of the most painful pangs in 
bereavement by death is the utter and   
absolute severance1 without a spark of  
intelligence of the departed4 ,one hour1
 life is blest by their presence2 the   
next1 it is entirely and for ever gone  
from us1 never to be heard of more4 ,one
 word1 one utterance--how precious in   
that moment of anguish do we feel that  
it would be6 ,but we are certain it     
never will be granted us4 ,none has ever
 come back who has told the story4      
,where the spirit wakes and finds       

itself1--this none has ever declared to 
us2 nor shall we know until our own turn
 comes4 ,now in such a state of         
uncertainty1 these texts speak for us a 
certain truth3 ,the departed spirit is  
,,with ,,christ4  ,i shall regard this  
revelation negatively and positively3 as
 to what it disproves1 and as to what it
 implies4  ,first1 then1 it disproves   
the idea of the spirit passing at death 
into a state of unconsciousness1 from   
which it is to wake only at the great   
day of the resurrection4 ,if it is to be
 with ,christ1 this cannot be4 ,christ  
is in no such state of unconsciousness2 
,he has entered into ,his rest1 and is  
waiting till all things shall be put    
under ,his feet2 and it would be a mere 
delusion to say of the blessed dead1    
that they shall be with ,christ1 if they
 were to be virtually annihilated during
 this time that ,christ is waiting for  
,his kingdom4 ,besides1 how then would  
the ,lord's promise to the thief be     
fulfilled8 ,what consolation would it   

have been to him1 what answer to his    
prayer1 to be remembered when ,jesus    
came in ,his kingdom1 if these words    
implied that he should be unconsciously 
sleeping while the ,lord was enjoying   
his triumph8 ,therefore we may safely   
say1 that the so-called sleep of the    
soul1 from the act of death till the    
resurrection1 has no foundation in that 
which is revealed to us4  ,it is        
perfectly true1 that the state of the   
departed is described to us as sleeping 
in ,jesus1 or rather1 for the words are 
a misrendering1 a having fallen asleep  
through1 or by means of ,jesus4 ,but our
 texts are enough to show us1 that we   
must not take such an expression for    
more than it really implies4 ,sleeping1 
or falling asleep1 was a name current   
among ,jews and ,christians1 and even   
among the best of the heathens1 for     
death1 implying its peace and rest1     
implying also that it should be followed
 by a waking3 but apparently with no    
intent to convey any idea of            

unconsciousness4 ,it is a term used with
 reference to us1 as well as to the     
dead4 ,to us1 they are as if they were  
asleep3 removed from us in              
consciousness1 as in presence4 ,the idea
 also of taking rest tended to make this
 term appropriate4 ,but it must not be  
used to prove that to which it evidently
 had no reference4  ,the spirit1 then1  
of the departed does not pass into      
unconsciousness4 ,what more do we know  
of it8 ,it is ,,with ,,jesus4  ,we have 
now to consider what this implies4 ,and 
in doing so we shall have further to    
make certain that which we think we have
 already proved4 ,for first1 it clearly 
implies more than a mere expression of  
safe-keeping1 or reserve for a future   
state of blessedness4 ,the righteous    
souls are in the hand of ,god1 and there
 shall no harm happen to them4 ,this is 
one thing3 but to be with ,christ is    
another4 ,we might again appeal to the  
spirit of the promise made to the       
penitent thief1 in order to show this3  

we might remind you that in the other   
text1 ,st4 ,paul is comparing the two   
states--life in the midst of his        
children in the faith1 and death2 and he
 says1 ,i have a desire to depart and to
 be with ,christ1 which is far better3  
better than being with you1 my          
,philippians4  ,so that more must be    
meant than mere safe keeping in the     
,redeemer's hands4 ,we may surely say1  
that nothing less than conscious        
existence in the presence of ,christ can
 be intended4 ,and if that is intended1 
then very much more is intended also1   
than those words at first seem to imply4
 ,remember the contrast which this same 
,apostle elsewhere draws4 ,we know1 he  
says1 that while we are present in the  
body1 we are absent from the ,lord3 for 
we walk by faith1 not by appearance3 we 
are willing rather to be absent from the
 body and present with the ,lord4 ,that 
is1 if we follow out the thought1 this  
present state of dwelling in our home   
the body is a state of severance from   

the ,lord2 but there is a better state1 
into which we shall be introduced when  
this house of the body is pulled down3  
and from the context in that place we   
may add1 much as we wish to be clothed  
upon with our new and glorious body     
which is from heaven1 yet even short of 
that1 we have learned to prefer being   
simply unclothed from the body1 because 
thus we shall be present with the ,lord4
  ,so that we may safely assume thus    
much1 my brethren3 that the moment a    
,christian's spirit is released from the
 body1 it does enter into the presence  
of our ,blessed ,lord and ,saviour1 in a
 way of which it knows nothing here3 a  
way which1 compared to all that its     
previous faith could know of ,him1 is   
like presence of friends compared to    
absence4  ,now let us take another      
remarkable passage of ,holy ,writ       
bearing on this same matter4 ,st4 ,john1
 in his first ,epistle says1 ,beloved1  
now are we children of ,god1 and it     
never yet was manifested what we shall  

be2 but if it should be manifested1 we  
know that we shall be like ,him3 for we 
shall see ,him as ,he is3 for this is   
the more accurate rendering of the      
words3 meaning1 if any one could come   
back1 or come down1 to us1 and tell us  
what our future state is to be1 the     
information could amount for us now only
 to this1 that we shall be like ,him1   
like ,christ2 because we shall see ,him 
as ,he is4 ,and in treating these words 
at considerable length last year1 ,i    
pressed it on you that this concluding  
sentence might bear two meanings3       
either1 we shall be like ,him1 because  
in order to see ,him as ,he is1 we      
,,must be like ,him2 or1 we shall be    
like ,him1 because the sight of ,him as 
,he is will change us into ,his perfect 
likeness4 ,for1 our present purpose1 or 
indeed for any purpose1 it matters      
little which of these meanings we take4 
,at any rate1 we have gained this       
knowledge from ,st4 ,john's words1 that 
the sight of the ,blessed ,lord which   

will be enjoyed by the ,christian's     
spirit on its release from the body1    
will be accompanied by being also       
perfectly like ,him4  ,now1 here1 my    
brethren1 are the elements of an        
immediate change1 blessed and joyous    
beyond our conception4 ,let us spend the
 rest of our time to-day in dwelling    
upon it4  ,and ,i will not now insist on
 the deliverance of the spirit from the 
infirmity1 or pain1 or decay of the     
body2 because this is not so in all     
cases4 ,many a ,christian's spirit is   
set free from a body in perfect vigour  
and health4 ,let us take nothing but    
what is common to all who believe in and
 serve the ,lord4 ,now what is our      
present state with reference to ,him    
whom all ,christians love8 ,it is1      
absence4 ,and it is absence aggravated  
in a way that earthly absence never is4 
,for not only have we never seen ,him1  
which is a case perfectly imaginable in 
earthly relations1 but also1 which      
hardly is1 we have no absolute proof of 

,his existence1 nor of ,his mind towards
 us4 ,even as far as this1 is matter of 
faith and not of appearance4 ,we have no
 token1 no communication1 from ,him4 ,i 
suppose there hardly ever was a         
,christian yet1 living under the present
 dispensation1 entirely dependent upon  
his faith1 who has not at some time or  
other had the dreadful thought cross his
 mind--overborne by his faith1 but still
 not wholly extinguished1 ,what if it   
should not be true after all8 ,and much 
and successfully as we may contend with 
these misgivings of unbelief1 yet that  
frame of mind which is represented by   
them1 that wavering1 fitful1 unsteady   
faith1 ever accompanies us4 ,the        
distress arising from it is known to    
every one who has the ,christian life in
 him4 ,only those never doubt who have  
never believed3 for doubt is of the very
 essence of belief4 ,but some poor souls
 are utterly cast down by the fact of   
its existence--shrink from these        
half-doubting fits as of themselves     

deadly sin1 and are in continual terror 
about their soul's safety on this       
account3 others1 of stronger minds1     
regard them truly as inevitable         
accompaniments of present human         
weakness1 but of course struggle with   
them1 and evermore yearn to be rid of   
them4  ,now if what we have been saying 
be true1--and ,i have endeavoured not to
 go beyond the soberest inferences from 
the plain language of ,scripture1--if so
 much be true1 then the moment of       
departure from the body puts an end for 
ever to this imperfect1 struggling1     
fitful state of faith and doubt4 ,the   
spirit that is but a moment gone1 that  
has left that well-known1 familiar      
tabernacle of the body a sudden wreck of
 inanimate matter1 that spirit is with  
the ,lord4 ,all doubt1 all misgiving1 is
 at an end4 ,every wave raised by this  
world's storms1 this world's currents of
 interest1 this world's rocks and       
shallows1 is suddenly laid1 and there is
 a great calm4 ,certainty1 for          

doubt--the sight of the ,lord1 for the  
conflict of assurance and misgiving--the
 face of ,christ1 for the mere faith in 
,christ--these have succeeded1 because  
the departed spirit is with the         
,lord--companying with ,him4  ,before we
 follow this out farther1 let us        
carefully draw one great distinction4   
,we must not make the too common mistake
 of confusing this sight of the ,lord   
which immediately follows on the act of 
death1 with that complete state of the  
glorified ,christian man1 of which we   
shall have to speak in a subsequent     
sermon4 ,though greater than our        
thoughts can now conceive1 the bliss of 
which we are speaking to-day is         
incomplete4 ,the spirit which has been  
set free from the body is alone1 and    
without a body4 ,this is not the        
complete state of man4 ,it is a state to
 us full of mystery--inconceivable in   
detail1 though easily apprehended as a  
whole4 ,we must take care1 in what we   
have further to say1 that this is fully 

borne in mind4 ,and1 bearing it in mind1
 let us proceed4  ,this sight of        
,christ1 this calm of full unbroken     
assurance of ,his nearness and presence1
 what does it further imply8 ,as far as 
we can at present see1 certainly as much
 as this4 ,first1 the entire absence of 
evil from the spirit4 ,it would be      
impossible to be with ,christ in any    
such sense1 unless there were entire    
agreement in will and desire with ,him4 
,it would be impossible thus to see ,him
 as ,he is1 without being like ,him4    
,let us imagine1 if we can1 the effect  
of the total extinction of evil in any  
one of our minds4 ,how many energies1   
now tied and bound with the chain of    
sin1 would spring upward into action6   
,how many imprisoned yearnings would    
burst their bonds1 and carry us onward  
to higher degrees of good6 ,and all     
these energies1 all these yearnings1 can
 exist in the disembodied spirit4 ,it is
 in a waiting1 a hoping state3 the      
greater the upward yearnings1 the       

greater the accumulated energies for    
,god and ,his work1 the higher will be  
the measure of glory to be attained     
after the redemption of the body1 and   
the completion of the entire man4       
,well--as another consequence1 following
 close on the last1 all conflict1 from  
that same moment1 is at an end4         
,conflict is ordained for us1 is good   
for us1 now4 ,if it were to cease here  
below1 we should fall back4 ,we have not
 entered into rest1 it would not be good
 for us to enter into rest1 in our      
present state4 ,here1 this little       
platform1 so to speak1 of our           
personality1 is drawn two ways1 downward
 and upward3 and it is for us who stand 
thereon1 to keep watch and ward that the
 downward prevail not2 but from that    
moment1 the dark links of the downward  
chain will have been for ever severed1  
and the golden cord that is let down    
from the ,throne will bear us upward and
 onward1 unopposed4 ,so that as to      
conflict1 there will be perfect rest4   

,and let us remember another matter4 ,if
 the departed spirit were during this   
time dwelling on its own unworthiness1  
casting back looks of self-reproach1    
weighing accurately ,god's mercies and  
its own requitals during life past1     
there would of necessity be conflict3   
there would be bitter self-loathing1    
there would be pangs of repentance4 ,it 
would seem1 then1 that during the       
incomplete and disembodied state1 this  
is not so2 but that all of this kind is 
reserved for a day when account is to be
 given in the body of things done in the
 body3 and we shall see1 when we come to
 treat of that day specially1 how its   
account will be1 for the blessed dead1  
itself made a blessing4  ,again1 as all 
evil will be at an end1 and all         
conflict1--so will all labour1 ,blessed 
are the dead which die in the ,lord3    
even so saith the ,spirit1 for they rest
 from their labours4 ,now labour here is
 a blessing1 it is true3 but it is also 
a weariness4 ,it leads ever on to a     

greater blessing1 the blessing of rest4 
,christ has entered into ,his rest2 and 
the departed spirit shall be with       
,christ3 faring as ,he fares1 and a     
partaker of ,his condition4 ,any who    
have lived the ordinary term of human   
life in ,god's service 7for it is only  
of such that we are now speaking7 can   
testify how sweet it is to anticipate a 
cessation of the toil and the harassing 
of life3 to be looking on to keep the   
great ,sabbath of the rest reserved for 
the people of ,god4 ,what more may be   
reserved for us in the glorious perfect 
state which shall follow the            
resurrection1 is another consideration  
altogether3 but it clearly appears that 
the intermediate disembodied state is   
one of rest4  ,and let none cavil at the
 thought1 that thus ,adam may have      
rested his thousands of years1 and the  
last taken of ,adam's children only a   
few moments4 ,time is only a relative   
term1 even to us4 ,a dream of years long
 may pass during the sound that awakens 

a man2 and a sleep of hours appears but 
a second4 ,what do we know of time1     
except as calculated by earthly objects8
 ,day and night1 the recurrence of      
meals1--these constitute time to us3    
shut up a man in darkness1 and          
administer his food at irregular        
intervals1 and he loses all count of    
time whatever4 ,surely1 then1 no cavil  
on this score can be admitted4 ,in that 
presence where the departed spirits are1
 one day is as a thousand years1 and a  
thousand years as one day4  ,let us     
conclude with a consideration1 to a     
,christian the most glorious of all4    
,the spirit that is with ,christ in     
nearest presence and consciousness1     
knows ,him as none know ,him here4      
,here1 we speak of ,his purity1 ,his    
righteousness1 ,his love1 ,his triumph  
and glory1 with miserably imperfect     
thoughts1 and in words still more       
imperfect than our thoughts4 ,we are    
obliged to employ earthly images to set 
forth heavenly things4 ,the revelations 

of ,scripture itself are made through a 
medium of man's invention1 and are      
bounded by our limited vocabulary4 ,but 
then it will be so no longer4 ,the      
,apostle compares our seeing here to    
that of one who beholds the face of his 
friend in a mirror of metal1 sure to be 
tarnished and distorting3 and our vision
 there to beholding the same face to    
face1--the living features1 the lips    
that move1 the eyes that glisten4 ,that 
spirit which has but now passed away1   
knows the love that passes our          
knowledge2 contemplates things which    
,god has prepared for them that love    
,him1 such as eye has never seen1 nor   
ear heard1 nor hath it entered into the 
heart of man to conceive4  ,therefore1  
beloved1 let us be of good cheer        
concerning them that have fallen asleep 
through ,jesus3 and let us be of good   
cheer respecting ourselves4 ,good as it 
is to obey and serve ,god here1 it has  
been far better for them to depart and  
to be with ,christ2 and it will be far  

better for us1 if we hold fast our faith
 and our confidence in ,him firm unto   
the end4 ,if to us to live is ,christ1  
then to us to die will be gain4    ,,ii4
  ,,we stand to-day at this point in our
 consideration of the state of the      
blessed dead4 ,they depart1 and are with
 ,christ4 ,this day1 the day of the     
departure1 they are consciously1        
blissfully1 in ,his presence4 ,their    
faith is turned into sight3 their       
misgivings are changed for certainty3   
their mourning for joy4 ,yet1 we said1  
their state is necessarily imperfect4   
,the complete condition of man is body1 
soul1 and spirit4 ,the former of these  
three1 at all events1 is wanting to the 
spirits and souls of the righteous4     
,they are in a waiting1 though in an    
inconceivably blissful state4 ,of the   
precise nature of that state1--of its   
employments1 if employments it has1 we  
know nothing4 ,all would be speculation1
 if we were to speak of these matters4  
,our concern to-day is with the         

termination of that their incomplete    
condition4 ,when shall it come to an    
end8 ,we have this very definitely      
answered for us by ,st4 ,paul1 in a     
chapter of which we shall have much to  
say1 and in a verse of that chapter     
which we will take for our text1 #a     
,cor4 xv4 #bc4 ,notice1 he is speaking  
of the resurrection of the dead3 and he 
says1 ,,but ,,every ,,one ,,in ,,his    
,,own ,,order3 ,,christ ,,the           
,,first-,,fruits3 ,,afterward ,,they    
,,that ,,are ,,christ',s ,,at ,,his     
,,coming4  ,well then3 from these words 
it is clear that the end of the         
expectant state of the blessed dead1 and
 the reunion of their spirits with their
 risen bodies1 will take place ,,at     
,,the ,,coming ,,of ,,christ4 ,here at  
once we are met by a necessity to clear 
and explain that which these words      
import4 ,in these days1 it is by no     
means superfluous to say that we        
,christians do look forward to a real   
personal coming of our ,lord ,jesus     

,christ upon this our earth4 ,i         
sometimes wonder whether ordinary       
,christian men and women ever figure to 
themselves what this means4 ,i suppose  
we hardly do1 because we fancy it is so 
far off from ourselves and our times1   
that we do not feel ourselves called    
upon to make it a subject of our        
practical thoughts4 ,to this we might   
say1 first1 that we are by no means sure
 of this2 and then1 that even if it were
 true1 the interest of that time of ,his
 coming for every one of us is hardly   
lessened by its not being near us1      
seeing that if we be ,his1 it will be1  
whenever it comes1 the day of our       
resurrection from the dead4 ,it is      
evidently the duty of every ,christian  
man to make it part of his ordinary     
thoughts and anticipations--that return 
of the ,lord ,jesus from heaven1 even as
 ,he was seen to go up into heaven4     
,now1 our object to-day is to ascertain 
how much we know from ,scripture1       
without indulging in speculations of our

 own1 about this coming1 and this       
resurrection which shall accompany it4  
,the latter of these two we made the    
subject of a sermon a very few ,sundays 
ago2 but it was not so much with our    
present view1 as to lay down the hope of
 the resurrection as an element among   
the foundations of the ,christian life4 
,now one of the first and most important
 revelations respecting this matter is  
found in the fourth chapter of #a       
,thess41 ver4 #ac-ah4 ,these            
,thessalonians had been1 as we learn    
from the two epistles to them1 strangely
 excited about the coming of the ,lord's
 kingdom4 ,perhaps the ,apostle's       
preaching among them had taken          
especially this form2 for he was accused
 before the magistrates of saying that  
there was besides or superior to ,caesar
 another king1 one ,jesus4 ,and in this 
excitement of the ,thessalonians1       
fancying as they did that the ,lord's   
kingdom would come in their own time1   
they thought that their friends who     

through ,jesus had died a happy death   
were losers by not having lived to      
witness the ,lord's coming4 ,indeed1    
they sorrowed for them as those that had
 no hope3 by which expression it seems  
likely that they even supposed them to  
be altogether cut off from the benefits 
and blessedness of that coming by not   
having been able to see it in the flesh4
 ,thereupon ,st4 ,paul puts them right  
by saying1--using the same argument as  
in that great resurrection chapter1 #a  
,cor4 xv41--that if we believe that     
,jesus ,himself died and rose again1    
even so also those who through ,jesus   
have fallen asleep will ,god bring with 
,him1 that is1 will ,god bring back to  
us when ,he brings back to us ,jesus4   
,you may just observe1 by the way1 that 
the whole force of what the ,apostle    
says is very commonly lost1 by a wrong  
method of reading these words4 ,we very 
commonly hear them read1 will ,god bring
 with him4 ,but thus we1 as ,i said1    
lose the force of the argument1 which   

is3--,if ,jesus1 our first-fruits1 our  
representative1 died and rose again1 so 
will all who die in union with ,jesus   
rise again4 ,and in order to that1 the  
same power of ,god which brings ,jesus  
back to us1 will with ,him1 with ,jesus1
 bring their spirits back1 in order to  
that resurrection4  ,well1 what then8   
,this we say unto you by the word of the
 ,lord--thus the ,apostle introduces1   
not an argument1 not a command or saying
 of his own1 but a special              
revelation--that we1 which are alive and
 remain unto the coming of the ,lord    
7for notice that at first1 at the early 
time when these ,thessalonian epistles  
were written1 first of all ,st4 ,paul's 
letters1 the ,apostle looked forward to 
that day of which neither man nor angel 
knoweth1 as about to come on in his own 
time7 shall have no advantage1 no       
priority1 over them which have fallen   
asleep4 ,and why8 ,for this reason--that
 the ,lord ,himself shall come down from
 heaven with a shout1 with the voice of 

the archangel1 and with the trump of    
,god2 and the dead in ,christ shall rise
 first3 that is1 shall rise before      
anything else happens--any changing1 or 
summoning to the ,lord1 of us who are   
alive4  ,now here let us pause in the   
sacred text1 and consider what it is    
which we have before us4 ,mind1 we are  
speaking to-day1 as the ,apostle is     
speaking in this passage1 entirely of   
the blessed dead2 of those of whom it   
may be said that through ,jesus their   
death is but a holy sleep4 ,we have     
clearly this before us3--at a certain   
time1 fixed in the counsels of ,god1 the
 ,father1 known to no created           
being1--mysteriously unknown also1 for  
,he ,himself assures us of this in words
 which no ingenuity can explain away1 to
 the ,son ,himself in ,his state of     
waiting for it1--at that fixed time the 
,lord1 that is1 ,christ1 shall appear in
 the sky1 visible to men in ,his        
glorified body2 and ,his coming shall be
 announced to men by a mighty call1 a   

signal cry1 and by the trumpet of ,god4 
,now let me at once say that as to such 
expressions as this1 when we are told   
that they cannot bear their literal     
meaning1 but are only used in           
condescension to our human ways of      
speaking1 and thus an attempt is made to
 deprive them in fact of all meaning1 ,i
 do not recognise any such rule of      
interpretation4 ,if the words are used  
to suit our human ways of thinking1 ,i  
can see no reason why the things        
signified by those words may not also be
 used to affect our senses1 which will  
be still human1 when the great day      
comes4 ,as to the sound being heard by  
all1 or as to the ,lord being seen by   
all1 ,i can with safety leave that to   
,him who made the eye and the ear1 and  
believe that if ,he says so1 ,he will   
find the way for it to be so4  ,now let 
us follow on with the description4 ,with
 the ,lord ,jesus1 accompanying ,him1   
though unseen to those below on the     
earth1 will be the myriads of spirits of

 the blessed dead1 ,and notice1--for it 
is an important point1 since ,holy      
,scripture is consistent with itself in 
another place on this matter1--that at  
this coming none are with the ,lord1 no 
spirits of the departed1 ,i mean1 except
 those of the blessed dead4 ,in other   
words1 this is not the general coming to
 judgment1 when the whole of the dead   
shall stand before ,god1 but it is that 
first resurrection of which the         
,evangelist speaks in the ,apocalypse1  
when he says1 chap4 xx4 #e1 ,the rest of
 the dead lived not again until 7a      
prescribed time which he mentions1      
whatever that may mean7 the thousand    
years were finished ,this is the first  
resurrection4 ,blessed and holy is he   
that hath part in the first             
resurrection2 on such the second death  
hath no power1 but they shall be priests
 of ,god and of ,christ4  ,then1 the    
,lord being still descending from heaven
 and on the way to this world1 the dead 
in ,christ shall rise first--the first  

thing3 the graves shall be opened1 and  
the bodies of the saints that sleep     
shall come forth1 and1 for so the words 
surely imply1 their spirits1 which have 
come with the ,lord1 shall be united to 
those bodies1 each to his own4  ,here1  
again1 ,i can see no difficulty4 ,the   
same body1 even to us now on earth1 does
 not imply that the same particles      
compose it4 ,and even the expression the
 same body is perhaps a fallacious one4 
,in ,st4 ,paul's great argument on this 
subject in #a ,cor4 xv4 he expressly    
tells us1 that it is not that body which
 was sown in the earth1 but a new and   
glorified one1 even as the beautiful    
plant1 which springs from the           
insignificant or the ill-favoured seed1 
is not that which was sown1 but a body  
which ,god has given4 ,whatever the     
bodies shall be1 they will be recognised
 as those befitting the spirits which   
are reunited to them1 as they also befit
 the new and glorious state into which  
they are now entering4  ,this done1 they

 who are alive and remain on earth1     
having been1 which is not asserted here1
 but is in #a ,cor4 xv41 changed so as  
to be in the image of the incorruptible1
 spiritual1 heavenly1 will be caught up 
together with the risen saints in       
clouds1 to meet the ,lord in the air3 to
 meet ,him1 because ,he is in ,his way  
from heaven to earth1 on which ,he is   
about to stand in that latter day4      
,thus1 then1 the words which ,i have    
chosen for my text will have their      
fulfilment4 ,christ has been the        
first-fruits of this great              
harvest1--already risen1 the first-born 
from the dead1 the example and pattern  
of that which all ,his shall be4 ,this  
was ,his order1 ,his place in the great 
procession from death into life2 and    
between ,him and ,his1 the space1       
indefinite to our eyes1 is fixed and    
determined in the counsels of ,god4 ,the
 day of ,his coming hastens onward4     
,while men are speculating and          
questioning1 ,god's purpose remains     

fixed4 ,he is not slack concerning ,his 
promise1 as some men count slackness4   
,his dealings with the world are on too 
large a scale for us to be able to      
measure them1 but in them the golden    
rule is kept1 every one in his own      
order4 ,christ's part has been          
fulfilled4 ,he was seen alive in ,his   
resurrection body2 ,he was seen taking  
up that body from earth to heaven4 ,and 
now we are waiting for the next great   
event1 ,his coming4 ,wisely has the     
,church set apart a season in every year
 in which this subject may be uppermost 
in our thoughts4 ,for there is nothing  
we are so apt--nothing1 we may say1 that
 our whole race is so determined to     
forget and put out of sight4 ,it is     
alien from our common ideas1 it ill     
suits our settled notions1 that the     
personal appearing of ,him in whom we   
believe should break in upon the natural
 sequence of things in which we are     
concerned4 ,and the consequence is1 that
 you will hardly find1 even among       

believing men1 more than one here and   
there who at all realizes to himself1 or
 has any vivid expectation of1 this     
personal coming of ,christ4 ,think of   
the ,christian ,church as taking its    
faith and hope from the ,new ,testament2
 and then compare that faith and hope1  
as it actually exists with reference to 
this point1 with the ,new               
,testament1--and the discrepancy is most
 remarkable4 ,in the days when it was   
written1 eighteen hundred years ago1    
every eye was fixed on1 every man's     
thought was busy about1 the coming of   
the ,lord4 ,you will hardly find a      
chapter in the epistles in which it is  
not spoken of1 or alluded to1 with      
earnest anticipation and confidence4    
,whereas now1 when it is brought so much
 nearer to us1 it has almost vanished   
out of the consideration of the ,church 
altogether4 ,no doubt1 something may be 
said by way of reason why it should     
occupy a less prominent place in our    
thoughts than it did in theirs4 ,the    

,lord's own words1 and those of the     
,divinely-commissioned messengers who   
announced ,his return1 spoke of it      
simply as certain1 without any note of  
time being attached4 ,hence1 those who  
had seen ,him depart believed that they 
themselves should behold ,him returning4
 ,there can be no doubt in any          
fair-judging mind that1 besides these   
eye-witnesses1 ,st4 ,paul1 when he wrote
 that fifth chapter of the ,second      
,epistle to the ,corinthians1 had a full
 persuasion that he himself should be of
 those on whom the house not made with  
hands that is to be brought from heaven 
was to be put1 without his being        
unclothed from the earthly tabernacle4  
,he looked at such unclothing in his own
 case as possible1 but was confident    
that it would not happen so4 ,and again1
 when1 in the over-zeal of the          
,thessalonians1 they imagined that the  
coming of the ,lord was actually upon   
them1 and he in his second ,epistle     
checks and sets right that premature    

assumption1 he does so in words which1  
as he wrote them1 might very well have  
had all their fulfilment within the     
lifetime of man4 ,those words now appear
 to us in more of the true sense in     
which the ,spirit1 who spoke by ,paul1  
intended them3 we see that the apostasy 
there predicted1 and the man of sin     
there set down as to be revealed1 are   
great developments or concentrations of 
the unbelief of churches and nations2   
but there is no evidence that the men of
 that day saw any such meaning in the   
words4 ,as it was gradually1 and not    
without conflict of thought1 revealed to
 ,peter and his side of the apostolic   
band1 that the ,gentiles were to be     
fellow-heirs and partakers of the peace 
of ,christ1 so it was gradually1 and not
 without some sickness of hope deferred1
 made manifest to the ,church1 that the 
coming of the ,lord should be for ages  
and generations delayed4 ,unmistakable  
indications of this truth appear in the 
,lord's own prophetic discourses1 which 

we now know how to interpret4  ,and all 
this is no doubt a reason why the great 
subject should be less constantly and   
less vividly before our minds1 than it  
was before theirs4 ,but it is no reason 
why it should have dropped out          
altogether2 none1 why we should almost  
universally neglect the revelations of  
,scripture respecting the manner and    
details of ,his coming1 and confuse them
 altogether in a vague popular idea of  
the judgment day2 none1 why we should   
forget the mention of the landmarks     
which ,he ,himself has pointed out along
 the wilderness journey of ,his         
,church1--and so1 as far as in us lies1 
provide for her being unprepared when   
,he appears4  ,the end of the state of  
waiting of the blessed dead1 the end of 
our present state of waiting will be1   
that day of ,his appearing4 ,let us fix 
this well in our minds2 and do not let  
us be kept from doing so by being told  
that there is danger in allowing the    
fancy to exercise itself on the         

unfulfilled prophecies4 ,no doubt there 
is4 ,but ,i am not exhorting you to     
exercise your fancy on them4 ,faith and 
fancy are two wholly distinct things4   
,to my mind1 there can be hardly        
anything more detrimental to the faith  
of the ,church1 than always to be       
fitting together history and prophecy1  
magnifying insignificant present or past
 events into fulfilments of prophetic   
announcements4 ,they who do this are for
 ever being refuted by the course of    
things2 and then they shift their       
ground1 and come out as confidently with
 a new scheme1 as they did before with  
their old one4 ,nothing can more tend to
 throw discredit on ,god's prophetic    
word altogether2 and it is no doubt in  
part owing to such speculations1 that   
faith in the ,lord's coming has become  
weakened among us4 ,he ,himself has told
 us the great use of ,his announcements 
of the future4 ,these things have ,i    
told you1 that1 when the time is come1  
ye may remember that ,i told you of     

them4 ,when and as each prophecy comes  
to its time to be fulfilled1 just as the
 years of the captivity predicted by    
,jeremiah were interpreted by the       
,church in ,babylon1 so the ,lord's     
predictions1 and the predictions of ,his
 apostles1 will fall each into its      
place2 and the ,church1 if she endure in
 faith and watchfulness1 will stand on  
her look-out1 and be prepared for the   
sign of ,his coming4  ,let us1 my       
brethren1 with regard to those who have 
left us in the ,lord1--let us1 with     
regard to ourselves and our own future1 
be ever looking for and hasting to that 
day of ,god2 the day when that better   
thing which ,god hath provided for us   
shall be manifested1 and they with us   
shall be complete1 who without us were  
not perfect4  ,and let us not be        
discouraged by unpromising signs1 or by 
prevalent unbelief4 ,remember what our  
,master has said to us in the services  
of this day1 ,heaven and earth shall    
pass away2 but ,my words shall not pass 

away4    ,,iii4  ,,we have traced the   
condition of the blessed dead1 from     
their departure and being with ,christ1 
to the glorious day of the resurrection4
 ,their spirits are safe in ,his        
keeping1 till that day when ,he shall   
call their bodies out of the graves1 and
 they shall be once more complete in    
manhood1 body1 soul1 and spirit4 ,and   
our present consideration is1 ,what1 on 
that resurrection1 is the next thing    
which shall befall them8 ,now the best1 
because the most general text on this   
matter1 is that in ,heb4 ix4 #bg1 ,,it  
,,is ,,appointed ,,unto ,,men ,,once    
,,to ,,die1 ,,but ,,after ,,this1 ,,the 
,,judgment4  ,you will see that here is 
enounced something common to our nature4
 ,we are all to die2 we are all to be   
judged after death4 ,and that this is   
really true of all1 and not merely      
stated generally1 to be met afterwards  
by special exceptions1 ,st4 ,paul shows1
 when he1 speaking of things belonging  
entirely to his own practice1 and his   

own justification before ,god1 says1 in 
#a ,cor4 v41 ,we labour1 that whether   
present in the body or absent from the  
body1 we may be accepted with ,him4 ,for
 we must all be made manifest 7there is 
nothing about standing in the original7 
before the judgment seat of ,christ1    
that every one may receive the things   
done in his body1 according to that     
which he did1 whether it be good or bad4
 ,you will see that here he expressly   
includes himself among those who are to 
be made manifest before the judgment    
seat of ,christ4  ,now perhaps you are  
wondering why ,i am accumulating this   
,scripture evidence to show a matter    
which seems to all so plain4 ,but ,i    
have a sufficient reason4 ,and that     
reason is1 because in other passages of 
,scripture the blessed dead1 or rather  
the believers in ,christ1 whether living
 or dead at that day1 are spoken of as  
if they were not subjected to the       
general judgment of all1 but passed into
 the glorious life without undergoing   

that judgment4 ,thus our ,blessed ,lord 
,himself2 in ,john v4 #bd1 says1        
,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,he   
that heareth ,my word1 and believeth on 
,him that sent ,me1 hath eternal life1  
and cometh not into judgment 7for that1 
and not condemnation1 is the word used  
by our ,lord71--cometh not into         
judgment1 but hath passed out of death  
into life4 ,that would seem to mean that
 the faithful man has already passed    
over out of death1 and all that belongs 
to death1 sin1 and guilt1 and judgment1 
into life2 and therefore when the       
judgment comes he can have no part in   
it1 cannot come into it at all1 because 
he is acquitted already through the     
faith in ,him who bore his guilt and    
took away his sin4 ,and similarly1      
again1 a few verses further on1 ver4    
#bi1 our ,lord says1 ,an hour cometh in 
which all that are in the graves shall  
hear the voice of the ,son of man1 and  
shall come forth3 they that have done   
good unto the resurrection of life2 and 

they that have done evil unto the       
resurrection of judgment4 ,that is1 ,i  
suppose1 the one shall rise into eternal
 life1--into the full bliss of the      
heavenly state1 and the others into the 
condition1 whatever it be1 which the    
judgment shall decide4 ,of course ,i am 
fully aware that ,i have not quoted     
these texts as they are read in our     
,english ,bibles4 ,the matter stands    
thus3 the word which ,i have rendered   
judgment is the word always meaning     
judgment--the word occurring in the very
 next verse where our ,lord says1 ,as ,i
 hear1 ,i judge1 and ,my judgment is    
just2 the word used also above in ver4  
#bb1 where ,he says1 ,the ,father       
committed all judgment unto the ,son4   
,in those two places1 because there was 
no difficulty1 our translators kept the 
word judgment4 ,but in these other two  
which ,i have quoted1 because there was 
an apparent difficulty1 they changed    
judgment in one verse into condemnation1
 and in the other into damnation1       

without any reason or right soever4     
,indeed1 in the latter of the two       
passages1 not only is this so1 but the  
whole sense is broken up by their       
unfaithfulness4 ,our ,lord having       
mentioned the resurrection of judgment1 
proceeds to vindicate the justice of    
that judgment3 ,as ,i hear1 ,i judge3   
and ,my judgment is just1 because ,i    
seek not ,mine own will1 but the will of
 ,him that sent ,me4 ,so that the       
difficulty1 which man's meddling with   
the ,bible has tried to remove1 does    
exist in the ,bible as it came from     
,god4 ,and we must try to see through   
it1 not to hush it up by being          
unfaithful to the plain language of our 
,lord4  ,nor does it exist here only4   
,our ,lord ,himself has given us one    
great description of the final day of   
judgment1 in ,his own discourses2 and   
another by the pen of ,his beloved      
apostle4 ,we will take the latter first1
 as being1 for our present purpose1 the 
fuller of the two3 and we will show in  

what remarkable point the two agree4 ,in
 ,rev4 xx4 #d1 a passage to which we    
made reference last ,sunday1 we find the
 first resurrection taking place1 and   
the faithful dead rising to reign with  
,christ during a period known as a      
thousand years4 ,and it is expressly    
said1 ,the rest of the dead lived not   
till the thousand years were finished4  
,now1 ,i am not here taking upon me to  
explain the meaning of this1 but merely 
to insist on the fact that1 whatever may
 be the precise import1 it is so stated4
 ,well1 and what then8 ,when the        
thousand years are expired1 and when the
 last great victory of the cause of ,god
 over evil has been gained1 then we     
read1 ,and ,i saw a great white throne1 
and ,him that sat on it2 and ,i saw the 
dead1 small and great1 stand before     
,god2 and the books were opened3 and    
another book was opened1 which is the   
book of life2 and the dead were judged  
out of those things which were written  
in the books1 according to their works4 

,and the sea gave up the dead that were 
in it2 and death and ,hades gave up the 
dead that were in them3 and they were   
judged every man according to his works4
 ,so far the description in the         
,revelation4 ,now1 in that given us by  
our ,lord in ,matt4 xxv4 we find the    
,son of man coming in ,his glory1 and   
all the holy angels with ,him1 and      
sitting on the throne of ,his glory1 and
 all the nations gathered before ,him4  
,but there is this singular coincidence 
with the other account1 that when the   
,king comes to address those on the     
right hand and those on the left1 ,he   
says1 ,inasmuch as ye did it 7or did it 
not7 unto one of the least of these ,my 
brethren1 ye did it 7or did it not7 unto
 ,me4 ,now these ,my brethren cannot of 
course mean the angels2 therefore there 
must be some with ,christ to whom the   
words must refer4 ,in other words1 we   
have here also the risen saints in glory
 with the ,lord1 as in that other       
account4  ,but we may go even further   

yet1 and may discover more from         
,scripture respecting the position and  
employment of these the saints who are  
with the ,lord4 ,when ,st4 ,paul in #a  
,cor4 vi4 is dissuading the ,corinthians
 from taking their disputes before the  
heathen courts to be settled1 he says1  
,know ye not that the saints shall judge
 the world8 and again1 ,know ye not that
 we shall judge angels8 ,such           
expressions as these can bear but one   
meaning1 and that is that the saints of 
,christ are actually to bear part in the
 judgment1 as ,his assessors4 ,further  
than this we now not4 ,it is not our    
duty to be wise above that which is     
written2 but it is our duty to be wise  
up to that which is written3 otherwise  
it was written in vain4 ,what1 then1 are
 we to say respecting this apparent     
discrepancy in the statements of ,holy  
,scripture concerning the dead in       
,christ8 ,if it be true that it is      
appointed unto all men once to die1 but 
after that the judgment2 if it be true  

that we all1 including even the apostles
 themselves1 shall be manifested1 laid  
open1 before the judgment-seat of       
,christ1 how can it be also true that   
the believer in ,christ has already     
passed from death into life1 and        
therefore cometh not into judgment at   
all8 ,how can it be true that while     
others shall rise to a resurrection of  
judgment1 he shall rise to a            
resurrection of life8 ,how can those    
descriptions be correct which we have   
been quoting1 of these living and       
reigning with ,christ long before the   
general judgment1 and even taking part  
in it with ,him8  ,i believe the answer 
is not difficult1 and perhaps may best  
be found by remembering another variety 
of expression in ,scripture respecting a
 kindred matter2 ,i mean the way in     
which the saints of ,god are spoken of  
in relation to death itself4 ,on the one
 hand we know that it is appointed unto 
all men to die2 and that the faith and  
service of the ,lord bring with them no 

exemption from the common lot of all    
mankind4 ,not only is this proved every 
day before our eyes1 but ,scripture     
gives us its most direct testimony that 
those who believe in ,christ must expect
 it4 ,the very expressions1 the dead in 
,christ1 those who through ,jesus have  
fallen asleep1 show that this is so4    
,yet again1 on the other hand1 some     
passages would almost look as if death  
itself for the ,christian man did not   
exist4 ,christ is said to have abolished
 death2 we learn from ,his own lips that
 if a man keep ,his word he shall never 
taste of death2 ,he has said again1 ,he 
that liveth and believeth in ,me shall  
never die4 ,now in this case there is no
 practical difficulty1 yet the variety  
of expression is very instructive4 ,we  
all know what lies beneath it2 namely1  
the fact1 that though the believer in   
,christ must undergo the physical       
suffering of death like other men1 yet  
death has become to him so altogether   
without terror and curse1 that it has   

been for him deprived of real existence 
and power4 ,the apostle in ,rom4 viii4  
gives the full explanation3 the body    
indeed is dead because of sin1 but the  
spirit is life because of righteousness4
  ,well1 now let us apply this to the   
case before us4 ,let us take the same   
solution1 and see whether it will not   
suffice4 ,the ,christian shall1 like    
other men1 undergo the judgment after   
death2 thus one set of ,scripture       
declarations shall be fulfilled4 ,but to
 the believer1 who has died in the      
,lord1 what is the judgment8 ,he stands 
before the judgment-seat perfect in the 
righteousness of ,him to whom he is     
united1 and from whom death has not     
separated him4 ,his sentence of         
acquittal has been long ago pronounced2 
he cometh not into judgment1 so that it 
should have any substantial effect in   
changing or determining his condition4  
,the resurrection is for him not a      
resurrection of judgment1 not one in    
which the judgment is the leading       

feature and characteristic1 but it is   
only and purely a resurrection of1 and  
unto life3 one in which life is the     
leading feature and idea4  ,thus for the
 blessed dead1 the judgment has no dark 
side3 there is no condemnation to them  
that are in ,christ ,jesus4 ,but though 
it has no dark side1 it has a bright    
one4 ,never for a moment do the         
,christian ,scriptures lose sight of the
 ,christian reward4 ,those who die in   
the ,lord1 like the rest of men1 shall  
be laid open before the tribunal of     
,christ4 ,their sins have been purged   
away in ,his atoning blood2 they have   
been washed and justified and sanctified
 in the name of ,jesus and by the spirit
 of their ,god4  ,but to what end8 for  
what purpose8 ,was it merely that they  
might be saved8 ,no indeed1 but that    
,god might be glorified in them by the  
fruits of their faith and love4  ,and   
these fruits shall then be made known4  
,the ,father who saw them in secret     
shall then reward them openly4 ,the acts

 done and the sacrifices made for the   
name of ,christ shall then meet with    
glorious retribution2 yea1 even to the  
least and most insignificant of         
them1--even according to our ,lord's own
 words1--to the cup of cold water given 
to one of ,his little ones4  ,it is much
 the fashion1 ,i know1 in our days1 to  
put aside and to depreciate this        
doctrine of the ,christian reward4 ,it  
looks to some people like a sort of     
reliance on our own works and           
attainments2 and so1 though they may in 
the abstract profess a belief in it     
because it is in ,scripture1 they shrink
 from applying it in their own cases or 
in those of others4 ,now1 nothing can   
justify such a course4 ,we have no right
 to discard a motive held up for our    
adoption and guidance in ,scripture4    
,and that this is so held up1 who that  
knows his ,bible can for a moment doubt8
 ,think of that saying of our ,lord     
about the cup of cold water just        
quoted1--think of the series of sayings 

of which it is the end--,he that        
receiveth a righteous man in the name of
 a righteous man shall receive a        
righteous man's reward1 etc4 ,think1    
again1 of that series of commands1 to do
 our alms1 our prayers1 our abstinences1
 in secret1 each ending with--and thy   
,father which seeth in secret shall     
reward thee openly4 ,think1 again1 of   
the parable of the labourers in the     
vineyard1 where the great final blessing
 at the hand of the ,lord is throughout 
represented to us as reward1 or         
rather--for so the word used properly   
means--wages for work done4 ,and it is  
in vain in this case to try to escape   
from the cogency of our ,lord's sayings 
by alleging that the doctrines of the   
,cross were not manifested till after   
,his death and glorification4 ,for if   
this were so1 then the apostles         
themselves had never learned those      
doctrines4 ,for the apostles constantly 
and persistently set before us the      
aiming at the ,christian reward as their

 own motive1 and as that which ought to 
be ours4 ,hear ,st4 ,paul saying that1  
if he preached the gospel as matter of  
duty only1 it was the stewardship       
committed to him2 but if freely and     
without pay1 a reward1 or wages1 would  
be due to him4 ,hear him again1 in      
expectation of his departure1 glorying  
in the certainty of his reward3 ,i have 
fought a good fight1 ,i have finished my
 course1 ,i have kept the faith3        
henceforth there is laid up for me a    
crown of righteousness1 which the ,lord 
the righteous judge shall give me at    
that day3 and not to me only1 but to all
 them also that love ,his appearing4    
,listen to ,st4 ,john1 whom we are      
accustomed to regard as the most lofty  
and heavenly of all the apostles in his 
thoughts and motives4 ,what does he say 
to his well-beloved ,gaius8 ,look to    
yourselves1 that we lose not the things 
which we have wrought1 but that we      
receive the full reward4 ,listen1 again1
 to the writer of the ,epistle to the   

,hebrews1 that apostolic man1 eloquent  
and mighty in the ,scriptures1 and hear 
him describing the very qualities and   
attributes of faith1 that he who cometh 
to ,god must believe that ,he is1 and   
that ,he is a rewarder of them that     
diligently seek ,him1 and saying of one 
of the first and brightest examples of  
faith1 that he had respect unto the     
recompence of reward4  ,so1 then1 these 
holy dead who have died in the ,lord    
will in that judgment have each his     
reward allotted him according to his    
service and according to his measure4   
,then the good that has been done in    
secret will all come to light4 ,all mere
 profession1 all that has been          
artificial and put on1 will drop off as 
though it had never been2 and the real  
kernel of the character1 the fair       
dealing and charity and love of the     
inner soul1 will be made manifest before
 men and angels4 ,then1 not even the    
least work done for ,god and for good   
will be forgotten4  ,how such an        

estimate of all holy men will be or can 
be made and published1 utterly surpasses
 our present powers to imagine4 ,we have
 no faculties now whereby to deal thus  
truly and fairly with all men3 our      
organs of sense in this present state1  
and the minds themselves to which those 
organs convey impressions1 are too      
feeble and limited for the effort       
required to apprehend all respecting    
all1 as we shall then apprehend it4 ,but
 this need not form any difficulty in   
our way to believe that such a thing    
shall be4 ,the power to understand it   
and the power to receive it surely do   
not dwell farther off from our matured  
powers now1 than the full powers of a   
grownup man from the faculties and      
conceptions of a child4 ,in all such    
matters1 we are children now4 ,think we 
then of the blessed dead at that day of 
the resurrection1 as rising sure of     
bliss and of their perfection in ,him to
 whom they were united2 being as though 
there were no judgment1 seeing that they

 have ,one who shall answer for them at 
the tribunal3 judged notwithstanding    
before the bar of ,god1 and passing not 
to condemnation1 but to their exceeding 
great and eternal reward4  ,one more    
thing only now is left us3 to ask what  
we know of that last and perfected state
 of man--that highest development and   
dignity of our race1 when body1 soul1   
and spirit1 freed from sin and sorrow1  
shall reign with ,christ in light4      
,with that question1 and its answer1 we 
hope to conclude this course of sermons 
next ,sunday4    ,,iv4  ,,we are to     
speak to-day of the final state of bliss
 of those who have died in the ,lord4   
,their state of waiting has ended2 the  
resurrection has clothed them again with
 the body1 the final judgment has passed
 over them1 and their last unending     
state has begun4 ,there are no words in 
,holy ,scripture so well calculated to  
give a general summary of that state as 
those concluding ones of a passage from 
which ,i have before largely quoted3 #a 

,thess4 iv4 #ag3 ,,and ,,so ,,shall ,,we
 ,,ever ,,be ,,with ,,the ,,lord4  ,for 
these words contain in them all that has
 been revealed of that glorious state1  
included in one simple description4 ,the
 bliss of the moment after death        
consisted in being with ,christ3 the    
bliss of unlimited ages can only be     
measured by the same4 ,nearness to ,him 
that made us1 union with ,him who       
redeemed us1 the everlasting and unvexed
 company of ,him who sanctifieth us3    
what glory1 what dignity1 what happiness
 can be imagined for man greater than   
this8  ,and yet it is not by dwelling   
upon this1 and this alone1 that we shall
 be able to arrive at even that         
appreciation of heaven which is within  
our present powers4 ,we may take these  
words1 for ever with the ,lord1 and we  
may find in them1 as in our ,father's   
house itself1 many mansions4 ,in various
 ways we are far from the ,lord here2 in
 various ways we shall be near ,him and 
with ,him there4  ,but first of all we  

must approach these various mansions    
through their portals and the avenues   
which lead up to them4 ,and one of those
 is the consideration1 who1 and of what 
sort1 they shall be1 of whom we are     
about to speak4 ,it will be very        
necessary that we should conceive of    
them aright4  ,well1 then1 they will be 
men1 with bodies1 souls1 and spirits    
like ourselves4 ,the disembodied state  
will be over1 and every one will have   
been reunited to the body which he or   
she had before death4 ,what do we know  
of this body8 ,very glorious thoughts   
rise up in our minds when we think of   
it3 but in this course of sermons ,i am 
not speculating2 ,i am inquiring soberly
 what is revealed to us about the       
blessed dead4 ,well then1 again1 what do
 we know of this body of the            
resurrection8 ,in ,phil4 iii4 #ba1 there
 is a revelation on this point4 ,it is  
there said that our home is in heaven1  
from whence also we expect the ,saviour1
 the ,lord ,jesus ,christ3 who shall    

change the body of our degradation that 
it may be fashioned like unto the body  
of ,his glory4 ,and this change is very 
much dwelt on as a necessary condition  
of the heavenly state in #a ,cor4 xv4   
,flesh and blood1 we are told1 i4e41    
this present natural or psychical body1 
the body whose informing tenant is the  
animal soul1 cannot inherit the kingdom 
of ,god2 neither can corruption1 that   
which decays and passes away1 inherit   
incorruption1 that state where there is 
no decay nor passing away4 ,so1 then1 a 
change must take place at the           
resurrection3 a change which shall pass 
also on those who are alive and remain  
at the ,lord's coming4 ,the bodies of   
the risen saints1 and of those who are  
to join them in being for ever with the 
,lord1 will be spiritual bodies3 bodies 
tenanted and informed in chief by that  
highest part of man1 which during this  
present life is so much dwarfed down and
 crushed by the usurpations of the      
animal soul2 viz41 his spirit4  ,now1 it

 would be idle to conceal the fact1 that
 we cannot form any distinct conception 
what this spiritual body may be4 ,no    
such thing has ever come within the     
range of our experience4 ,but some      
particulars we do know about it1 because
 ,god has revealed them4 ,and of those1 
the principal are specified in this very
 passage3 ,it is sown in corruption3 it 
is raised in incorruption4 ,it cannot   
decay4 ,eternal ages will pass over it1 
and it will remain the same4 ,again1 it 
is sown in dishonour3 it is raised in   
glory4 ,there will be no shame about it1
 as there will be no sin4 ,thus much    
from these words is undoubted4 ,what    
else they may imply we cannot say for   
certain2 probably1 unimagined degrees of
 beauty and radiancy1 for so the word   
glory as applied to anything material   
seems to imply4 ,further3 it is sown in 
weakness3 it is raised in power4 ,that  
is1 ,i suppose1 with all its faculties  
wonderfully intensified1 and possibly   
with fresh faculties granted1 which here

 it never possessed1 and the mind of man
 could not even imagine4 ,this last also
 seems to be implied by its being called
 a spiritual body4 ,as here it was an   
animal body1 subject to the mere animal 
life or soul1 hemmed in by the          
conditions of that animal life1 so there
 it will be under the dominion of1 and  
suited to the wants of1 man's spirit1   
the lofty and heavenly part of him4     
,and if we want to know what this       
implies1 our best guide will be to      
contemplate the risen body of our ,lord1
 as we have it presented to us in the   
gospel narrative4 ,as ,he is1 so are we 
in this world in our essence even       
now--and as ,he is so shall we be       
entirely there4 ,he is the first-fruits1
 we follow after as the harvest4 ,what1 
then1 was ,his resurrection body8 ,while
 it was a real body and admitted of     
being touched and seen1 and had the     
organs of voice and of hearing1 yet it  
was not subjected to the usual          
conditions of matter as to its          

locomotion1 or its obstruction by       
intervening objects4 ,it retained the   
marks of what had happened before death4
 ,in order to convince the disciples of 
,his identity1 our ,lord ate and drank  
before them4 ,we must therefore infer   
that these were natural acts of ,his    
resurrection body1 and not merely       
assumed at pleasure4  ,with a body1     
then1 of this kind will the blessed be  
clothed upon at the resurrection1 and   
remain invested for ever in glory4 ,now 
let us see what further flows from this 
as an inference4 ,we may further say1   
that we have implied in it a surrounding
 of external circumstances fitted to    
such a state of incorruptibility and    
glory4 ,man redeemed and glorified will 
not be a mere spirit in the vast realms 
of space1 but a glorious body moving in 
a glorious world4 ,nor is this mere     
inference1 however plain and legitimate4
 ,holy ,scripture is full of it4 ,the   
power of words does not suffice to      
describe the beauties and glories of    

that renewed and unfailing world4 ,i    
need not quote passage after            
passage--they are familiar to you all4  
,nor1 again1 is it nature alone which   
shall be glorious above all our         
conception here4 ,it would appear that  
art also shall have advanced forward1   
and shall minister to the splendour of  
that better world4 ,the prophets in the 
,old ,testament1 and the beloved        
,apostle in the ,new1 vie with one      
another in describing the heavenly city1
 the new ,jerusalem1 adorned as a bride 
for her husband1 lighted by the glory of
 the indwelling ,godhead4  ,where this  
glorious abode of ,christ and ,his      
redeemed shall be1 we have not been told
 by revelation2 and it were idle to     
indulge in speculations of our own4     
,from some expressions in ,scripture1 it
 would seem not improbable that it may  
be this earth itself after purification 
and renewal3 from other passages1 it    
would appear as if that inference were  
hardly safe1 and that other of the      

bodies in space are destined for the    
high dignity of being the home of the   
sons of ,god4  ,we have now1 ,i believe1
 cleared the way for the answer to a    
question which presses upon us to-day3  
as far1 at least1 as that answer can be 
given on this side of death4 ,of mankind
 in glory1 thus perfected1 what shall be
 the employ8 ,for ,i need hardly press  
it on you that it is impossible to      
conceive of man in a high and happy     
estate1 without an employment worthy of 
that estate1 and in fact constituting   
its dignity and happiness4  ,now1 some  
light is thrown on this inquiry by ,holy
 ,scripture1 but it must be confessed   
that it is very scanty4 ,it is true that
 all our meditations on and descriptions
 of heaven want balance1 and are1 so to 
speak1 pictures ill composed4 ,we first 
build up our glorified human nature by  
such hints as are furnished us in       
,scripture2 we place it in an abode     
worthy of it3 and then1 after all1 we   
give it an unending existence with      

nothing to do4 ,it was not ill said by a
 great preacher1 that most people's idea
 of heaven was to sit on a cloud and    
sing psalms4 ,and others1 again1 strive 
to fill this out with the bliss of      
recognising and holding intercourse with
 those from whom we have been severed on
 earth4 ,and beyond all doubt such      
recognition and intercourse shall be1   
and shall constitute one of the most    
blessed accessories of the heavenly     
employment2 but it can no more be that  
employment itself than similar          
intercourse on earth was the employment 
of life itself here4 ,to read some      
descriptions of heaven1 one would       
imagine that it were only an endless    
prolongation of some social meeting2    
walking and talking in some blessed     
country with those whom we love4 ,it is 
clear that we have not thus provided the
 renewed energies and enlarged powers of
 perfected man with food for eternity4  
,nor1 if we look in another direction1  
that of the absence of sickness and care

 and sorrow1 shall we find any more     
satisfactory answer to our question4    
,nay1 rather shall we find it made more 
difficult and beset with more           
complication4 ,for let us think how much
 of employment for our present energies 
is occasioned by1 and finds its very    
field of action in1 the anxieties and   
vicissitudes of life4 ,they are1 so to  
speak1 the winds which fill the sail and
 carry us onward4 ,by their action1 hope
 and enthusiasm are excited4 ,but       
suppose a state where they are not1 and 
life would become a dead calm2 the sail 
would flap idly1 and the spirit would   
cease to look onward at all4 ,so that1  
unless we can supply something over and 
above the mere absence of anxiety and   
pain1 we have not attained to--nay1 we  
are farther than ever from--a sufficient
 employment for the life eternal4 ,now1 
before we seek for it in another        
direction1 let us think for a moment in 
this way4 ,are we likely to know much of
 it8 ,we have before in these sermons   

adopted ,st4 ,paul's comparison by      
analogy1 and have likened ourselves here
 to children1 and that blessed state to 
our full development as men4 ,now ask   
yourselves1 what does the child at its  
play know of the employments of the man8
 ,such portions of them as are merely   
external and material he may take in1   
and represent in his sport3 but the work
 and anxiety of the student at his book1
 and the man of business at his desk1   
these are of necessity entirely hidden  
from the child4 ,and so it is onward    
through the advancing stages of life4   
,of each of them it may be said1 ,we    
know not with what we must serve the    
,lord1 until we come hither4  ,so that  
we need not be utterly disappointed1 if 
our picture of heaven be at present ill 
composed3 if it seem to be little else  
than a gorgeous mist after all4 ,we     
cannot fill in the members of the       
landscape at present4 ,if we could1 we  
should be in heaven4  ,remembering this 
our necessary incapacity for the        

inquiry1 let us try to carry it as far  
as we may4 ,and that we may not be      
forsaking the guidance of ,holy         
,scripture for mere speculation1 let us 
take the words of ,st4 ,paul--,now we   
see in a mirror1 obscurely1 but then    
face to face3 now ,i know in part1 but  
then ,i shall know even as also ,i was  
known 7by ,god47 ,this immense accession
 of light and knowledge must of course  
be interpreted partly of keener and     
brighter faculties wherewith the blessed
 shall be endowed2 but shall it not also
 point to glorious employment of those  
renewed and augmented powers8 ,how could
 one endowed with them ever remain idle8
 ,what a restless1 ardent1 many-handed  
thing is genius even here below8 ,how   
the highly endowed spirit searches about
 and tries its wings1 now hither now    
thither1 in the vast realms of          
intellectual life6 ,and if it be so     
here1 with the body weighing on us1 with
 the clogs of worldly business and      
trivial interruption1 what will it be   

there1 where everything will be         
fashioned and arranged for this express 
purpose1 that every highest employment  
may find its noblest expansion without  
let or hindrance8 ,besides1 think for a 
moment of the relative positions of men 
with regard to any even the least amount
 of this light and knowledge of which we
 are speaking4 ,in order to take in this
 the better1 think of the lowest and    
most ignorant of mankind who shall      
attain to that state of glory4 ,measure 
the difference between such a spirit and
 an ,augustine1 and then recollect that 
,augustine himself1 that ,st4 ,paul     
himself1 was but a child in comparison  
of the maturity of knowledge and insight
 which all shall there acquire4 ,such a 
thought may serve to show us what a gap 
must be bridged over1 before any such   
perfect knowledge will be attained by   
any of the sons of men4 ,and when we    
remember that all blessings come by     
labour and the goodly heat of exercised 
energy1 shall we deny to the highest of 

all states the choicest of all          
blessings8 ,so that the attainment of1  
and advance in1 the light and knowledge 
peculiar to that glorious land must be  
imagined as affording unending          
employment for the blessed hereafter4   
,and this gives us another insight into 
the matter4 ,as there is so great       
disparity among men here1 so we may well
 believe will there be there4 ,all      
,scripture goes to show that there will 
be no general equalizing1 no flat level 
of mankind4 ,degrees and ranks as they  
now are1 indeed1 there will be none4    
,not the possession of wealth1 not the  
accident of birth1 which are held here  
to put difference between man and man1  
will make any distinction there3 but    
inequality and distinction will proceed 
on other grounds2 the amount of service 
done for ,god1 the degree of entrance   
into the obedience and knowledge of     
,him1 these will put the difference     
between one and another there4  ,but we 
hasten to a close3 and in doing so1 we  

come back to the simple words of our    
text1 for ever with the ,lord2 and we   
would leave on your minds the impression
 that these1 after all1 furnish the best
 key to the employment of the blessed in
 heaven4 ,if they are fit companions for
 the ,lord1 then must they be like ,him 
as ,he is there2 and thus we seem to    
have marked out an employment alone     
sufficient for eternity4 ,look at it in 
its various aspects4  ,what is1 what    
will be1 the ,lord doing in that state  
of blessedness8 ,will ,he be idle like  
the gods of ,epicurus1 sitting serene   
above all1 and separate from all1       
created things8 ,no1 indeed1 no such    
glorified ,lord is revealed to us in    
,holy ,scripture4 ,my ,father worketh   
hitherto1 and ,i work4 ,the created     
universe will be then as much beholden  
to ,his upholding hand as it is now4 ,if
 they are to be for ever with ,him1     
attending and girding ,his steps1 they1 
too1 will doubtless be fellow-workers   
with ,him there1 as they were here4 ,and

 in this1 only consider how much of ,his
 creation was altogether hidden from    
them here6 ,look abroad on a starry     
night--behold a field of employment for 
those who shall be ever with the ,lord4 
,the greater part of ,his works never   
came within sight of this our mortal eye
 at all4 ,these are only hints1 it is   
true1 which we have no power of         
following out3 but they may serve for   
finger-posts to point to whole realms of
 possible blessed employment4  ,then1   
again1 there is more in the words for   
ever with the ,lord than even this4 ,who
 can tell what past works1 not of       
creation only1 but of grace also1 the   
blessed may have to search into--works  
wrought on themselves and others which  
may then be brought back to them by     
memory entirely restored1 and then first
 studied with any power to comprehend or
 to be thankful for them8  ,then1 again1
 the glory of ,god ,himself1 then first 
revealed to them1--the redeeming love of
 ,christ1--the glory of the mystery of  

the indwelling of the ,spirit1--dry and 
lofty subjects to the sons of men here1 
will be to them when there as household 
words and as daily pursuits4 ,it seems  
to me1 my brethren1 when we look at all 
these sources of blessed employment1    
though we are unable from our present   
weakness to follow them out into        
detail1--and when we think that perhaps 
after all in our earthly blindness we   
may be omitting some which shall there  
constitute the chief1 it seems to me1 ,i
 say1 as if we should have to complain  
not of insufficient employ for the ages 
of eternity1 but of an infinite and     
inexhaustible variety1 for which even   
endless ages of limited being hardly    
seem to suffice4  ,such1 then1 beloved1 
are the thoughts which have occurred to 
us on a subject of which ,i pray that it
 may be one of personal interest to     
every one here present4  ,when we are to
 leave this present state1 is a matter  
hidden from our eyes1 and not dependent 
on ourselves3 but how we will leave it1 

whether as the ,lord's blessed ones1 or 
with no part in ,him1 this is left for  
ourselves to determine4 ,there is set   
before us life and death4 ,may we choose
 life1 that it may be well with us2 that
 we may wake from the bed of death and  
find ourselves with the ,lord2 that we  
may pass in joyful hope through the     
waiting and disembodied state1 and wake 
at the morning of the resurrection to   
that fulness of completed bliss of which
 we have this day been speaking4        
,pardon and ,sons1 ,printers1           
,paternoster ,row4    ,new and ,recent  
,works4  ,the ,prophecies of our ,lord  
and ,his ,apostles4  ,by ,w4 ,,hoffmann1
 ,d4,d41 ,chaplain in ,ordinary to the  
,king of ,prussia4 ,crown #hvo1 price   
#gs4 #f;d4 cloth4  ,the ,education of   
the ,heart3 ,woman's ,best ,work4  ,by  
,mrs4 ,,ellis1 ,author of ,the ,women of
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#f;d4 cloth4  ,the ,divine ,mysteries2  
,the ,divine ,treatment of ,sin1 and the
 ,divine ,mystery of ,peace4  ,by ,j4   

,,baldwin ,,brown1 ,b4 ,a41 ,author of  
,the ,soul's ,exodus1 c4 ,new ,edition4 
,crown #hvo1 #gs4 #f;d4 cloth4  ,misread
 ,passages of ,scripture4  ,by the same 
,author4 ,third ,thousand4 ,crown #hvo1 
#cs4 #f;d4 cloth4  ,saint ,mark's       
,gospel4  ,a ,new ,translation1 with    
,notes and ,practical ,lessons4 ,by     
,professor ,j4 ,h4 ,,godwin1 ,new       
,college1 ,london1 ,author of ,the      
,apocalypse of ,st4 ,john1 c4 ,crown    
#hvo1 #ds4 #f;d4  ,the ,son of ,man3    
,discourses on the ,humanity of ,jesus  
,christ4  ,with an ,address on the      
,teaching of ,jesus ,christ4 ,by ,,frank
 ,,coulin1 ,d4,d41 ,minister of the     
,national ,church1 ,geneva4 ,fcap4 #hvo1
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,,works ,,by ,e4 ,,de ,,pressense ,d4,d4
  ,the ,early ,years of ,christianity4  
#hvo1 #abs4 cloth4  ,this is a sequel to
 ,dr4 ,pressense's celebrated book on   
the ',life1 ,work1 and ,times of ,jesus 
,christ4' ,we may say at once that to   

the bulk of liberal ,christians ,dr4    
,pressense's achievement will be very   
valuable4--,athenaum4  ,he holds his    
brilliant intellectual gifts and his    
profound learning subordinate to his    
fervent and absolute faith in the       
divinity of lie ,lord and               
,saviour4--,daily ,telegraph4  ,jesus   
,christ3 ,his ,times1 ,life1 and ,work4 
,third and ,cheaper ,edition1 crown     
#hvo1 #is4 cloth4  ,one of the most     
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has seen4--,contemporary ,review4  ,m4  
de ,pressense is not only brilliant and 
epigrammatic1 but his sentences flow on 
from page to page with a sustained      
eloquence which never wearies the       
reader4 ,the ',life of ,christ' is more 
dramatically unfolded in this volume    
than in any other work with which we are
 acquainted4--,spectator4  ,the ,mystery
 of ,suffering1 and other ,discourses4  
,new ,edition1 crown #hvo1 price #cs4   
#f;d4 cloth4  ,the ,land of the ,gospel3

 ,notes of a ,journey in the ,east4     
,crown #hvo1 #es4 cloth4  ,the ,church  
and the ,french ,revolution4  ,a        
,history of the ,relations of ,church   
and ,state from #aghi to #ahjb4 ,crown  
#hvo1 #is4 cloth4  ,london3 ,,hodder    
,,stoughton1 #bg1 ,paternoster ,row4