Father's, they were considered dead in trespasses and sins; else what need of a Savior to seek and to save them which are lost. In regard to individuals, the death here mentioned can only mean that spiritual death, in which though they are naturally deaf as an adder to the voice of God, yet the Lord Jesus can give them an car to hear, and an heart to understand. In the character of judge, we see the Lord Jesus recognized very early in the patriarchal ages. The Lord (Jehovah-Jesus) came down to Abraham in the form of an angel, and declared his purpose of destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, for their great sins. Abraham, anxious that the cities might (if consistent with the honour of God) be saved, "Drew near and said, Wilt thou also

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destroy the righteous with the wicked? Perad"venture there be fifty righteous within the city; "wilt thou also destroy, and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein; that be

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far from thee to do after this manner, to de

stroy the righteous with the wicked; and that "the righteous should be as the wicked that be fur from thee. Shall not the Judge of all the earth "do right?” Gen. xviii. 23 to 25. And not only is Jehovah-Jesus a judge in coming down to punish

signally in this world, those who are desperately wicked; but also for the deliverance of his people. Thus in Israel he raised up judges to avenge the cause of his people, of whom again he considered himself the judge; " And when the Lord raised

ii. 18.

"them up judges, then the Lord was with the "judge, and delivered them out of the hand of "their enemies, all the days of the judge," Judges Should it be asked why need the Lord be judge, since he had delegated that office to judges of his own appointment; it may be answered because; that though the Lord could put wisdom into the hearts of his judges, yet could not even their wisdom deliver them out of the hands of their enemies, who were often as wise and more subtle than they; for this deliverance, his own Almighty power must be exerted, which could alone free them from the power and wicked designs of their fierce and haughty foes. Nor is it a vain thing for any one to trust his cause in the hands of such a just and righteous judge. Thus when Jephthah was judge over Israel, the king of Ammon came to fight against them, and to recover possessions which he asserted the Israelites had wrested out of his father's hands. Jephthah, conscious that Israel did not unjustly possess those lands, answered, "The Lord "God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his peo"ple into the hands of Israel, and they smote "them. So now the Lord God of Israel hath "dispossessed the Amorites from before his people "Israel, and shouldst thou possess it? Wherefore "I have not sinned against thee; but thou dost me wrong to war against me; the Lord the

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Judge, be judge this day between the children of "Israel and the children of Ammon." And what

was the event of this faithful appeal to his righteous Lord? Did he obtain the wished for succour ? Yes, for "then the Spirit of the Lord came up"on Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and he passed over Mizpeh of Gi"lead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over "unto the children of Ammon-and the Lord de"livered them into his hands," Judges xi. 21 to 32. Holy Job, also, could commit his cause to this judge. And though he was determind to hold fast his integrity, and maintain his uprightness, yet he declares; "Though I were righteous, yet would I “not answer, but I would make supplication to "my Judge," ix. 15. and to this judge he considered himself also accountable, for the use and improvement he should make of the talents and mercies heaped upon him; for says he " If I have "made gold my hope, and have said to the fine

gold, Thou art my confidence, &c. this also were

an iniquity to be punished by the Judge; for I "should have denied the God that is above," Job xxxi. 28. David also speaking of the great majesty of Christ's kingdom, says, "The Heavens "shall declare his righteousness, for God is judge

himself," Psm. 1. 6. and in regard to the nature' of Christ's judgment he hath declared, " as I hear

"

I judge, and my judgment is just," John v. 30. But not only hath Christ a divine right to judge individuals, societies, or kingdoms, but finally to judge all the world. And here he is said to judge

the dead, as considering that all must taste death; and in other places the quick and dead, as including perhaps those whom we have reason to suppose will be left alive upon the face of the earth, at the consummation of all things; or as considering the different characters of those who are quickened and renewed by the Spirit of God, and of those who are yet dead in trespasses and sins. In a spiritual sense, the scope of the passage leads us at present to regard it more especially, when we consider the wo ds with which the declaration is prefaced, "the "hour is coming and now is;" though we must still maintain its ultimate design, as referring to the day of judgment, which might abundantly be proved from the 29th verse of the 5th chapter, and in the first place of the two, it seems as was just said to refer to the then present appearance of Christ on the earth, and that in his power to renew the spiritually dead, which may be gathered from the words, "The hour is coming, and now is; for as the Father hath life in himself (as

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supreme God) so hath he given to the Son (as "God-man), the Mediator between God and

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man, to have life in himself. And hath given "him authority to execute judgment, because he "is the Son of man." Thus far for the mediatorial and human characters which Christ sustained. But he hath a further judgment in his own divine right, which extendeth over every moral agent because of that reason which he hath given to them.

This too is a subject of human wonder, it is an unfathomable mystery to the natural man: how that the despised Jesus and the crucified Saviour should be the Lord of life and glory, yea even God over all, blessed for ever. And so our divine Saviour knew it would. Hence his language, "Marcel "not at this, for the hour is coming, in the which "all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, "and shall come forth: they that have done "good, unto the resurrection of life; and they "that have done evil unto the resurrection of "damnation," ver. 29. This last quoted verse whilst it tends to shew more clearly still, the divine right of Jesus to judge all mankind, may also serve to illustrate the saying in verse 25, “they that hear "shall live," it is the good alone who hear to purpose, who are affected with the divine sound of Christ's gospel, and will at last hear with gladness the awful sound which calls all men to the bar of Jesus, to be judged for the deeds done in the body. But if they that hear shall live, what shall become of those who having slighted the sound of the gospel here, shall shrink with horror at "the voice of "the archangel, and the trump of God," calling to a general judgment? Where then is boasted annihilation; the refuge only for despairing souls. These may try their refuge, but it must fail: yea they will surely try it but it will surely fail. All who despised and trampled on the blood of Jesus, all who have done despight to the Spirit of his