Hebrews 10:31

Hebrews 10:31

The Judgments of God.

I. This is, of all the revelations of Scripture, the one which men can least bear. They would fain find something of hope, something of mitigation, even in the heaviest sentence of God's anger. They would fain believe that all shall be well at the last. Most natural is it for flesh and blood so to wish; most natural that the strong wish should labour to become belief. But the declaration of God's truth is in His own Scriptures clear and full; no man can mistake, no man can dispute its meaning. Can that be inconsistent with God's mercy which is declared by Him who laid down His life for us?

II. The real Christian faith in Christ's promises and Christ's threatenings is what we all require daily. Where is the man of us, however earnestly he may love Christ's words, who can pretend that he believes them with the same undoubting faith that he could do if he knew and loved Christ better? Conceive, if that were the case, how entire would be our confidence in all God's words; how steadily should we look beyond the grave, and see the river's further shore. For what makes death clear or dark to us is exactly our greater or less knowledge of God, a knowledge that if we are with Him we shall be safe and happy, whether it be in life or death. And it is a knowledge also of His terrors, that it is indeed a fearful thing to find ourselves in His hands for the first time when He comes with judgment. Here we knew Him not, and therefore carelessly offended Him; but there we must know Him, and shall find that the evil done or the good not done to one of the least of our brethren was a wrong or a neglect to Him.

T. Arnold, Sermons,vol. vi., p. 253.

References: Hebrews 10:31. Spurgeon, Sermons,vol. xii., No. 682; R. L. Browne, Sussex Sermons,p. 241.Hebrews 10:32. E. White, Christian World Pulpit,vol. xxx., p. 72; Homiletic Magazine,vol. xiii., p. 200. Hebrews 10:34. Homilist,3rd series, vol. i., p. 222.Hebrews 10:35. H. F. Walker, Christian World Pulpit,vol. xiv., p. 341; J. B. Brown, Ibid.,vol. xxiii., p. 113.Hebrews 10:35; Hebrews 10:36. H. W. Beecher, Christian World Pulpit,vol. v., p. 378; Clergyman's Magazine,vol. iii., p. 210. Hebrews 10:36. H. W. Beecher, Christian World Pulpit,vol. xxi., pp. 27,68; H. P. Liddon, Ibid.,vol. xxv., p. 136.