44. Judgment Day
Judgment Day
RABBI BEN ZACHAI’S LAMENT.—When Rabbi Ben Zachai neared the close of life his disciples found him weeping. They said to him: “Rabbi, the light of Israel, the right-hand pillar, wherefore dost thou weep?” He answered: “If they were carrying me before a king of flesh and blood, who is here today, and tomorrow in the grave, who, if he were angry with me, his anger would not last forever; if he put me in prison, his prison would not be everlasting; if he condemned me to death, that death would not be eternal; whom I could soothe with words or bribe with riches; yet even in such circumstances, I should weep. But now I am going before the King of Kings, the holy and blessed God, who, if He be angry with me, His anger will last forever; if He put me in prison, His bondage will be everlasting; if He condemn me to death, that death will be eternal; whom I cannot soothe with words nor bribe with riches. Further, there are before me two ways, the one to Hell, the other to Paradise, I know not into which they are carrying me, shall I not weep?”
WHISTON’S COMET.—When Whiston’s comet appeared, as foretold, in London, in 1810, all hearts were struck with terror. A man who had neglected to pray in his family for five years began that evening. Some ladies burned their novels and plays, and sent for a Bible. MY REDEEMER IS JUDGE.—All judgment is committed to Christ. It is He who will come in the clouds of Heaven. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. This is a precious comforting thought, as Hervey said: “My Redeemer is my Judge.” He who died for me passes the final sentence. Yes, Christ, who is the believer’s Saviour and Advocate, is his Judge also. Malachi 3:17 says: “They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.”
SAILOR’S DREAM.—A sailor narrowly escaped death by an explosion in which most of his crew lost their lives. In a dream he thought he saw the Judgment Day, and the Judge seated at a table. On one side of Him was Satan, before a door, and on the other an angel before a door. Each sailor’s name was called as it stood on the ship’s record, and in every instance the person fell into Satan’s hands. His name, strange to say, was passed over, and he asked the Judge: “Am I wanted?” The answer was: “Not now, but repent!” With this he awoke.
ARCHBISHOP’S FEAR.—Adalbert, who lived in the tenth century, was appointed Archbishop of Prague. The position gave him so little satisfaction that he was never seen to smile afterwards. On being asked the reason, he replied: “It is an easy thing to wear a miter and a cross, but an awful thing to give an account of a bishopric before the Judge of the quick and dead.” It is said that Jonathan Edwards once preached on judgment as if he were standing on the sides of Eternity, and the people heard as if they were listening to the sound of the last trumpet.
SANDY WAS READY.—There was an under-witted, but faith-filled Scotch lad in this country at the time of the great meteoric shower of 1833. When men and women were in terror on that night at the thought that the Judgment Day was about to dawn, this boy’s mother aroused him from sleep with the cry: “Sandy! Sandy! get up! the Day of Judgment has come!” Instantly he was alive to that call, and shouted, “Glory to God, I am ready!”