Mercy in The Day of Judgment

The best method of showing our gratitude to some men for their kindness would be to pray for them.

Even the best of men will be the better for our prayers.

Paul had already prayed for the household of Onesiphorus, and now he concludes by a specially hearty prayer for the good man himself. The repetition of the word “Lord” makes the prayer peculiarly solemn.

Onesiphorus had remembered Paul in his day of peril, and Paul begs the Lord to give him a gracious return in the day of judgment.

Yet the utmost he can ask even for so excellent a man is mercy. Even the merciful need mercy; and it is their blessing from the Lord himself that “they shall obtain mercy.”

Let us consider this prayer under three heads:—

I. “THAT DAY.”

“That day”: it is not specifically described, because well known and much thought of among Christians. Do we sufficiently think of that day? If so, we shall feel our great need to find of the Lord mercy when it comes.

Its date is not given. It would but gratify curiosity.

Its length is not specified. Will it be a common day? It will be long enough for the deliberate judgment of all men.

Its coming will be solemnly proclaimed. We shall know it. Ushered in with pomp of angels, sound of trumpet, &c., none will be ignorant of it.

Its glory, the revelation of Jesus from Heaven upon the throne of judgment. This will make it most memorable.

Its event, the assembly of quick and dead, and the last assize.

Its character, excitement of joy or terror. It will be the day of days, for which all other days were made.

Its personal interest to each one of us will be paramount.

Its revealings of secrets of thought, word, deed, &c., for good or for evil, will be most astounding.

Its decisions will be strictly just, indisputable, unchangeable, etc.

It will be the last day, and henceforth the state of men will be fixed for joy or woe.

How much we shall need mercy in the judgment! Every thought connected with it makes us feel this. Let us pray about it.

II. THE MERCY.

All will need it. Assuredly we shall need it ourselves.

To arouse us, let us think of those who will find no mercy of the Lord in that day:—

Those who had no mercy on others.

Those who lived and died impenitent.

Those who neglected salvation. How shall they escape?

Those who said they needed no mercy: the self-righteous.

Those who sought no mercy: procrastinators, and the indifferent.

Those who scoffed at Christ, and refused the gospel.

Those who sold their Lord, and apostatized from him.

Those who made a false and hypocritical profession.

III. TODAY.

Our address at this moment is to those for whom we would specially breathe the prayer of the text.

The prospect of judgment for preacher and hearers leads us at once to pray for you, and at the same time to urge you to seek the Lord while he may be found.

We would not have you despair as to the future, but hope to find mercy in the present, that you may find it in “that day.”

Remember that now is the accepted time, for—

You are not yet standing at the judgment bar.

You are yet where prayer is heard.

You are where faith will save all who exercise it towards Christ.

You are where the Spirit strives.

You are where sin may be forgiven, at once, and forever.

You are where grace reigns, even though sin abounds.

Today is the day of grace; tomorrow may be a day of another sort, for you at least, and possibly for all mankind. The Judge is at the door.

Seek mercy immediately, that mercy may be yours forever.

Trumpet Notes

I would rather have the gift of a brother’s faithful prayers than of his plentiful substance. And I feel that when I have given to a brother my faithful prayers I have given him my best and greatest gift.—Edward Irving.

There is a machine in the Bank of England which receives sovereigns, as a mill receives grain, for the purpose of determining wholesale whether they are of full weight. As they pass through, the machinery, by unerring laws, throws all that are light to one side, and all that are of full weight to another. That process is a silent but solemn parable for me. Founded as it is upon the laws of nature, it affords the most vivid similitude of the certainty which characterizes the judgment of the great day. There are no mistakes or partialities to which the light may trust; the only hope lies in being of standard weight before they go in.

—William Arnot.

An infidel was introduced by a gentleman to a minister with a remark, “He never attends public worship.” “Ah!” said the minister, “I hope you are mistaken.” “By no means,” said the stranger; “I always spend Sunday in settling my accounts.” “Then, alas!” was the calm, but solemn reply, “you will find, sir, that the day of judgment will be spent in the same manner.”—G. S. Bowes.

When Thomas Hooker was dying, one said to him, “Brother, you are going to receive the reward of your labors.” He humbly replied, “Brother, I am going to receive mercy.”

By that tremendous phrase, “eternal judgment,” consider your ways, and be wise! If its true meaning could lighten upon you at this moment, what consternation would strike upon each spirit! Every man, though serene as death before, would spring to his feet, and cry, Tell me, tell me this moment, what I must do!—Charles Stanford, D.D.

It is a pathetic tale to tell, and I do not vouch for its absolute truth, that once a famous composer wrote a great anthem to be sung at a festival. He sought to picture the scenes of the final judgment, and introduced a strain of music representing the solemn lamentations of the lost. But no singer was found willing to take such a part. So the wailings and woes were omitted; and when the passage was reached, the leader simply beat the time in silence until the awful chasm was passed, and the musicians took up gloriously the strains of celestial unison lying on the other side of it—“the shout of them that triumph, and the song of them who feast.”—Dr. C. S. Robinson.