“Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.” Ecclesiastes 11:9.SITI June 2, 1890, page 155.96

Here is another thing we must know. The knowledge of this naturally follows from the knowledge of the existence of God. He is our Creator, and therefore has a right to claim that we shall do his will; but if this is so, it necessarily follows that judgment must be passed upon us, to see if we have done his will. The text is addressed to young men; but since God is no respecter of persons, we must conclude that all classes of people will alike be brought into judgment.SITI June 2, 1890, page 155.97

That all the world will be brought into judgment, is positively stated in the Bible. In his sermon on Mars Hill, Paul said that God “now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” Acts 17:30, 31.SITI June 2, 1890, page 155.98

What shall be the standard of the final judgment? If we are to know that for certain things God will bring us into judgment, it must be that we can know what to do in order to secure a favorable decision. We have already learned that, being wholly dependent on God, we are bound to conform to his will in every particular: therefore we must conclude that God’s will is to be the standard of judgment. This conclusion is supported by the words in the Lord’s prayer, which indicated that when God’s kingdom comes his will be done by all.SITI June 2, 1890, page 155.99

What then is the will of God, by which we are to be judged? Paul gives the answer in the following words: “Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law.” Romans 2:17, 18. How was it that those whom Paul addressed knew the will of God? Because they were instructed out of the law. Then it must be that the law of God contains the will of God. This is still further shown by the words which David uttered prophetically in behalf of Christ: “Then said I, Lo, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:7, 8. It was Christ’s delight-more than his meat or drink-to do the will of God. He ever did the will of the Father. This was because the law of God was in his heart, so that all his actions were spontaneously in harmony with it. But acting in harmony with the law of God was doing the will of God; therefore the law of God is identical with his will.SITI June 2, 1890, page 155.100

Once more: When the young man came to Jesus and asked what he should do that he might inherit eternal life, Jesus answered, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” Matthew 19:17. In his sermon on the mount, he said: “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. Therefore keeping the commandments of God is equivalent to doing the will of God.SITI June 2, 1890, page 155.101

The law of God, then, is to be the standard by which all men shall be judged. This is incidentally shown in the passage already quoted from Romans: “Thou “knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law.” According to the marginal reading it is, Thou “triest the things that differ, being instructed out of the law.” The law of God is that by which we try things that differ, by which we decide what things are honest and just and pure and lovely and of good report, and what are not. This, we say, is incidental proof that we are to be judged by the law of God, the ten commandments; for it is manifest that we must judge our actions by the same rule by which God will judge them.SITI June 2, 1890, page 155.102

In the text quoted at the beginning of this article, Solomon tells the young man to have his own way if he will, to walk in the ways of his heart, and in the sight of his eyes, but to know that for “all these things” God will bring him into judgment. Then we are to know not only that there will be a judgment, but that the judgment will take into account our thoughts; for the ways of a person’s heart are the ways which his heart devises or thinks upon. This is plainly stated in the next chapter: “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:14. This agrees with the words of Paul, that when the Lord comes he will “bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.” 1 Corinthians 4:5.SITI June 2, 1890, page 155.103

We have seen that the judgment is to be in accordance with the law of God; and since every secret thought is to be brought into judgment, it follows that the law of God takes account of even the thoughts of the heart. Read now Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Here we see that the fact that God will bring every secret thing into judgment, is given as a reason why we should keep the commandments of God. This shows again that the law is so spiritual as to detect the slightest deviation from it even in thought.SITI June 2, 1890, page 155.104

With this agree the words of Paul: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12. As showing how the law discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart, we refer to the words of Christ in Matthew 5:18-22, 27, 28, where we find that a single hateful thought or lustful look is accounted a violation of the sixth or the seventh commandment.SITI June 2, 1890, page 155.105

There is an intimate connection between Ecclesiastes 11:9 and Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14. The latter text is an exhortation to keep the commandments of God, based on the truth that by those commandments God will bring “every work into judgment, with every secret thing.” The former text is an emphatic command to those who seem bent on having their own way, to know that “for all these things” God will bring them into judgment. And since that judgment is to be based on the commandments of God, and is to take into account every secret thought, it follows that Ecclesiastes 11:9 is virtually a command for us to know that the ten commandments cover every possible deed or thought, and demand perfect obedience. It is a command for us to study the law, and to meditate in it day and night. If we are ever at a loss to know how perfect the law requires us to be, we have only to consider the life and character of Jesus. He “did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.” This was simply because the law was in his heart. Anyone who models his life in accordance with the law of God, will be just like Christ, and the law will be satisfied with nothing less.SITI June 2, 1890, page 155.106

This righteousness cannot be attained by our own individual effort. Of ourselves we can do nothing; but Christ, who knew no sin, was made to be sin for us, in order “that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” And in the command to know that God will bring us into judgment for every secret thing, includes the command not only to know that the law of God is to be the standard of that judgment, but also that through Christ alone can we attain to that perfect righteousness which the law demands. If Christ dwells in our hearts by faith, then we can exhibit in our actions the righteousness of the law, for if we have Christ in the heart we must have the law there also. And having lived thus, when we are brought before the judgment seat, and God fixes upon us his piercing grace, he will see, not us, but the image of Christ, and because he lives we shall live also.SITI June 2, 1890, page 155.107

May 26, 1890

June 9, 1890