in, even were it from the beatific vision
itself, to this disordered earth, to work a little--and, alas how little-
-at lessening the sum of human ignorance, human vice, human misery--even
as their Lord and Saviour stooped from the throne of the universe, and
from the bosom of the Father, to toil and die for such as curse about the
streets outside.

SERMON XXXVII. THE SURPRISE OF THE RIGHTEOUS

Preached at Southsea for the Mission of the Good Shepherd. October 1871.

St Matt. xxv. 34-37. "Then shall the King say unto them on his right
hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me
meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye
took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I
was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him,
saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, and fed Thee? or thirsty, and
gave Thee drink?"

Let us consider awhile this magnificent parable, and consider it
carefully, lest we mistake its meaning. And let us specially consider
one point about it, which is at first sight puzzling, and which has
caused, ere now, many to miss (as I believe, with some of the best
commentators, ) the meaning of the whole--which is this: that the
righteous in the parable did not know that when they did good to their
fellow-creatures, they did it to Christ the Lord.

Now there are two kinds of people who do know that, because they have
been taught it by Holy Scripture, who would make two very different
answers to the Lord, when He spoke in such words to them. At least so we
may suppose, for they are ready to make such answers here on earth; and
therefore, we may suppose that if they dared, they would answer so at the
day of judgment. One party would--or at least might say, "Yes, Lord, I
knew that whatever I did to the poor, I did to Thee; and therefore I did
all I could for the poor. I started charitable institutions, I spoke at
missionary meetings, I put my name down for large sums in every
subscription list, I built churches and chapels, schools and hospitals; I
gained the reputation among men of being a leading philanthropist,
foremost in every good work."

What answer the man who said that would receive from the Lord, I know
not; for who am I that I should put words into the mouth of my Creator
and my