Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 25:45

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

The great King, and Judge of the whole Earth, had before given Sentence for those on his right Hand, who are now possessed of their Kingdom, and sit with him to Judge the World: He now comes to Sentence the Goats at the left Hand, whose Judgment is to Eternal Misery; lying in two things, in a departure from God, so as never more to have any Favour from him. 2. In a Sense of Pain and Misery, exceeding that which Fire causeth to a Body consuming with it. In this Life wicked Men are capable of some Presence of God with them, and receive several Favours from God, in Gifts of Common Providence, and Common Grace. Which might serve either, as Incouragements to allure them, or means to help them, in turning to God; but having abused these, The righteous God in that day will totally depart from them, and they shall receive no more Tokens of kindness and Favour from him; and whereas, by the advantages they had from such a Presence of Divine Providence, as God was pleased in this Life to allow them, they lived in some degrees of Pleasure and Liberty, which they were not thankful for, they shall at that day be adjudged to Eternal Torments. Nor shall the Justice of God be impeached, for disproportioning Eternal Torments to Temporary sinnings; for the infiniteness of the Majesty offended, to which Satisfaction is due, is to be considered, and is so amongst Men, who think it reasonable to recompence a Prince, or Noble Man, for an injury done to them with ten thousand Pounds, which they would not recompence to an Equal, with so many Shillings. Beside, that every Sinner hath sinned, in suo infinito, to the utmost Line of his time, and wanted nothing, but more time to have sinned more, for he had a Will to have sinned infinitely. This everlasting Fire, is said to be prepared for the Devil and his Angels. Not because it was not also prepared for Men, but the Evil Angels were adjudged to it before Man had sinned, so that Man comes but into a share with the Evil Angels; and by this, God also lets us know, that they are the Children of the Devil, by Evil Works, Ioh. 8.44. 1 Ioh. 3.8. Having determined their Punishments, and pronounced their Sentence, He comes to justifie himself in it. For I was an Hungry, and you gave me no Meat, &c. For here may be interpreted as a Causal, for tho none merits his own Salvation; yet every sinners Destruction is of himself, and he meriteth his Condemnation. The mentioning only of sins of Omission, and those only, as to Acts of Charity, doth not only teach us, that sins of Omission are enough to Damn us, but that Omissions of Acts of Charity, to the distressed Members of Christ, are such sins, as if not repented of, and washed off with the Blood of Christ, are enough to Condemn us to the Pit of Hell; and such things as God doth keep in mind, and will in a more special manner reckon with Men for. I cannot pass by a reflection, which I find almost all Interpreters make upon this Text. If those in the day of Judgment shall be sent to Hell, who do not feed the poor Members of Christ, and give them to drink, when they are Thirsty; what shall be done to them, who pluck the Bread out of their Mouths, which they have got in the Sweat of their Face, and spill the drink, which their own Labours or others Liberality hath given them to drink? If those shall have their Portion with the Devil and his Angels, who give not Entertainment to them when they are banished, and Strangers, what shall become of them who are Instruments of their Banishment, and to make them Strangers? If it shall go so hard with those, that cloth them not when they are Naked, what shall become of those, who any way help to strip them Naked? If those shall not escape the Vengeance of God, who do not visit them when they are Sick, and in Prison, where shall they appear, who cast them into Prisons, and are means of those Diseases that shorten their Lives, by their barbarous usages of them? Those that smite their fellow-Servants, had need be sure, that it be not for well-doing. Our Lord here tells us, that the Wicked in that day will say: When saw we thee an Hungry, &c. They did not deny, that they had refused to give Bread to the Hungry; but they deny that they ever saw Christ an Hungry, and did not feed him. Persecutors have always ill Names to give the Servants of God, pretending still a great Reverence for God, and Christ. But mark our Lords Answer, and that with an Oath. Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me. It is no matter what you thought of, or called those to whom you shewed no Mercy; you see they are here at my Right Hand; you might have known them to be my Sheep, you saw them Hear my Voyce, and following me; you in casting them into Prison, ca[illegible: 1 letter]t me, in starving them, you starved me, and in stripping them of their Goods, you stript me. Therefore, Go ye Cursed into Everlasting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels.

Marginal references: Prov. 14.31. & 17.5. Zech. 2.8.