This last act of Christ, namely, his judging the world, is a special part of his exaltation and honour bestowed upon him, ‘because he is the Son of Man,’ John v. 27 . . . In this will the glory of the Christ’s sovereignty and power be eminently and illustriously displayed before angels and men. And this is that great truth which he commanded to be preached and testified to the people, namely, that it is ‘he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.’
—Sermon XLII. Christ’s Advent to Judgment, being the fourth and last degree of his Exaltation, illustrated and improved in The Works of John Flavel, Vol. 1, 525
THESE words are part of a sermon preached by St. Peter to Cornelius and his friends, wherein the apostle briefly declareth unto them the chief particulars in the history of Christ, together with some main points of Christian doctrine most fit for them to know; particularly he doth in these words express the point concerning the future judgment; reporting that our Lord especially did charge his apostles to preach unto the people and testify; that is, first publicly to declare and explain, then by convenient proofs, especially by divine attestations, to evince and persuade this point; the importance whereof, and eminence among other Christian doctrines, doth hence plainly appear, that the author of our faith did make so especial provision, and gave so express a charge concerning the promulgation and probation thereof: the which circumstance is indeed remarkable and weighty; but I shall insist on it, meaning immediately to set upon considering the point itself, as it is here laid down in these terms; that it is he which was ordained by God to be Judge of quick and dead: in which words are couched three particulars most considerable.
—The Works of Isaac Barrow, D. D. with a Life of the Author, 383-384
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