Who, then, in this land “of milk and honey,” is “hungry and athirst,” but the man from whom the law takes away the last crumb of bread and the smallest drop of water?

Who “naked,” but the man whom the law strips of the last rag of clothing?

Who “sick,” but the man whom the law deprives of the power of procuring medicine or sending for a physician?

Who “in prison,” but the man who, all his life, is under the control of merciless masters and cruel keepers!

Who a “stranger,” but the man who is scornfully denied the cheapest courtesies of life—­who is treated as an alien in his native country?

There is one point in this awful description which deserves particular attention.  Those who are doomed to the left hand of the Judge, are not charged with inflicting positive injuries on their helpless, needy, and oppressed brother.  Theirs was what is often called negative character.  What they had done is not described in the indictment.  Their neglect of duty, what they had NOT done, was the ground of their “everlasting punishment.”  The representative of their Judge, they had seen a hungered and they gave him no meat, thirsty and they gave him no drink, a stranger and they took him not in, naked and they clothed him not, sick and in prison and they visited him not.  In as much as they did NOT yield to the claims of suffering humanity—­did NOT exert themselves to bless the meanest of the human family, they were driven away in their wickedness.  But what if the indictment had run thus:  I was a hungered and ye snatched away the crust which might have saved me from starvation; I was thirsty and ye dashed to the ground the “cup of cold water,” which might have moistened my parched lips; I was a stranger and ye drove me from the hovel which might have sheltered me from the piercing wind; I was sick and ye scourged me to my task; in prison and you sold me for my jail-fees—­to what depths of hell must not those who were convicted under such charges be consigned!  And what is the history of American slavery but one long indictment, describing under ever-varying forms and hues just such injuries!

Nor should it be forgotten, that those who incurred the displeasure of their Judge, took far other views than he, of their own past history.  The charges which he brought against them, they heard with great surprise.  They were sure that they had never thus turned away from his necessities.  Indeed, when had they seen him thus subject to poverty, insult, and oppression?  Never.  And as to that poor friendless creature, whom they left unpitied and unhelped in the hands of the oppressor, and whom their Judge now presented as his own representative, they never once supposed, that he had any claims on their compassion and assistance.  Had they known, that he was destined to so prominent a place at the final judgment, they would have treated him as a human being, in despite of any social, pecuniary, or political considerations.  But neither their negative virtue nor their voluntary ignorance could shield them from the penal fire which their selfishness had kindled.