on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.'

A great white throne, and He that sat upon it, before whom heaven and earth fled away, and there was no place for them. Remember, it was heaven as well as earth. If you suppose that these words speak of a destruction of the earth you must suppose that they speak of a destruction of the heavens. If one meaning is impossible, do not contradict all that we have been reading and hearing in this book by imagining the other. Yet the vision is strictly true. In the vision of God Himself all things must disappear; Saints who govern, as much as those who are governed. In that perfect light all alike seem lost, no place is found for them. And yet it is that very light which brings all

into manifestation. Each one, small and great, stands out clearly and distinctly when He is revealed. Vague thoughts haunt us of great judgments upon the world at large in which we individually are forgotten. Or we are indifferent about the world, thinking of ourselves and what will happen to us. In this divine light there is no such confusion. God loves the world. How can we separate ourselves from it? God has made each of us a conscious being. How can we lose that being in the vastness of any society? It is a judgment between life and death. Hast thou chosen life? hast

thou chosen death? That question reaches every man, whether he has been buried in the sea or in the grave. It reaches, so St. John says, into the very depth of hell. And life, he says, conquers. Death and hell are cast into the lake of fire.

Does that mean, my brethren, that by some change of circumstances, by some arbitrary decree of God, evil ceases to bring its curse and doom; that some time commences when God no longer judges? I can form no conception which is so frightful as that. Evil can never be less accursed, till good becomes less blessed. Asking God not to judge, is asking utter destruction to ourselves. The victories of God are victories over the will of men. You and I can only be saved from curses and punishments by being saved from sin. God

sent His Son to deliver us from that. If death and hell are cast into the lake of fire, it is because He has done His work; because He has seen of the travail of His soul, and been satisfied.

D D

LECTURE XXI.

THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH.

REV. XXI.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; and had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates

twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: on the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

BEFORE the vision of the great white throne and Him that sat upon it, heaven as much as earth had fled away. In that perfect light, there seemed for a while no place for the spiritual more than for the material world. But